Why should you have to miss out on "meatballs" if you don't eat meat? This version of vegetarian meatballs is satisfying & easy to make. 259 calories and 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Cannellini Bean Vegetarian Meatballs Recipe
Vegetarian meatballs will satisfy any non-meat eater! Before I met my husband, I wasn't much of a bean eater. It wasn't that they didn't appeal to me, but rather that I didn't grow up eating a lot of Mexican food or other cuisines that might include the protein- and fiber-packed morsels. Everything changed when my husband ordered some black bean soup at a restaurant just a few blocks away from our New York City apartment. This wasn't just any black bean soup - nope, this one was garnished with crispy chorizo sausage. I was a goner. You couldn't stop me - cannellini beans in salads, kidney beans in chili, black beans in veggie burgers. You name it, I cooked it. As a result, my kids loved beans right from the get-go and we incorporate the healthy legumes into many of our meals.
When I heard that this round of Kitchen Play's SideCar series was to feature beans in a meal that would satisfy the whole family, I knew I had this one in the bag. The hardest part was choosing which type of beans I would use. I started thinking of comfort foods, dishes that my family likes to eat as the thermostat drops and the days grow shorter. Spaghetti and meatballs popped to mind immediately and, as we are trying to work more meatless meals into our weekly menu, it seemed fitting to make a vegetarian version.
When I think of oregano, garlic and parsley, I turn right to cannellini beans. In this recipe, I pureed the cannellini beans with roasted red peppers and then combined them with all of the regular meatballs ingredients, such as breadcrumbs and an egg. Baked in the oven and then simmered in tomato sauce, these bean "meatballs" are as healthy as they are tasty.
I throw everything into a large nonstick skillet and let it simmer until done.
Now, don't expect the "meatballs" to have the same texture as versions made with ground beef or turkey. These ones have a soft texture, with a golden brown coating. They are substantial and hearty, and made me fall in love with the versatility of beans all over again.
The vegetarian meatballs recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine beans and roasted red peppers. Pulse until chopped, but not smoothly pureed.
NOTE: Take care not to overprocess the "meatballs". This could cause them to fall apart later.
Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and stir in grated onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until well combined.
The amount of breadcrumbs required can change depending on the climate (dry vs. humid). If you find that the "meatballs" are not holding together firmly as you are shaping the first few, add more breadcrumbs, then reshape.
Using a rounded 2 tablespoon portion of the bean mixture, form "meatballs" by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the "meatballs" on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and have developed a light golden brown coating, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a large saucepan, heat your favorite marinara sauce over medium heat until simmering. Add "meatballs" and stir to coat.
Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over spaghetti.
Other family-friendly cannellini bean recipes:
Vegetarian Mushroom & Cannellini Bean Ragout
Mediterranean Chicken, Bean & Pasta Soup
Pasta e Fagioli
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Cannellini Bean Vegetarian “Meatballs” with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cans 15 ounces each Bush's Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 roasted red bell pepper 2 halves, roughly chopped
- ½ medium yellow onion grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 egg
- ½ cup dried breadcrumbs see note
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups marinara sauce your favorite kind
- Parmesan cheese for grating
- cooked spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine beans and roasted red peppers. Pulse until chopped, but not smoothly pureed.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and stir in grated onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until well combined.
- Using a rounded 2 tablespoon portion of the bean mixture, form “meatballs” by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the “meatballs” on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
- Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and have developed a light golden brown coating, 15 to 20 minutes.
- In a large saucepan, heat you favorite marinara sauce over medium heat until simmering. Add “meatballs” and stir to coat. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve over spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bush's Beans. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Chanda
Really loved this idea! I tried this reciepe tonight while making regular meatballs for my meat-loving boyfriend. They were really delicious bt feel apart in the sauce : (. Any suggeations?!?!? Would love to try them again!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Hi Chanda, I'm glad you enjoyed the flavors, but I'm sorry that they fell apart on you. I would suggest adding more breadcrumbs. Here is the note posted at the bottom of the recipe. I hope it's helpful for you: "The amount of breadcrumbs required can change depending on the climate (dry vs. humid). If you find that the "meatballs" are not holding together firmly as you are shaping the first few, add more breadcrumbs, then reshape."
