These vegan TVP meatballs are chewy, tender and is packed full of flavor! They are quick to make and require only a handful of ingredients. A comforting dish that will please even meat eaters.
Looking for vegan meatballs that are actually delicious and meaty-tasting ? You have come to the right place ! These TVP meatballs are seriously knock your socks off kinda good, yet are also secretly good for you.
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💚Why you will love this recipe
- Meaty and pack full of flavors - You will be surprised how close the texture of TVP meatballs are to the real ones! Even my meat-eater family absolutely love this dish.
- Wholesome and high protein - A serving provides around 15g of protein and is less than 200 calorie. Plus, they are naturally gluten-free and can be made nut-free, too!
- Easy and quick to make - Minimal chopping and prepping required, fuss-free and beginner-friendly.
- A great meal prep recipe - TVP meatballs store well in the fridge and are freezer-friendly too. You can easily multiply the ingredients to make a larger batch so you will have meatballs ready to go at any time.
🤔What is TVP
Texture vegetable protein (aka TVP) is also sometimes known as textured soy protein. It is essentially made from soy flour, which is a byproduct of soybean oil. Hence, they actually contain little to no fat and cholesterol yet are really high in protein.
They comes in both chucks and crumbles, so be careful not to mix them up ! This recipe calls for the crumbles version as they are more similar to ground meat when it comes to the size and appearance.
🧄What you will need
🍅Substitutions / Add-ins
- TVP - Stands for texture vegetable protein. Make sure to use TVP crumbles, not chunks as they resemble the texture of minced meat more.
- Walnut - To make it nut-free, use sunflower seeds in place.
- Gluten-free - Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats and TVP as cross contamination may occur during processing.
- Oil-free - Saute onion and garlic in ¼ cup of water or broth in place of oil.
🔪How to make
Preheat oven to 200c / 400f.
Start by bringing a cup of vegetable broth to a boil in a medium pan. Then, pour boiling broth over TVP and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, or until it had absorbed all the broth and have softened.
In the meantime, heat up a tablespoon of neutral oil in a cast iron skillet / non-stick pan. Add in the onions and saute until translucent for 3-4 minutes. Then, stir in garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Set aside.
In a food processor, place in walnuts and oats. Blend until a flour like consistency forms.
Next, add in all ingredients including the rehydrated tvp and pulse a few times, or until everything is well combined. You will want it to still be chunky, so be careful not to overdo on the blending.
Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop up a heaping tablespoon of mixture and roll them into balls. Add in more oats if the mixture is too crumbly.
Bake it for 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Enjoy!
✔Helpful tips
- Rehydrate your TVP using vegetable broth, if possible. This will provide tons of flavor to your meatballs. If using broth paste or powder, dissolve it in a cup of hot water first, before pouring over TVP.
- You can choose to pan-fry your TVP meatballs if short on time. Heat up a tablespoon or so of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook them for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
- To make bigger meatballs, divide mixture into 6-8 instead of 12. You will need to bake them for 5 minutes longer than the suggested baking time.
- Feel free to add-in any seasonings or spices that sounds good! Tomato paste, Italian herb mix and smoked paprika are some awesome additions you can mix into your TVP meatballs.
🍝How to serve
- Cook these vegan TVP meatballs in some marinara sauce and serve over cooked spaghetti.
- If you are feeling adventurous, glaze them with some store-bought or homemade teriyaki sauce! It is actually one of my favorite pairing ever.
- Pair TVP meatballs with some chopped greens to make a meatball salad.
- They can also be stuffed into baguette to make meatball subs !
- Some side dishes that serve well with vegan TVP meatballs include mashed potatoes, salads like protein pasta salad or spicy quinoa salad, or rice dishes like Mexican black bean and rice or basmati chana pulao.
❔Commonly asked questions
TVP IS naturally gluten-free, but it might be cross-contaminated during production. Hence, if you have a gluten intolerance, do read the label first to ensure that it is being processed in an gluten-free facility.
This Bobs Red Mill one happens to be gluten-free, and it is the brand that I am using.
These vegan TVP meatballs are also gluten-free, hence suitable for those who are sensitive to gluten.
They can be found in most well stocked supermarkets and health food stores, usually in the bulk section. Alternatively, you can find get them from an online retailer.
From what I know, Amazon do carry the Bobs Red Mill TVP, so definitely grab it off there if you really can't find it !
TVP is actually is quite bland and tasteless on its own, like unseasoned steamed ground pork if you ever taste it. They soak up seasonings and marinade readily, so you can basically make them taste like whatever you want !
Meatballs can be stored in the fridge for to a week in a sealed container.
These TVP meatballs freeze really well. To freeze, first place them in a single layer on a tray/large plate without touching. Pop them in the freezer for about an hour, or until they are frozen.
You can now transfer them into zip lock bags or sealed containers of your choice. Freeze them for up to 2 months.
To reheat, let them thaw in fridge overnight, or on countertop for a few hours. Reheat them in a 200C/400F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until they are thoroughly warmed. Alternatively, heat them up in a microwave oven.
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📖 Recipe
Meaty Vegan Tvp Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup textured vegetable protein
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup rolled oats (use gluten-free if needed)
- ¼ cup walnuts (or sunflower seeds)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon oregano ( can sub for Italian seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke ( optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200c / 400f.
- Start by bringing a cup of vegetable broth to a boil in a medium pan. Then, pour boiling broth over TVP and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, or until it had absorbed all the broth and have softened.1 cup vegetable broth, 1 cup textured vegetable protein
- In the meantime, heat up a tablespoon of neutral oil in a cast iron skillet / non-stick pan. Add in the onions and saute until translucent for 3-4 minutes. Then, stir in garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Set aside.1 medium yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic
- In a food processor, place in walnuts and oats. Blend until a flour like consistency forms.¼ cup walnuts, ¼ cup rolled oats
- Next, add in all ingredients including the rehydrated tvp and pulse a few times, or until everything is well combined. You will want it to still be chunky, so be careful not to overdo on the blending.1 cup textured vegetable protein, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 2 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, salt and pepper
- Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop up a heaping tablespoon of mixture and roll them into balls. Add in more oats if the mixture is too crumbly.
- Bake it for 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Enjoy !
Notes
- Make sure to use TVP crumbles, not chunks!
- You can choose to pan-fry your TVP meatballs if short on time. Heat up a tablespoon or so of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook them for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
- To make bigger meatballs, divide mixture into 6-8 instead of 12. You will need to bake them for 5 minutes longer than the suggested baking time.
Reheating - To reheat, let them thaw in fridge overnight, or on countertop for a few hours. Reheat them in a 200c / 400F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until they are thoroughly warmed. Alternatively, heat them up in a microwave oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Joce
These are so great! What I love about this recipe is that there isn't anything in it that i don't already have on hand. They're tasty, meaty and simple. The only dilemma I have is how to make the exterior browned and baked-like without being dry (outside only, inside is moist and flavorful), which is no fault of the recipe's. I will be making these again and try to come up with ways to make it less dry on the outside.
Meesha
I am really happy you like it! Maybe you can try pan frying them before cooking them in sauce?