This soy-free, gluten-free vegan meatball or sausage is so packed with smoky, spicy flavor that you will never miss the meat!
When I heard that a food blogging conference was taking place in the state just next door, I was intrigued. When I heard that friend, cookbook author, and fellow blogger Kathy Hester was going to be there, I said “Sign me up!” So a couple of weeks ago, I drove the four hours to Birmingham, Alabama, to attend Food Blog South‘s second annual conference.
Though I don’t do blogging conferences very often, I’ve found that they’re a great way to recharge my batteries; having actual face-to-face conversations with people who share my enthusiasm for food, photography, and writing takes a lot of the isolation out of blogging. This particular conference left me super-charged because I was able to spend time not only with Kathy but also with two other vegan bloggers, Heather of Better With Veggies and Katie Cain of Bistro Katie. Dinner out with them at the vegan-friendly Bottletree Cafe was one of the highlights of the weekend.
Of course, the conference itself offered plenty of information and inspiration, but when you’re a food blogger, your main focus is on the food, and when you’re a vegan, that focus turns into concern, as in “Will there be anything for me to eat?” The answers in this case were “No, no, YES, and not really.”
Neither the pre- and post-parties nor the breakfast offered much for a vegan to sink her teeth into other than pickled okra, but the lunch, provided by Shindigs Catering, featured a vegan, gluten-free main dish that turned out to be the second highlight of the conference: Spaghetti squash with tomato sauce and vegetable-based orbs that all of us vegans began calling Beetballs after conversations with the very gracious chef revealed that the ingredients included beets, almonds, chickpeas, smoked mushrooms, and smoked onions. I was sure that one, if not all, of us would wind up trying to recreate Beetballs.
Well, I may be the first, but I tested them enough for all four of us! In the course of a week, I made them four different ways, trying to get the consistency (firm yet crumbly when you cut into them) and the flavor (smoky yet not over-seasoned) just right. I didn’t have smoked onions or mushrooms, so I use dried porcini mushrooms for their deep, woodsy flavor and regular raw onions for all but one attempt, when I roasted the onions, beets, and garlic beforehand, making the texture very firm but not at all crumbly.
After my first attempt, using pecans, I decided to try using almonds and going for a more sausage-like flavor with fennel seeds, sage, and red pepper flakes. And of course I had to try a lower-fat version using quinoa instead of the nuts. Every variation I tried produced balls that held their shapes and tasted slightly meaty, but in the end the ingredients and seasonings I liked best are reflected in the recipe below. I expected the almond version to come out the winner, but overall I found that the pecans produced not only the best flavor but also the best texture–fitting for a recipe that originated at a Southern bloggers’ conference.
So what did I do with four batches of Beetballs? You would think I’d have so many that I would need to freeze some of them, but they disappeared very quickly. Besides a couple of Beetball and Spaghetti dinners (tofu shirataki noodles for me), both D and I enjoyed vegan meatball sandwiches (pickles and loads of hot sauce on mine), and twice I made Beet-zzas–both regular and pita pizzas with Beetballs and assorted veggies.
I think Beetballs could be used in just about any dish that calls for a meat substitute, though I don’t recommend cooking them in sauce. Heat them separately in the oven or microwave and then gently add the sauce just before serving–or do as I did for spaghetti and beetballs and pour the sauce over the beetballs.
Because they contain no gluten, corn starch, xanthan gum, or other “sticky” processed ingredients, they can’t take a lot of stirring or moisture without falling apart, so please handle your beetballs with care.
Beetballs: A Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup raw pecans, almonds, or other nuts (see note for nut-free low-fat alternative)
- 1 medium raw beet
- 1/2 medium red or yellow onion , coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , chopped
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (mild or spicy)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon hickory smoked salt or Liquid Smoke (optional)
Instructions
- Place the mushrooms in a small saucepan and add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and rinse them well and set aside. Strain the broth through a coffee filter or fine sieve and reserve it for later use. (Leftover mushroom broth can be used in any recipe that calls for vegetable broth.)