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Chanda, one more note. Also take care not to overprocess the "meatballs" in the food processor. This could cause them to fall apart later.
Connie @ Path to Wellness
These are great! Making them tonight 🙂 Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Lindsay
Do you think these could be frozen? How would that be done?
Thanks. Looks amazing!
Sharon
I just made these for the first time, and they were great. My husband is from Italy and turned vegetarian several years ago. He loved these. I cooked them in a store bought sauce since I didn't have time to make one from scratch, and they tasted delicious. I don't think a meat eater could tell the difference. Maybe he/she would think they were chicken instead of meat, but I don't think you'd ever know they were bean meatballs. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. It's a low-calorie, healthy recipe that is also delicious.
Also, thanks for the tip about the breadcrumbs. I live in central Florida and had to use a bit more.
Carol B
Thanks for the fabulous recipe! Quick, easy, and tasty. My picky husband loved it.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
I'm so glad to hear that, Carol!
Loralyn
My dad is allergic to peppers so is I was wondering if this would work without them or is there and alternative to the red peppers that I could use?
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Hi Loralyn, you could either leave them out or substitute with some chopped sun-dried tomatoes. I hope you enjoy them!
Bree
I just made these! Not a huge fan of roasted peppers, so I left them out & instead used 1 can of cannelini beans and 1 can of red kidney beans. The rest of the recipe I did as your described-- they came out SOO good! Thanks for this!
Molly
Just wanted to say that mine held up great in the crockpot and sauce. I baked them yesterday and let them cool. The I refrigerated them until this afternoon. Placed them in the crockpot with my marinara sauce on low for about 2 hours before serving. Everyone asked for the recipe because the other "bean ball" recipes they have tried wouldn't stay firm. Maybe it was the increased breadcrumbs that helped mine, who knows. But they were definitely well received by my vegetarian and health-conscious friends...as well as a few of the kiddos!
Molly
I am making meatball subs for my Bible study group tomorrow night, but we have a vegetarian friend in our group. I found this recipe and gave it a try. I won't know how they work in the subs until tomorrow night, but I did give one a try out of the oven. Wow - what flavor! I did make a few modifications, primarily to reflect our tastes and what I had on hand. Instead of the onion, I used onion powder. I replaced the oregano and parsley with Italian seasoning (as I did not have the others), and I also used a small amount of dried basil. My meatballs seemed very moist, so I added more breadcrumbs (Italian seasoned breadcrumbs) - I would say that I used closer to 3/4 cups of bread crumbs than the 1/2 cup called for, but they are holding together wonderfully. I did chill the mixture for approximately 45 minutes before scooping and baking since I had to pick up my daughter from school. I used a cook scoop to avoid over-handling and scooped them directly onto the prepared pan. No, they do not have a beef or sausage meatball taste or texture BUT they taste delicious. I really hope my friend likes them. They were easy to make, cost effective, and tasty. AND they are 5 year old approved 😉
Barbara Q ualls
Think I must be the only person that actually MADE this, because these fell apart as soon as they hit the marinara sauce.....awful mess and only mediocre taste....sorry Cooking Canuck, but maybe I missed something? Thought I followed the recipe exactly.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Well, I can't say that I appreciated the way that you phrased your comment. However, I am sorry that the "meatballs" didn't meet your expectations. As you can see from the comments section, several people actually did make these and were very pleased. One reader did make an astute comment, reminding everyone to take care not to overprocess the beans, which could cause them to fall apart (I retroactively included this in the post). You may also want to try adding additional breadcrumbs. I find that different climates (dry vs. humid) can effect how many breadcrumbs are needed. If you find that the "meatballs" are not holding together firmly as you shape them, add additional breadcrumbs.