Vegetarian Chickpea Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce
These Chickpea Meatballs have it all! Sweet and tangy sauce, over the top flavor, and completely plant based! Did we mention they are meal prep friendly, too?
1 15ozcan Chickpeas,no added salt, rinsed and drained
⅓cupRolled Oats
¼cupminced Onion
¼cupchopped Parsley
3Garlic Cloves,minced
½inchpiece fresh Ginger,grated
¼ - ½teaspoonChinese Five Spice
Cooking Spray or Oil for baking
For the Vegetables and Sauce
3Bell Peppers,any color, chopped
2large Onions,chopped
20ozcan Pineapple Chunks,in 100% Juice
1cupWater
⅓cupRice Vinegar
¼cupReduced Sodium Soy Sauce
3Garlic Cloves,minced
1inchpiece of fresh Ginger,grated
2tablespoonCornstarch
2tablespoonCold Water
To serve:
2 ½cupscooked Brown Rice
Instructions
If you haven’t already made the rice, get that started first, and let it cook while you prepare the rest of the meal.
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Mix the tomato paste, olive oil, and chia seeds together in a small bowl, and set aside.
Into a large food processor, add the chickpeas, rolled oats, onion, parsley, garlic, ginger, and Chinese five spice. Lastly, add the tomato paste mixture.
Pulse the food processor until the mixture comes together in sort of a lumpy dough. You will probably have to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times.
Using a tablespoon, form small meatballs with the dough, placing them on a lined (or greased) baking sheet. You should get around 20 meatballs.
Lightly spray each meatball with cooking spray, or brush with oil.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until crispy on the outside.
While the meatballs are baking, make the vegetables and sauce.
In a large skillet, add the chopped peppers and onions, canned pineapple (both solids and liquid), water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger, and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat if needed, and continue to simmer for at least 12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Mix the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl with a fork, and pour into the vegetable mixture.
Continue to simmer and stir for a minute until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.
For immediate consumption
Gently stir the meatballs into the sauce, and serve hot over rice.
For meal prep
Measure ½ cup of rice into each bowl or container. Divide the vegetables among the 5 bowls and top with any extra sauce. Place the meatballs on top of the rice, out of the sauce. The meatballs will hold up to sauce for a few hours, but not days. Mix them into the sauce right before eating.