- While the mushrooms are cooking, put the nuts into a food processor and pulse to chop finely. Do not over-process--we want finely chopped nuts, not nut powder. Place the nuts in a large mixing bowl.
- Peel the beet and cut it into cubes. Add it to the food processor along with the reserved mushrooms, garlic, and onion and pulse to chop coarsely. Add the chickpeas and all remaining ingredients and pulse several times to chop the chickpeas, but do not turn it into a paste. All the individual ingredients should be recognizable.
- Add the processor contents to the nuts and stir well to combine. If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon of the reserved mushroom broth. Allow the mixture to rest while you preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, measure out a heaping tablespoon of "dough." Using damp hands, form it into a ball, squeezing lightly to compact it. If the dough seems too dry, add additional broth (this should not be necessary--you don't want the dough to be too wet). Place the ball on the lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. You should be able to make about 18-22 balls. If you like, flatten some of the balls to use in sandwiches or on pizza.
- Bake until the balls are brown and slightly crisp on the outside, about 35 minutes. (Flattened balls will take a little less time.) Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
169 calories, 38 calories from fat, 4.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 751.6mg sodium, 386.5mg potassium, 26.6g carbohydrates, 7.3g fiber, 4.2g sugar, 8.2g protein. 1 point on WW Freestyle.
Nutritional info is approximate.
Looking for beet burgers? How about pickled beets? I even have beet chocolate cake!
Please Pin and share!
Shirley
February 13, 2012 at 12:55 pmI wish I had an eat that now button. I am so going to make these this week.
Kathy Hester
February 13, 2012 at 1:03 pmThose look amazing! I wish I lived closer so I could be one of your taste-testers ; )
Dawn Meisch
February 13, 2012 at 2:31 pmWant some when I make a batch?
Ann
February 13, 2012 at 1:18 pmThese look great. While I generally enjoy the commercial meat substitutes, they are typically so processed and contain so much fat that I usually only allow them about once a month. A friend is gifting me with her seldom-used food processor in a week or so, so I plan to try this when I receive it. 🙂 (Can hardly wait.)
Ninufar
February 15, 2012 at 9:17 pmAgreed that this recipe is begging to be tried! FWIW, I have also started experimenting with the gluten-free seitan recipes from Jeanette at MeatAndEggFree, leaving out the oil and the nutritional yeast (something I like about twice a year).
These beet balls look much more suited for topping a pizza,though!
katake
February 11, 2015 at 5:18 pmTotally agree! We eat them once in a while too, especially the sausages. But they’re chock full of sodium, plus the 15 or so ingredients that don’t actually resemble real food. I haven’t had meatballs in ages, so I can’t wait to try these either!
KaleCrusaders
February 13, 2012 at 2:20 pmAn amazing compilation of ingredients! Can’t wait to cook these up.
Withmyneedles
February 13, 2012 at 2:24 pmThese looks great, and, having grown up there, it is great to see Birmingham mentioned in a positive way!
Dawn Meisch
February 13, 2012 at 2:30 pmSusan,
This recipe looks incredible. I’ve been missing vegan sausage since I had to go wheat-free recently. I will be making this very, very soon. Thanks so much.
DM
Tobi Pawson
February 13, 2012 at 2:51 pmThese look amazing, and I will definitely be trying these out. Thank you for all of your amazing recipes and for sharing them with the rest of us!
**Oh, and I voted for ya!
Blessings,
Tobi Pawson ~La Pine Better Living Center
Eva
February 13, 2012 at 3:00 pmThe texture on these looks great! I love homemade sausages/burgers/meatlessballs (you name it). Thanks for sharing
Rachel
February 13, 2012 at 6:17 pmI loved those meatballs at the conference! I’ve been dreaming of making my own.
