When it comes to the vegan diet, we see a creative trend that is still very strong, much more so than in other kitchens well established for decades or centuries.
In vegan cuisine one experiments, proposes, changes and tries, and this is mainly due to the need to replace what is removed from the menu of available ingredients.
The perception of vegan cuisine that is still the most popular is in fact that of a reduction in the choice of ingredients, which requires compensation or replacement.
In the specific case, the meatballs are one of the most common and most successful dishes in kitchens around the world, and there is no reason why vegans should give up or should not experiment with alternatives to meat, cheese and egg which are often used as ingredients in meatballs.
Rice and potatoes are in general the most common ingredients of vegan meatballs, but the experimenting push gives the possibility to open new frontiers and test new tastes .
Avocado and batata meatballs
Let's start with a meatball made up of two superfoods, which in addition to being vegan is also particularly healthy. The main ingredients are avocado, one of the best sources of vegetable fats, and the sweet potato or batata, one of the best tubers for the human body.
Ingredients
> half kg of sweet potato or batata;
> 1 avocado;
> 2 cloves of garlic;
> breadcrumbs;
> chillies;
> salt;
> pepper;
> parsley.
Preparation
Boil the sweet potatoes, drain them and peel them before kneading them with a little breadcrumbs until they reach an acceptable degree of workability and an ideal consistency to hold together during cooking.
Add the finely chopped garlic and chilli, a sprinkling of parsley, oil and pepper. Open the ripe avocado and mix it in the dough . We create some spherical meatballs to be breaded once again in breadcrumbs.
At this point we can cook our meatballs on the grill or in the oven, depending on your preferences or contingencies.
Tofu meatballs
Tofu, one of the most popular ingredients in vegan cuisine, has the ideal consistency to serve as the main ingredient for meatballs. So let's try it together with other vegetables.
Ingredients
> 400 g of dry tofu;
> 1 carrot;
> 2 leeks;
> 1 clove of garlic;
> ginger;
> salt;
> pepper;
> sesame oil.
Preparation
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, working them properly. In particular, the tofu should be ground or crushed, while the carrots and leek should be cut into thin strips first and then reduced to small pieces.
Add the garlic, a touch of ginger cut into thin slices, salt and pepper. We work our preparation in the shape of small spheres, to let cook in a pan where we will have heated the sesame oil.
Seitan meatballs
Like tofu, seitan is another of the most well-known vegan ingredients, ideal for replacing (at least psychologically) meat consumption. Due to its flavor and texture, it is particularly suitable for meatballs and vegan burgers.
Ingredients
> 1 cup of ground seitan;
> about 10 champignon mushrooms;
> half a small onion;
> 1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour;
> breadcrumbs;
> vegetable broth;
> parsley;
> olive oil;
> 1 clove of garlic;
> thyme.
Preparation
Take the finely ground seitan together with the half onion and mix it with the breadcrumbs and the flour until the mixture is solid and workable, giving it the shape of meatballs ready for cooking.
We boil two fingers of vegetable broth and we put them to cook our meatballs, covering them with a lid. After 10-15 minutes it will be time to put them on a plate, cover them with chopped garlic, parsley and thyme and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
