Make and Freeze Vegan Meatball Sub Sandwiches
Easy to whip up and even easier to enjoy, these make-and-freeze vegan meatballs are perfect for a vegan meatball sub. Healthy pantry staples like chickpeas and black beans make this dish satisfying because they’re packed with fibre and plant-based protein. But hearty beans don’t do all the healthy lifting in this recipe—nutrient dense sprouted whole grain breadcrumbs made from Silver Hills Bakery bread bring even more goodness to the table.
Servings 6 sandwiches
Ingredients
For the vegan meatballs:
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (we used our Sprouted Breadcrumbs recipe)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 can (400 ml / 14 fl oz) black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 can (400 ml / 14 fl oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp water)
For the vegan meatball sub sandwiches:
- 1 – 6 Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery Organic Hot Dog Buns
- 1 jar marinara sauce (or your family’s favourite tomato sauce)
- ¼ – ½ cup plant-based parmesan-style or mozzarella-style cheese , grated (or top to taste)
Instructions
For the vegan meatballs:
- In a small bowl, prepare your flax egg and allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes until it starts to thicken.
- Pulse garlic in your food processor. One can at a time, add beans, and pulse to a coarse chop. Add flax egg, seasonings, and breadcrumbs, then pulse until completely combined. You will need to scrape down the sides as you go. If needed for processing, add water ¼ cup at a time until you reach a thick, cookie dough-like consistency. (If you have a smaller food processor, pulse together garlic with one can of beans, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Repeat with the seasonings and second can of beans, then mix the beans, flax egg, and breadcrumbs together by hand with a wooden spoon until well combined.)
- Using a tablespoon, scoop out the mixture and roll in your hand to form a ball (wet your hands with water if the mixture is sticking to your hands).
To cook the vegan meatballs:
- To cook in a frying pan: use a non-stick pan, or add about 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a regular pan and cook on medium to medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Move the balls around to brown all sides.
- To bake in the oven: Heat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the balls on the baking sheet, making sure there’s room between each. Cook for 10 minutes, flip and cook for 5 more minutes, or until vegan meatballs are evenly browned.
To serve:
- Toast your buns (if desired).
- Warm marinara sauce.
- Spoon sauce into your bun, and place meatballs on top. Sprinkle with cheese (and extra sauce if you like!) and enjoy!
Tips
- Make this easy weeknight meal even easier by cutting down on the cleanup. Turn this into a one-pot dish. Cook the number of vegan meatballs you need for one meal in a frying pan, and when the vegan meatballs have browned, pour marinara or tomato sauce into the pan and simmer until sauce is warm.- Serve on a bun or atop your favourite pasta. This easy weeknight menu item can be made to accompany any vegan meatball-based dish you like, from meatball sub sandwiches to classic spaghetti and meatballs.- Scroll down for full freeze and reheat instructions!
To Freeze
The perfect make-ahead meal for a busy weeknight! Make up a batch—or several—and freeze for up to 3 months (or until the next time you need dinner fast!). - To freeze uncooked vegan meatballs: Roll out the balls and place uncooked vegan meatballs in an airtight container with parchment between each layer. (Parchment prevents them from freezing into a block and makes it easy to take out only what you need for tonight’s meal!) - To freeze cooked vegan meatballs: Once cooked, cool completely. Layer fully-cooked, unsauced vegan meatballs in an airtight container in the same manner as above, with parchment between each. .
To Reheat
No need to defrost first. Just cook or reheat from frozen!- To cook from frozen, add about 10 minutes to the cooking time. For the frying pan method, cover with a lid for the first 5 minutes, then proceed with browning.- To reheat from frozen, simmer in a covered saucepan with marinara or tomato sauce until heated through.