Veronica
February 13, 2012 at 11:52 pmThis looks like a neat recipe. I remember one time we had beet “sausage” at a place called Tzu Jan in Escazu, Costa Rica and it had this great flavour and chewy texture. I’m not much of a sausage person or fake meat fan at all really, but I’ll keep these in mind. Would you believe even as an omni I’ve never had spaghetti and meatballs? My family just cooked the ground beef into the sauce and did it quickly. So needless to say I’ve never had a gravy for spaghetti and meatballs. It looks like it would be good in a wrap or on pizza.
Tash
February 14, 2012 at 3:52 amOk this look sooooo appetising, unfortunately i don’t have all these ingredients and i don’t get paid to tomorrow but this is sooo tomorrows meal, trying to resist the urge to lick my computer screen lol.
lisa
February 14, 2012 at 6:01 ama dream come true!
i’m so sick of processed fake meat products.
thank you thank you…
Diana
February 14, 2012 at 7:22 amWow, I am so glad you made it with quinoa! We are highly nut allergic here, and I was sad when I first started reading, because the recipe sounds so wonderful, but, alas, you took care of it! Thanks so much for giving the alternative!
Shirley
February 14, 2012 at 8:16 amI wonder do you think canned beats would work? I have regular cubed canned beats in my pantry.
Susan Voisin
February 14, 2012 at 8:21 amShirley, they will probably work, but in my tests, using cooked beets changed the texture and the flavor. I really preferred them with raw beets.
Shirley
February 14, 2012 at 10:53 amI’ll stick to the uncooked fresh then. Thanks for the advice.
Rebekah
October 11, 2012 at 1:30 amI used canned for this recipe. The flavor turned out very strong and not much to my liking. I’m wondering now if this is what happened. I’ve never eaten beets so I couldn’t tell if I was tasting that or the spices. :-/ Sad.
Michelle
September 21, 2013 at 5:24 amThe recipe calls for raw beets. Your canned beets would be cooked, which would cause all kinds of problems with this recipe. Beets are great! Buy them fresh and try this recipe again:)
Jane
February 14, 2012 at 8:52 amThese look amazing! And I love the word “beet-zzas”!!
Jane
February 20, 2012 at 4:16 pmHi Susan – I just wanted to let you know — I made these this weekend, and they are so good! I had them as meatballs (over quinoa), and my meat-loving husband loved them too! Thank you 🙂
Heidi
February 14, 2012 at 9:07 amHi – these sound fabulous! As do beet-zzas! I can’t do chickpeas – do you think the quinoa could substitute for the chickpeas instead of the nuts? Or do you have another idea?
Thanks!
Susan Voisin
February 14, 2012 at 9:25 amCan you do another type of bean? Lentils or white beans would make a good substitute. I’m just afraid that quinoa won’t be sticky enough on its own.
Heidi
February 17, 2012 at 8:56 amThanks. I should have thought to use cannelloni beans, which I discovered when I made your lovely Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf!
Ellen (Gluten Free Diva)
February 14, 2012 at 9:14 amDelicious and totally gluten free! Can’t wait to try it!
moonwatcher
February 14, 2012 at 10:36 amHi Susan,
Happy Valentine’s Day! These look fantastic! And I love all the beet-derived terms you get out of this, my favorite being beetzas!! Wonderful! Today is a special day for me because it’s the fourth anniversary of the official start of this WOE for me, and the 16th anniversary of the official diagnosis of MS. Four years ago I was starting out, and my “special” dinner to myself was your ridiculously easy lasagne (with DeBoles gluten free noodles), a big salad with an orange juice and fig vinegar dressing, and your skinny figgy bars for dessert. Although I have simpler fare planned for tonight, now I’m going to have to extend the celebration and make myself some of these beetballs and gluten free spaghetti. I am a big fan of beets, as you may know. And an Italian girl like me has great memories of homemade meatballs and now I can have beets and meatballs in one!
