Vegan Eggplant Meatballs with Za'atar and Kale Pesto
Ingredients
Eggplant Meatballs
-
2
teaspoons
olive oil
-
1
medium
eggplant, small diced (about 3 cups)
-
to taste
sea salt and ground black pepper
-
½
cup
cooked chickpeas
-
¼
cup
almond meal/flour
-
1
tablespoon
za’atar spice blend
-
2
cloves
garlic, peeled and chopped
-
¼
cup
chopped flatleaf parsley
-
1-2
teaspoons
lemon zest
-
1
big squeeze
lemon juice
-
¼
cup
chickpea canning liquid (aquafaba)
-
2
slices
bread, toasted and roughly cut
Kale Pesto
-
½
cup
raw almonds
-
2-3
cloves
garlic, peeled and chopped
-
1
teaspoon
lemon zest
-
3
cups
chopped kale, packed
-
1
big squeeze
lemon juice
-
to taste
salt and pepper
-
⅓
cup
olive oil (plus more, depending)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment, greasing it with olive oil.
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, add diced eggplant, and sauté until golden and soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a food processor, combine chickpeas, almond meal, za’atar, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and chickpea liquid to form a smooth paste.
- Add the sautéed eggplant to the food processor and blend until slightly chunky.
- Incorporate the toasted bread and season with salt and pepper, blending until a unified mixture forms.
- Form the mixture into balls, about 2 tablespoons each, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 25-28 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- For the pesto, clean the food processor, then pulse almonds, garlic, and lemon zest until coarsely chopped.
- Add kale, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then blend while slowly adding olive oil until a paste-like consistency is achieved.
- Serve the meatballs warm with kale pesto, chopped parsley, sliced tomatoes, and lemon zest.
Nutrition Facts (estimated)
Servings
4
Calories
250
Total fat
15g
Total carbohydrates
25g
Total protein
10g
Sodium
200mg
Cholesterol
0mg
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