Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs
These Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs are crispy, hearty and healthy. Made with chickpeas, pistachios, brown rice, herbs and spices. Serve with pasta, salads or bowls.
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup pistachios shelled
- 1/2 red onion roughly chopped
- 1 chipotle pepper from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tbsp cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs of choice
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all of the ingredients (except the breadcrumbs and rice)* to a food processor. Pulse until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. You can leave the mixture as chunky or smooth as you like - I personally like a few chunks in there.
- Transfer the chickpea mixture to a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs and rice until combined.
- Roll the mixture into 8 balls (you can make them smaller and do 12 instead) and place them on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Gently flip and cook them for an additional 10-15 minutes. You want them to be crispy on the outside
- Serve these meatballs with your favorite pasta, bowl or salad.
Video
Notes
*You can add the breadcrumbs and rice to the food processor with everything else if you want to - I just wanted a chunkier texture.
**These will last in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 2 months. If freezing, cook them completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container once cooled.
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Nutrition
Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g