We used to make these all the time when I was a kid. I’m now thrilled to be able to eat them once again, but without harming animals! A sweet and salty sauce smothers delicious onion and mushroom ‘meatballs’ that everyone will absolutely love. My recipe was adapted slightly from msvegan.com.
Meatballs are one of those foods that I really enjoy, but am too lazy to ever make... or even buy. I'd rather have my spaghetti without than go through the motions of adding meatballs (I need to take a closer look at my life). Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me?
This week I had a huge craving for meatballs. It was unrelenting and I began to reminisce on the times my parents used to make delicious Asian meatballs that we'd take to parties, steaming, in a piping hot crock pot. They were always the most scrumptious food at the party and I'd sneakily eat my weight in them and nothing else, until I made my way to the dessert table where no brownie or cookie was safe. Of course, now, I am obliged to make them vegan and cruelty-free, and guess what? They taste even better than I remember.
I have implemented limits on dessert now as well. #adulting
Vegan Asian Meatballs
We used to make these all the time when I was a kid. I’m now thrilled to be able to eat them once again, but without harming animals! A sweet and salty sauce smothers delicious onion and mushroom ‘meatballs’ that everyone will absolutely love. My recipe was adapted slightly from msvegan.com.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- Scant 1/2 cup vegan white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp chili garlic paste
- ½ tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups finely chopped cremini or white mushrooms
- 1 tsp sesame seed oil
- 1/2 cup vegan breadcrumbs (I use panko)
- 3 tbsp sauce just made
- 1 14 oz tube of uncooked Gimme Lean Lightlife Sausage
- 1 prepared Ener-G Egg Replacer (or 1 tbsp of ground flax mixed with 2 tbsp water)
Cooking Directions
- In a small saucepan, whisk ½ cup water through the liquid smoke over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and whisk in the cornstarch that’s been mixed with 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
- Dry-saute the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in a large skillet for about 8 minutes; until the onions are tender and the mushrooms have darkened and shrunk. Stir in the sesame seed oil and remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. In a medium mixing bowl, using your hands, combine the breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp of asian sauce, sausage, and vegan egg until well combined. Mix in the slightly cooled mushroom mixture.
- Form into 10 two inch meatballs an arrange in the baking dish. Drizzle half of the sauce over them and roll them in the sauce. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Flip the meatballs and again drizzle half of the sauce over them and roll them in the sauce. Bake for another 10 minutes.
- Serve hot and with whatever you like; saving the sauce from the baking dish to use over rice or vegetables. We ate them with broccoli and brown rice, or serve as a side or appetizer!
