The soy meatballs in tomato sauce are delicious, vegetarian, and very tasty. We make them often because they are a great alternative to meatballs for those who do not want to eat meat or for those like us who sometimes need to diet.
With few ingredients, lots of good tomato sauce and some good bread for dipping, success is guaranteed.
You will see that even children will eat them willingly because they won’t realize they are made of soy. I assure you, my nieces say the grandma’s meatballs are delicious, so trust me!
Below, I will leave you other recipes for amazing meatballs, and then as always, we will go right under the photo to find out how to prepare Soy Meatballs in Tomato Sauce!
See you soon with the next recipe, Ana Amalia!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 3 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Soy Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
- 7 oz edamame (dried soybeans)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 potato
- 10 black olives
- 1 egg
- 1.75 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- to taste salt
- to taste basil
- to taste olive oil
- 3 oz breadcrumbs
- 12.35 oz tomato puree
- Half onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 pinches pepper
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Immersion Blender
- Wooden Spoon
- Pot
- Pan
Preparation of Soy Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
To prepare the soy meatballs in tomato sauce, start by soaking the soybeans for at least 12 hours in a bowl with cold water.
The next morning, drain, rinse them, and remove any soybeans that have spots or are broken.
Place them inside your mixer cup and blend them raw. You should get a coarse puree, set them aside.
Boil now the potato cut into pieces, once cooked blend it together with the olives and garlic.
Mix everything together with the now-blended soy, add the egg and grated cheese mix well and salt, if you see the mixture is too soft add some breadcrumbs to compact.
With slightly damp hands, form your soy meatballs in tomato sauce slightly larger than a walnut, roll them in the breadcrumbs trying to make it adhere well, set aside on a sheet of parchment paper.
Meanwhile, chop onion and carrot and sauté them in a pan with some extra virgin olive oil until they become translucent.
Add the tomato puree and cook the sauce for at least 15 minutes adding water if it dries too much.
Salt and pepper.
In another pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, cook the soy meatballs turning them often with a wooden spoon. They must golden well on all sides and form a crust, then remove them from the pan and put them together with the tomato sauce to finish cooking for at least 10 minutes.
You can serve the soy meatballs hot as soon as they are done or store them in the refrigerator for 2 days in an airtight container.
Storage, tips, and variations
The soy meatballs in tomato sauce can be stored in the refrigerator well-sealed in an airtight container for 2 days.
If you prefer, you can also freeze them.
If you want to make them vegan, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes until it becomes gelatinous. This quantity replaces 1 egg.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of starch to the mixture and, if necessary, a little more water or broth to reach the ideal consistency, thus replacing the eggs.
Can Soy Meatballs be baked?
Of course, shape the meatballs and lightly grease them with olive oil. Bake at 350-400°F in a static oven for 15-20 minutes, turning them halfway through, until they are golden and crispy.
Besides tomato sauce, how can I season the meatballs?
You can make a Mushroom Cream: Prepare a light béchamel or use plant-based cooking cream (or soy/oat milk + starch) and add sautéed mushrooms (champignons, porcini, etc.). Add chopped parsley.
Or Pea or Asparagus Cream: Blend cooked peas/asparagus with a bit of vegetable broth or ricotta/plant cream to get a velvety sauce.If I bake them, how can I serve them?
Greek Yogurt and Mint Sauce: A fresh and protein-rich sauce to serve on the side (like tzatziki).
Colorful Salad: Serve them over a rich salad with seasonal vegetables, legumes, and a citrus dressing.
With Mediterranean Side Dish: Cook them together with cubed potatoes, peppers, and onions.What can I use instead of soy if I don’t like it?
You can use red or black beans soaked and boiled for half the required time and then proceed as in the recipe.
Or with chickpeas, soaked and blended raw as per the recipe.
