Vegan Cheesy Tomato Italian Meatballs

One of the best comfort foods is meatballs. And your new go-to recipe will be these vegan cheesy sun-dried tomato Italian meatballs. Whether you’re vegan or not, they rank among the greatest meatballs we’ve ever eaten or created.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

1 cup cooked brown lentils (canned or cooked from dry)
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), drained and chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds mixed with 1/2 cup water (flax eggs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for greasing

For the sauce

1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked lentils, cooked quinoa, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, flax eggs, minced garlic, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well until everything is evenly combined.
Shape the mixture into meatballs and place them on the greased baking sheet.
Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until they are slightly firm and golden brown on the outside.
While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer the sauce over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the meatballs are done baking, gently place them in the saucepan with the tomato sauce. Coat the meatballs with the sauce and let them simmer together for another 5 minutes.
Serve the vegan cheesy sun-dried tomato Italian meatballs with your favorite pasta, zoodles, or crusty bread.