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5 from 3 votes

Vegetarian Sesame Chickpea Meatballs

by: claire cary

These vegetarian sesame chickpea meatballs are so easy to make and full of flavor. This simple recipe is perfect to meal prep for the week and naturally gluten free. These meatballs are healthy and can easily be made vegan!
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Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
4

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 2 eggs see notes for vegan
  • ½ cup gluten free breadcrumbs can sub regular
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch

Sauce

  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste such as sambal oelek
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons honey can sub maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degres Fahrenheit.
  • Add all of the meatball ingredients to a food processor and mix to combine. You want the texture to retain some chickpea chunks, but in small pieces, not too large.
  • Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the cornstarch to thicken the mixture.
  • Use a small cookie scoop or take one tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball.
  • Add to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake for 10 minutes. They won't bake fully, but we're going to pan fry them in a bit, so don't worry!
  • Meanwhile, whisk together all sauce ingredients in a bowl until the cornstarch has compeltely dissolved.
  • When the meatballs are done, remove from the oven.
  • Add some toasted sesame oil to a pan and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes or until slightly toasted.
  • After a few minutes, pour the sauce on top and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce until thicken.
  • Let simmer for about 10 minutes over low heat to allow the meatballs to absorb some of the sauce.
  • Serve with rice and steamed broccoli and enjoy!

Notes

I have not tested these without eggs, but your best bet is to sub with flax eggs. Simple whisk together 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds with 5 tablespoons of water. Let thicken, then add to the mixture. 
You can sub the cornstarch with arrowroot or tapioca. 
Serving: 4meatballs / Calories: 267kcal / Carbohydrates: 37g / Protein: 16g / Fat: 9g / Fiber: 8g / Sugar: 7g

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