Mushroom and White Bean Meatballs
You can eat these mushroom and white bean meatballs any way you want: with pasta, as the “meat” in your sandwich, or with veggies and mashed potatoes.
And meatballs are an excellent choice for meal prep. You can enjoy meatballs fresh from the oven (or slow-cooker) and keep any extras for awesome leftover lunch the next day.
As tried-and-true as classic “meaty” meatballs are, I much prefer a lighter plant-based option.
These vegetarian meatballs are exactly what I’ve been hoping for.
Mushrooms give them meaty texture and depth of flavor, and the breadcrumbs help bind everything together and give the meatballs a lightly crisp exterior.
Fresh lemon juice and herbs add a lot of flavor to this dish — so don’t skimp on the oregano, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
What I love about this recipe is that these meatballs have a crunchy exterior, without the need for excess oil. Once you shape the meatballs, you’ll roll them in a savory herb and breadcrumb coating.
In the oven, the coating will crisp up and turn golden brown. This step mimics that crunch you get from fried foods, without the frying.
Pro tip: To get uniformly sized meatballs, use an ice-cream scoop for fast (and easy) meatball formation!
Mushroom and White Bean Meatballs
These Mushroom and White Bean Meatballs have a delightful crunch and a rich, savory flavor. They're perfect for meal prep!
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups whole grain bread crumbs, divided use
- 4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, divided use
- ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt), divided use
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- ¾ medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 8 oz. button (or white or brown) mushrooms, chopped
- 1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
- 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375° F.
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Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
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Combine ¼ cup bread crumbs, 2 Tbsp. parsley, and ¼ tsp. salt in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.
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Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
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Add garlic and mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes
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Add beans, oregano, remaining ¼ tsp. salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (if desired); cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes.
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Place onion mixture and lemon juice in food processor (or blender), in two or more batches, if necessary; cover with lid and kitchen towel. Pulse until well mixed.
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Add remaining 2 Tbsp. parsley and remaining 1 cup breadcrumbs. Pulse until well mixed. Let mixture rest for 5 minutes.
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Shape onion mixture into balls, about 1 Tbsp. each. Roll each ball in bread crumb mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
The Nutrition Facts box below provides estimated nutritional information for this recipe.
Container Equivalents
½ Green
2 Yellow
½ tsp.
2B Mindset Plate It!
A great FFC as part of lunch.
Photographs by Anguel Dimov and Brianne B of Natural Girl Modern World