I really look forward to trying these out. Thanks again for another stunning recipe. You have inspired me all the way, and continue to do so. May all your wonderful dreams come true.
xoxo
moonwatcher
Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry
February 14, 2012 at 11:17 amWhat an incredible recipe! The flavors from the mushrooms and spices must be scrumptious paired together. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Laina
February 14, 2012 at 1:03 pmHi Susan,
I have tried to like beets, but I just don’t. 🙁
Is there a sub you’d could recommend to replace the beets?
Thanks-a-bunch!!!
Laina 🙂
Susan Voisin
February 14, 2012 at 1:18 pmLaina, I have to tell you that I honestly couldn’t taste the beet in these, so it’s a good way to eat beets without tasting them. But if you really don’t want to use the beet, any starchy vegetable should do. Sweet potato would be a good choice.
Laina
February 14, 2012 at 7:36 pmOkay, thanks, Susan. I’ll give the beets a try. I can always pinch my nose if they don’t turn out. hee hee!! And if I find that I like them, I’ll feel good about being able to eat/enjoy beets is such a tasteful way. 🙂
Laina
February 14, 2012 at 7:40 pmOops, meant to ask another question. If I use button mushrooms, how much should I use?
By the way, Congrats on winning the Mom’s contest. You deserve it!!! 🙂
Susan Voisin
February 14, 2012 at 7:56 pmThanks! 🙂
I knew someone was going to ask about the mushrooms. The truth is I don’t know. I’ll take a wild guess and say 1/2-3/4 cup of sliced mushrooms.
Brenda
February 14, 2012 at 2:34 pmthese beetballs will be a great substitute for processed non-meat. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes. I voted for you!
Julie
February 14, 2012 at 3:07 pmFinally! A tasty-sounding alternative to the frozen meatballs with TVP. I’ve been looking for something to give to my toddler. I hope they go over well.
Russell at Chasing Delicious
February 14, 2012 at 8:06 pmHow cool is this! I definitely want to try this soon.
Debbie
February 15, 2012 at 6:42 amI have a daughter allergic to tree nuts. Can I substitute the almonds for something else? Also, I noticed tree nuts are in a lot of vegan recipes. Is there a general substitute that I can use? Would sunflower seeds work?
Susan Voisin
February 15, 2012 at 10:16 amSunflower seeds will work in this recipe and in a lot of vegan recipes. I don’t think they will get “creamy,” so they may not work as a substitute for cashews in cream sauce. Then again, they might! I just haven’t tried them.
Pui
February 15, 2012 at 10:08 amTried the other recipes on your blog. Great tastes. However I found out my girl she’s having allergic reaction (allergy history to dairy and egg too) to nutritional yeast. What can I use to replace nutritional yeast?
Susan Voisin
February 15, 2012 at 10:15 amYou can just leave the nutritional yeast out.
Shaza
February 15, 2012 at 12:51 pmThis is my first time posting on your blog although I’ve been a silent follower for a LONG time!
This looks absolutely delish – my fiance loves meat and I’m trying to gather veg-friendly recipe’s that I think he’ll also love.
~ Shaza ~
Emily
February 15, 2012 at 4:00 pmWe have a flax seed allergy in the family–would chia seeds work? If so, would you try to grind them? I will also need to substitute either sunflower seeds or quinoa for the pecans (we have a nut allergy, too.) Or should I do quinoa for the pecans and sunflower seeds for the flax? Finally, would you use raw or roasted sunflower seeds?
Susan Voisin
February 15, 2012 at 4:28 pmChia seeds instead of flax is fine, either ground or unground. You could use either quinoa or sunflower seeds for the pecans, whichever you prefer.
Tzivia
February 16, 2012 at 2:31 amWe have been fat free vegans for approx 6 months now and I don’t think we would have made the transition as easily without your website and recipe index. We can’t thank you enough!
This particular recipe was so easy and absolutely delicious. I couldn’t find dried mushrooms so I just used fresh ones. The smoked paprika was the hit secret ingredient for me. I served it with rice and quinoa and a homemade tomato sauce. My husband was blown away!!!
Pui
February 16, 2012 at 4:50 amMe again. Read your web about nutritional yeast. I just wonder why my girl she’s ok with normal yeast like the one in bread and not nutritional yeast. Do you have any ideas?
