5 from 2 votes

Vegan kofta meatballs! All the flavor of kofta in meatball form, served with a refreshing cucumber tomato salad. Enjoy as a plate, in a sandwich or as a wrap!

A Plate Showcasing Vegan Kofta Meatballs, Sliced Pita Bread, And A Colorful Salad With Cucumber, Tomatoes, And Greens. In The Background Rests A Small Bowl Of Sauce On A Gray Surface.

We love meatballs in my home. I make my vegan Impossible meatballs a few times a month and after visiting Anixi last weekend, I came home craving a kofta version.

If you are ever in Manhattan, I highly recommend a visit to Anixi– a completely plant-based Mediterranean Brasserie that features vibrant flavors from Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. We ordered several of the dishes to share, but one of my favorites was their kofta.

Served on skewers, their kofta featured cinnamon and cumin infused vegan beef, tahini, parsley, and sumac. Served with homemade pita and a variety of dips– I’ve been thinking about that meal ever since!

Here is my version: vegan kofta meatballs made into meatballs rather than kebobs for ease and served with pita bread and a vibrant cucumber and tomato mint salad.

If you like slightly spicy, fragrant meatballs as much as I do, then you are going to love these. See below for more details, or scroll to the full recipe at the bottom.

Everything You Need to Make These:

Ingredient Notes

For the vegan ground beef, I recommend using Impossible brand or Beyond Beef. I’ve tried this recipe with both brands and prefer the Impossible, but both will work.

I know the ingredient list looks long, but it’s mostly spices that you likely have in your pantry already. Kofta typically boasts a rich, savory flavor profile thanks to a blend of aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, allspice, ginger, and cinnamon.

Because of the unique flavor in these vegan kofta meatballs, I don’t recommend substituting one spice for another.

The mint and parsley also add flavor to these meatballs and you’ll use additional mint and parsley in the cucumber tomato salad and for garnish.

For ease, I’m relying on both store-bought hummus and pita bread, but if you have the time and energy, then you can easily make your own. (See my recipes for both easy flatbreads and homemade hummus.)

A Plate With Vegan Kofta Meatballs, Sliced Pita Bread, A Bowl Of Creamy Sauce, And A Salad Of Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, And Bell Peppers.

How to Make These Vegan Kofta Meatballs

Mix together the herbs and spices

In a large bowl, mix together the herbs and spices along with the grated onion

A Glass Bowl Containing A Mixture For Vegan Kofta Meatballs, Combined With Chopped Herbs And Spices, Sits On A Gray Marbled Countertop. The Plant-Based Ingredients Are Partially Blended, Showcasing A Variety Of Green Herbs And Reddish-Brown Spices.

Add the vegan beef

Add in the vegan beef and mix together

A Glass Bowl Containing A Mixture Of Ground Meat With Visible Herbs And Spices, Reminiscent Of Traditional Vegan Kofta. It'S Placed On A Light Gray Textured Surface, The Blended Ingredients Giving It A Speckled Texture That Promises Rich Flavor.

Shape and Bake

Portion the mixture into meatballs, then place on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil to help create a crispier meatball.

Raw Vegan Kofta Meatballs Arranged In A Circular Pattern On A Round, Dark Baking Tray. The Meatballs Are Seasoned With Herbs And Glistening With Oil Against A Light Gray Background.

Make the Cucumber Tomato Salad

Mix together the ingredients for the cucumber tomato salad. Season to taste, depending on preference.

A Clear Glass Bowl Showcases A Vibrant Salad With Sliced Cucumbers, Red And Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, Finely Chopped Red Onions, And Vegan Kofta Meatballs. The Glossy Ingredients Rest Enticingly On A Light Gray Surface.

Serve

Spread the hummus onto warmed pita and top with the meatballs and cucumber tomato salad. Enjoy as a sandwich, wrap or as a plate!

A Pita Bread Garnished With Vegan Kofta Meatballs, Sliced Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, And Fresh Parsley Graces A Yellow Patterned Plate. The Background Is A Gray Textured Surface.

Serving Suggestions

I love meatballs so much that I usually just dunk any leftovers into a sauce. If you don’t want to serve them with the hummus, you could make a lemon yogurt sauce, like I do in my meatball plate recipe, or a tahini sauce.

I also like these served with a pasta salad, like my Greek orzo salad or quinoa tabbouleh.

A Yellow Plate With Five Vegan Kofta Meatballs Crowned By Sliced Red And Yellow Cherry Tomatoes And Cucumber Pieces. In The Background, A Bowl Brimming With More Meatballs And Fresh Vegetables Rests On A Gray Surface.

Tips for Success

For well-spiced meatballs, I call for mixing all of the ingredients except for the vegan meat first, then adding the meat and using your hands to incorporate the meatball mixture together.

I like using a scoop to portion these vegan kofta meatballs easily. This makes for uniform meatballs and allows them to cook evenly in the oven. This is the scoop I use. If you make your meatballs larger, then watch the cooking time to make sure they are still tender inside and not overcooked.

For a crispier texture, I drizzle a little olive oil over the shaped meatballs before baking.

I usually prefer white or yellow onion in my meatballs, but since I’m using red onion in my cucumber salad, I just use the same red onion in the meatballs. I use a box grater because you want the onion to almost melt into the mixture. However, you can use a mini food processor to process the onion.

You can double this recipe!

A Plate Of Food Featuring Three Seasoned Vegan Kofta Meatballs, Sliced Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, Pita Bread, And A Small Bowl Of White Dipping Sauce On A Gray Background.

More Vegan Recipes

If you try these vegan kofta meatballs, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!

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Vegan Kofta Meatball Bowls

5 from 2 votes

Vegan kofta meatballs! All the flavor of kofta in meatball form, served with a refreshing cucumber tomato salad. Enjoy as a plate, in a sandwich or as a wrap!

Servings: meatballs

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Kofta Meatballs:

1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon*
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup grated onion**
1 12-16 ounce package plant-based ground meat, like Impossible

For the Cucumber Salad:

1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
salt/pepper

For Serving:

Fresh pita bread
Hummus***

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
To a large bowl, add all of the ingredients except for the plant-based meat (mint, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, ginger, onion). Mix together, then add in the plant-based meat and stir into just combined.
Form into 1 tablespoon meatballs (I use this scoop to make things easy) and roll into balls, then place on a sheet pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through.
While the meatballs are cooking, make the cucumber salad. Mix together the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, mint, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and a good pinch of salt and pepper— I usually start with 1/4 teaspoon each and then adjust from there.
Toast the pita, then serve! You can make these as wraps or as a pita plate.

Notes

*I think this is a personal preference. If you want just a hint, do 1/4 teaspoon. If you want a little more pronounced cinnamon flavor, do 1/2 teaspoon.

**I like the flavor of white or yellow onion for these meatballs however since I am already using red onion in the pita, then I usually just use red onion for this. I grate my onion using a box grater.

***I like these as a plate– scooping up a little hummus onto my pita bread, then adding a meatball and a spoon of the cucumber salad. But, these are also great as a sandwich– smearing a little hummus onto your pita (also yummy mixing hummus with a little chili crisp for spice) and then slicing cucumber, tomato, red onion and lettuce into the pita with the meatballs instead of making a salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatballCalories: 62kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 175mgPotassium: 122mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 147IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg

Course: dinner, healthy, plate, vegan

Author: Alexandra Caspero