Quinoa Meatball Sub with Grilled Peppers + Onions

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Hearty quinoa meatballs are smothered in tomato sauce and stuffed into buns with grilled bell peppers and onion strips to make these crowd-pleasing vegan sandwiches!

November. There’s so much going on this month. Whether you’re into football or holiday planning, I think comfort food is something we can all agree that we’re ready for, right?

So, let’s talk comfort food. When I think back to my pre-veggie days, there aren’t a whole lot of dishes that I really miss. I usually rely on other people to tell me what their favorites are, and they do, I proclaim that I never liked whatever dish they tell me, proceed to make a vegan one, and love it.

For whatever reason though, I do have a bit of a soft spot for meatball sandwiches. Maybe it has something to do with growing up in an Italian family, in which meatball sandwiches were the norm at most of our get-togethers. In any event, once I saw this recipe, I was a goner. This one is from Homestyle Vegan by Amber from Good Saint.

Even after having said all those words of praise about meatballs, it was a tough choice! This book has some serious vegan comfort food recipes and I really wanted to try them all. I also really wanted to share something holiday-esque, as lots of the recipes are (check out the pumpkin whoopie pies, green bean casserole with crunchy onions, and creamy wild mushroom soup, among others). I’m really looking forward to working my way through this book over the fall and winter months – it actually has a chapter named “Cook Up Some Comfort Food,” and another one titled “Meals That’ll Stick to Your Ribs.” I’m all about this.

In the end, even amid all the holiday goodies, I couldn’t resist the lure of meatballs.

These meatballs were unlike any vegan meatballs I’ve ever mad. They’re made with quinoa! I was a little nervous about that, but I actually found that the quiona gave these meatballs a great meaty texture, and when they’re drowned in tomato sauce, I’m sure even the staunchest of omnivores won’t complain.

For more Homestyle Vegan deliciousness, grab a copy of the book on Amazon.

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Quinoa Meatball Sub with Grilled Peppers + Onions

Hearty quinoa meatballs are smothered in tomato sauce and stuffed into buns with grilled bell peppers and onion strips to make these crowd-pleasing vegan sandwiches! CourseSandwich CuisineAmerican Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes Total Time 35 minutes Servings 4 -6 Calories 554 kcal Author Alissa

Ingredients

Quinoa Meatballs

1tbsp7 g ground flax
3tbsp45 ml warm water
1tspolive oil
4clovesgarlic,minced
2 ½cups402 g cooked quinoa
½cup17 g loosely packed fresh basil, chopped
¼cup8 g loosely packed fresh oregano, chopped
½cup48 g panko bread crumbs
1cup200 g cooked chickpeas
½tspsalt
¼tspred pepper flakes

Grilled Onions + Peppers

1tspolive oil
1large onion,thinly sliced
1medium red bell pepper,cored and thinly sliced
4 to 6Burger Buns,book, page 101, or store-bought
1 to 2cups250 to 500 ml Garlic Herb Pizza + Pasta Sauce (book, page 173), or store-bought, warmed
½cup80 g Vegan Parmesan, (book, page 65), or store-bought

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (163ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To make the quinoa meatballs, in a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax and warm water. Set aside to gelatinize, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Keep the pan on the stove to fry the meatballs in.
Combine the flax mixture, sautéed garlic, cooked quinoa, fresh basil, fresh oregano, bread crumbs, chickpeas, salt and red pepper flakes in a food processor and pulse until a thick paste forms. Move the mixture to a bowl and heat the frying pan over medium heat again. Scoop 1 ½-inch (3.8-cm) balls into the frying pan and sauté until golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Move the cooked balls to the lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until all of the meatballs are cooked.
Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, to heat the balls all the way through.
While the meatballs bake, prepare the grilled onions and peppers by heating the olive oil in a large frying or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions and peppers together until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
When everything is ready, slice open the buns and stuff 3 or 4 meatballs inside. Top with grilled onions and peppers, warm tomato sauce and a generous sprinkle of the vegan Parmesan. Serve and enjoy!
Leftover meatballs will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge. They can also be frozen and will thaw very well.

Recipe Notes

Alissa’s note: I used store-bought rolls and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast in place of vegan Parmesan.

Nutrition FactsQuinoa Meatball Sub with Grilled Peppers + OnionsAmount Per ServingCalories 554Calories from Fat 89% Daily Value*Fat 9.9g15%Saturated Fat 1.4g7%Sodium 1327mg55%Potassium 393mg11%Carbohydrates 92.7g31%Fiber 12.5g50%Sugar 9.9g11%Protein 23.2g46%Calcium 270mg27%Iron 7.4mg41%* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.« Nutty Pumpkin Burgers with Apple RelishRosemary Red Bean and Kale Soup »