Susan Voisin
February 16, 2012 at 7:37 amI’m sorry, but I just don’t know. It’s possible to be allergic to anything, so I guess she’s sensitive to it. You should be able to leave it out of most recipes with no problem, though you should avoid those that use it for most of their flavor, like cheesy sauces.
Ninufar
February 19, 2012 at 8:55 pmFWIW, even some of the “cheeze” sauce recipes from J. Stepaniak work okay without adding the nutritional yeast. (And the recipes I have are from a little cookbook put out by a nutritional yeast manufacturer!) White beans and onion taste really good on their own, if you’re okay without a strong sharp taste.
What will also be different is texture, bc the “nooch” makes mixtures more viscous, too. Just wanted to echo that you can totally leave it out of almost any recipe! Best wishes to your daughter.
Gena
February 16, 2012 at 10:58 amI recently made a raw version of beet balls and absolutely loved them! Great recipe.
Natalie
February 16, 2012 at 8:26 pmWhen I gave up meat, meatballs were what I missed most. Thanks so much for this recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Sarah Husband
February 16, 2012 at 8:27 pmWe just made these and they are really delish! The store didn’t have dried porcinis so we used dried portobellos. Also we happened to have black eyed peas on hand so used them instead of chickpeas. The flavoring is really fantastic.
Tigerseye
February 18, 2012 at 1:21 pmHello 🙂
Sorry to be a pain. Being from Australia, sometimes the names for ingredients can differ on this side of the globe. What we call ‘beets’, is beetroot, but these beetballs don’t have any maroon’ish colouration. Is there another name, or some other beet that I know nothing about.
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes. I have been an avid reader for a few months now and have been able to show my family of carnivores that my eating is pretty fabulous ever since 🙂 They actually look forward to vegie meals, who would have thought!
Susan Voisin
February 18, 2012 at 1:27 pmHi Tigerseye, here we have different varieties/colors of beetroot, and I used a golden one for this because that’s what I happened to have in the fridge. The regular red kind will work just the same.
Thanks for reading!
Tigerseye
February 18, 2012 at 1:31 pmOh good 🙂 I can’t wait to try it. The variety of goods available in other parts of the globe is interesting to say the least. I will have to head out to the markets one day, and see what I can find, as I am beginning to feel like a sheltered child.
Thanks very much and have a great day 🙂
radioactivegan
February 18, 2012 at 7:40 pmThis look delicious! I have them bookmarked for the summer when people start giving me beets by the bushel!
Nancy
February 18, 2012 at 10:15 pmI made this recipe last night. WONDERFUL!!! I have to say that I was too tired to make meat balls — so I used my 1/2 cup and made “burgers” instead. My husband and I both had several. Thanks for the great recipe.
Mari
February 20, 2012 at 8:17 amMade therse for Valentine’s Day, great success!
Maggie
February 20, 2012 at 8:19 amBeetballs, they look delicious! When I was a meat eater, my boyfriend made me these amazing meatballs with spaghetti. It was my favourite dish but obviously it doesn’t count anymore. I’ve been looking for recipes to resemble it! Maybe this one makes it! Thanks!
Beth Gough
February 20, 2012 at 12:58 pmCan I use regular fresh button mushrooms instead of the dried porcini mushrooms?
Abigail Velez
February 20, 2012 at 7:43 pmWe are a typical American family experimenting with vegan dishes once a week to try to broaden our horizons. I liked the idea of beets this week as I’ve never cooked with them or cared for them much but the beautiful blood red color makes me want to love them! So tonight I made beet balls and beet cake for my three slightly picky boys. I thought they would hate them but they ate them up!! Even my 4 year old who won’t eat a vegetable if it’s not a cucumber, chowed down. And they loved the beet cake as well. Thanks for shocking the pants off of me! I think these beet balls would be even better on a pizza. I saved five of them and we’ll have pizza sometime this week as well.