Spanish-Style Vegetarian Meatballs with a smokey sofrito sauce.
These delicious vegetarian meatballs are the perfect meal option for meatless Monday and come packed with flavor and goodness. Combine them with a smokey tomato-based sofrito sauce and you’ve got a match made in heaven! Serve them straight out of the pan with a few chunks of fresh bread and you’ve got a quick and easy veggie meal.
Equipment
- 1 large 12-inch (30cm) frying pan (and lid) with deep sides around 2-3 inches.
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the meatless meatballs
- 500 g/17oz. Plant-based mince meat
- 1 small white onion diced fine
- 1 cup of breadcrumbs
- Half a cup of chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper
- 2 egg yolks
Sofrito sauce ingredients
- 6 Roma tomatoes around 500g/17oz.
- 1 jar of roasted bell peppers 200g/7oz.
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 large white onion
- A handful of parsley
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 3 bay leaves (optional)
Instructions
Step 1 - Prepare the meatless meatballs
- Add all meatball ingredients (except the frying oil) into a large bowl and mix well with your hands. Press and squish the mixture well to help it firm up (this helps keep the meatballs together when cooking). Note: be sure to check the salt content of your vegetarian mince and add/omit salt according to taste.500 g/17oz. Plant-based mince meat, 1 small white onion, 1 cup of breadcrumbs, Half a cup of chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper, 2 egg yolks
- Take around a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and roll it gently in the palm of your hands until you’ve got a small smooth ball. This recipe makes around 20 1.5-inch balls. Set aside on a plate and repeat steps until no mixture remains.
- Next, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat in a frying pan. Once hot add the meatballs and fry for 6-7 minutes or until they are evenly browned. Turn the meatballs frequently to ensure they are cooked evenly. Remove from the frying pan and set aside for use later.4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Step 2 - Prepare sofrito sauce
- Grate the Roma tomatoes and discard the skin and add the tomato pulp and juice to a frying pan on medium-high heat. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and add to the pan with the jar of diced roasted bell peppers. Add some olive oil and mix well. Reduce heat to medium and saute for 15-20 minutes.6 Roma tomatoes, 1 jar of roasted bell peppers, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 large white onion, 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Next, add the chopped parsley, smoked paprika, and season to taste. Mix well and let simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.A handful of parsley, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, Salt and pepper for seasoning, 3 bay leaves
Step 3 - Add albondigas to the sauce
- Arrange the fried meatballs into the sauce around the frying pan. Add a few bunches of cherry tomatoes, 2 sticks of rosemary, and season to taste with a little salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for around 15 minutes.
Step 4 - Serve
- Remove from the heat and allow the pan to cool for 3-4 minutes before serving.
- Serve straight from the pan with a few chunks of fresh bread (optional).
