Plant-Based Eggplant Balls Recipe

If you lean towards a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, you'll love this plant-based eggplant balls recipe, a delicious dish that effortlessly comes together in under an hour. Versatile and flavorful, these eggplant balls can be served in various ways — over pasta, atop zucchini noodles, in a sub, or as a mouthwatering pizza topping. To create this plant-based masterpiece, we're using lots of fresh produce and other wholesome ingredients. After forming them, you'll be searing the eggplant balls in a pan to brown them up before finishing them up in the oven so they hold together nicely.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "Growing up in an Italian household, spaghetti and meatballs were a weekly dinner. Now that I don't eat meat, I love homemade plant-based versions that give you the same taste and texture as the real thing, and this blend of ingredients and method of preparation is spot on."

To make this recipe, start by visiting the produce aisle and grab a large eggplant, garlic, and parsley. "I like to use the large globe eggplant, but this recipe will work fine with Chinese eggplant. Curly or flat leaf parsley will be fine also," Hahn says.

Then hit up the dry goods area and get some ground flax seeds, vegan panko or breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce. "Ground flax seeds are also knows as flax meal and standard or golden varieties are interchangeable in this recipe," Hahn notes. Finally, check your pantry for olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

In a small bowl combine the ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit for 10 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add the eggplant and ¼ cup water to the pan and saute for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the eggplant to a food processor along with the flax mixture, garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Pulse until you have a chunky mixture. Do not over process.

Roll the mixture into 20 balls.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Add the remaining oil to a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add the eggplant balls to the pan and sear all sides for 5 minutes.

Place the balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and put in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve the eggplant balls on their own or with pasta and sauce.

The plant-based eggplant balls are an excellent make-ahead option, allowing you to streamline your meal preparation without compromising on flavor or texture. After crafting the mixture and forming the balls, simply refrigerate them until you're ready to cook. This not only enhances the flavors as the ingredients meld, but also makes for a convenient solution for busy schedules. When you're ready to serve, just pick up at step 7 for a quick saute in olive oil before popping them into the oven.

The other way to make these in advance is to fully bake them and place them in the refrigerator, then warm them up before serving. If you will be serving them with sauce, you can just add them to the pot with your sauce and allow them to re-heat. These make-ahead features make this recipe ideal for dinner parties, gatherings, or whenever you crave a delicious plant-based meal without the fuss.

Enhance your dinner experience by pairing the plant-based eggplant balls with an array of delicious accompaniments. For a classic option, serve them over a bed of al dente pasta with red sauce, allowing the savory flavors to blend with the pasta's texture. Alternatively, try placing them atop zucchini noodles for a lighter, low-carb twist that maintains the dish's satisfying heartiness.

If you're more in the mood for a sandwich, incorporate the eggplant balls into a sub or use them as a pizza topping to elevate these comfort food classics with a plant-based twist. If you plan to use them on pizza, you can either make them smaller when rolling them, or cut the meatballs into bitesize pieces.

A fresh salad is an excellent pairing with the meatballs. A light zucchini ribbon salad, a vegan Caesar, or this green salad with lemon vinaigrette are all plant-based to complete the meal. A side of roasted vegetables also pairs nicely.