TVP Meatballs
These TVP meatballs are full of flavor and won't fall apart. They have a meaty texture that may surprise you if you haven't cooked with TVP yet. Serve them with rich marinara sauce and spaghetti for a classic and satisfying meal. Try them out today!
Servings 20 balls
Calories 69kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1+½ cup TVP (Soy) -> What is TVP?
- 4 cup Veggie broth
- 1 Onion (small)
- 3-4 cloves Garlic
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
- 1+½ tsp Basil dried
- 1+½ tsp Oregano dried
- 1 tsp Ground cumin seeds
- 2 tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Black pepper
- ½ cup White rice flour
- 4 Tbsp Tapioca starch -> tapioca starch substitutes
Choose your sauce
Instructions
Preparing TVP
- Boil water in a kettle and add veggie stock or bring veggie broth to boil. Take a heat-resisting bowl or saucepan and soak TVP in the hot veggie broth for 10 minutes.
- When the time is up, squeeze the liquid out with your hands. As a result, you need to have moist, soft “minced meat".
Precooking onion and garlic
- While you wait for the TVP to get ready, peel and chop onion and garlic. Take a frying pan or skillet and pre-heat to medium heat. Add a dash of olive oil (1 Tbsp) and the finely chopped onion and garlic. Cook onion and garlic until tender but opaque, yellow, and not caramelized.
Making TVP meatballs
- Take a large mixing bowl and add TVP (soaked and squeezed), precooked onion and garlic, and the seasoning (smoked sweet paprika, Worcestershire sauce, dried oregano, dried basil, ground cumin, balsamic vinegar, olive oil (2 Tbsp), salt and black pepper). Mix everything well with a spatula or with your hands.
- Taste it and adjust the seasoning if needed. Then add the rice flour and the tapioca starch and mix well. It will not come together at this point, but don’t worry.
- Use your hands and squeeze rather than roll to form meatballs. The mixture is supposed to be soft, and on the crumblier side, so it is not too dry and dense after baking. The oven's high heat will activate the starch, and the balls will be perfect.
Baking or frying
- Bake the TVP meatballs in a preheated oven of 390 Fahrenheit (ca. 199 °C) for 15-20 minutes.
- If you prefer on a stovetop, take a frying pan and heat it on medium heat. Add a bit of coconut or olive oil if you don't have a non-stick pan. Fry them for a couple of minutes on each side to give them a nice brown color.
- Serving suggestions above the recipe card!
Video
Notes
Top tips to make perfect TVP meatballs
- Why do you need veggie broth? – You can also soak TVP in hot water, but veggie broth will provide additional flavors.
- Chop finely – Chop onion and garlic finely. It will be easier to mix them well with the soaked TVP.
- Don’t recommend simmering the meatballs in a sauce – You can add these TVP meatballs to a sauce, and they will NOT fall apart. However, we recommend baking them in advance before doing that. They require that crispy outer crust first.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ball | Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 455mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg