Easy Vegan TVP Meatballs (high protein, grain-free)

Easy vegan TVP meatballs! They are very high in protein (almost 30 grams per serving), simple to make with pantry ingredients and also grain-free and gluten-free.

Hooray for fall! After months of blazing heat, suffocating humidity, and malevolent mosquitoes, East Texas is, virtually overnight, a tranquil haven. Praise be! Post-church, Kevin, Nick and I spent most of the day outdoors, wandering through the woods, riding bikes, and blowing bubbles.

The cooler weather has reinvigorated my cooking, too. I’ve been meaning to do some experimenting with TVP (texturized vegetable protein) and today felt like the day to do it.

How to Make Vegan TVP Meatballs

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

I bought several bags of TVP a few months ago, specifically because Kevin is so protein-oriented; I wanted to figure out some more high-protein, nutritious snacks for him, as well as me and Nicky, that do not involve artificially flavored protein powders and the like.

Kevin looked less than thrilled when he unpacked it (I think the name has something to do with it–TVP and TP are a mere letter away), but conceded to give it a try. It looks a lot like bulgur, if you have never seen it before now.

But nutritious does not spell delicious, so I set to work to add flavor and more flavor. Meatballs were a natural choice for a first-time TVP experiment. Who doesn’t love a meatball? They are great for making ahead and freezing, too.

I looked up about half a dozen recipes for TVP meatballs for a starting point, but quickly decided to take things in my own direction, mostly because very recipe I found had raw flour added to it. Yuck. Who wants a meatball of any variety with flour in it? Not I.

Instead, I approached my TVP meatballs in much the same way as I would any meatball: lots of flavor from herbs, onion and garlic, a binder (flaxmeal “eggs” to keep it vegan), and equally important, salt.

Step 1: Soak the TVP and Flax

The first step is reconstituting the TVP. It’s simple: just add hot water, stir, and let sit for about 10 minutes. The resulting texture is light and fluffy, and has a delicious, nutty aroma (I am so going to develop a power bar with TVP next).

Step 2: Prepare the Aromatics

Next, the aromatics. I used onion, garlic, and Italian herbs (dried). You can change up the herbs (e.g., make these Mexican, Moroccan or Swedish by varying the herbs and spices).

Cook and stir the onions, garlic and herbs until the onions are softened and then add to the bowl of TVP-flax. If you like, add in fresh parsley, too.

Step 3: Pulse in a Food Processor

Every recipe I found for TVP meatballs gave instruction to simply mix the TVP with the other ingredients and press together into balls. I cannot imagine this working, even with added flour, and I noted that reviewers for such recipes remarked that their balls crumbled.

To prevent crumbly balls, I put everything in a food processor and pulsed until the mix started to come together. It still had plenty of texture, and it was a breeze to form into cohesive balls.

Step 4: Shape into Balls

For even meatballs that bake evenly, I reach for my small cookie scoop. This yields perfect 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls with ease.

Step 5: Bake the Meatballs

Last, instead of frying the meatballs, I used the same method I do for meat meatballs: I bake them.

Bake the meatballs on a large baking sheet in a preheated 375F (190C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes until they were golden-brown, firm, and, pardon me for bragging, absolutely, undeniably scrumptious!!!!

Kevin has yet to taste them, but I served them to Nick for dinner, along with some warm marinara to coat and cut spaghetti on the side. As I walked back to the kitchen, Nick yelled, “Mommy, these are YUMMY!!!”

You will love these!

Happy cooking!

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