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Vegan Sweet Potato Meatballs With Marinara

Roasted sweet potato and lentil meatballs bound with a flax egg, rolled oats and breadcrumbs, baked until browned and finished with a fast garlic and basil marinara. No egg, and they hold their shape.
Course Main Course
Keyword vegan sweet potato meatballs with marinara
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes about 1 large, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 ½ cups cooked green or brown lentils drained very well
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed ground, not whole
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • ½ cup rolled oats old-fashioned
  • ½ cup dry breadcrumbs plus more if needed
  • ½ cup yellow onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seed lightly crushed
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Marinara

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves torn, added off the heat

Instructions

Make the Meatball Mix

  • Heat the oven to 425F. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and roast on a sheet pan for 25 to 30 minutes, until soft and browned at the edges. Mash roughly and cool for 10 minutes. Roast, never boil, or the mix will be waterlogged.
  • Whisk the ground flaxseed with the water and let it stand 10 minutes, until thick and gluey.
  • Cook the onion in the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, adding the garlic for the last 30 seconds. Let it cool slightly.
  • Combine the mashed sweet potato, lentils, flax gel, oats, breadcrumbs, onion and garlic, nutritional yeast, fennel seed, basil, oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, mashing about half the lentils against the side of the bowl. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.

Bake and Sauce

  • Drop the oven to 400F and line a sheet pan. Roll 18 balls of about 1 ½ inches, packing each one firmly. If the mix feels tacky, work in another tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
  • Bake 15 minutes, turn each ball with tongs, and bake another 10 minutes, until browned on more than one face and firm to the touch.
  • Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the sliced garlic 2 minutes, just until pale gold. Do not let it brown.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes, until darkened and thickened, then stir in the torn basil off the heat.
  • Spoon the hot marinara over the baked meatballs and serve. