Walnut and White Bean Meatballs with Mojo Sauce
Walnut and White Bean Meatballs with Mojo Sauce! Meaty, vegan meatballs with a citrusy, garlicky mojo sauce.
Ingredients
White Bean Meatballs
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup finely diced white or yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more, depending on preference
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime or lemon juice with 1 teaspoon zest
- 1 cup walnut halves
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 1 15 ounce can white beans, drained, rinsed and patted dry with a towel to soak up excess moisture (or 1 ½ cups cooked beans)
- ½ cup very finely chopped cilantro leaves, stems removed
- 3 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
Mojo Sauce
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded
- 1 orange, juiced
- 2 limes, juiced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- Garlic clove
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
White rice, plantain chips, charred red onion for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat, like a silpat, or with parchment paper and set aside. Place the flax seeds and water together in a small bowl and set aside until just gelled.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until just softened. Add the garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, sugar and salt and cook another 3 minutes or so until vegetables are very soft and fragrant. Stir in the lime or lemon juice with zest and scrape any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Set aside and let just cool.
- Place the walnuts and oats in the base of a food processor and process until very finely chopped, like a course meal. See the photo above for reference, if needed. Remove the contents of the walnuts and oats and place into the base of a large bowl.
- Add the white beans to the empty base of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped, but not completely pureed. Empty the beans into the oat bowl along with the cooked onion and spice mixture, flax seed gel, cilantro and soy sauce. Using a spatula or your hands, mix until well combined. Taste a small amount of the mixture, adding more salt/pepper as desired.
- Scoop ~2 tablespoons of mixture and roll into balls, then place on the prepared baking sheet and finish with the rest of the mixture. Lightly spray or drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until meatballs are firmed and bottoms are lightly browned.
- Make the mojo sauce by placing all ingredients into a blender and blend until mostly smooth, with a few herby specks still remain.
- Serve meatballs over a bed of rice with plantain chips, charred red onion and mojo sauce.
Notes
To char red onions, peel 2 red onions and cut into 1” thick wedges, then toss with a little olive oil. Place in a 475 degree oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until soft and lightly charred on one side.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowlCalories: 740kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 20gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 18gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gSodium: 743mgPotassium: 962mgFiber: 15gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 310IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 176mgIron: 7mg