These tasty, filling and high protein vegan meatballs will remind you of falafel. They are so easy to make and perfect for meal prep and batch cooking!

I was amazed at how well these balls were able to stay together well without needing a lot of extra flour or binders.

Why should you eat tempeh?

I often talk about tempeh with clients I counsel in my private practice. It either comes up as a way to add protein in a plant based diet (tempeh has 16g of protein per 3 oz serving). It also has 10% of your iron needs.

Tempeh also comes up in conversations around gut health! Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, however the soy beans are fermented, meaning it is a source of probiotics (healthy gut bacteria).

How to incorporate these meatballs into meals

Add them to salads, make a buddha bowl, add to wraps. In the picture in this post, I served them on top of roasted kale, Brussels sprouts, and spiralized beets, along with some beet hummus.

Tempeh and Chickpea Vegan Meatballs

High protein, easy vegan meatball recipe. Enjoy on a salad, in a wrap or in pasta. 

Ingredients

  • 8 oz tempeh 1 package
  • 1 cup canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seed powder (or any flour)
  • 1 tsp pumpkin seed oil (or any oil)
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp dried parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp water (if mixture too dry)

Instructions

  1. Place tempeh, chickpea and spinach in a food processor and mix until well combined. Should form a thick dough. If this is too thick, add about 1 tbsp. Add remainder of ingredients and blend together. 

  2. Form mixture into 1-2 inch diameter balls. 

  3. Heat a skillet or non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Cook balls for a few minutes on one side until golden brown. Flip and cook other side. 

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Andrea Docherty, RD 🙂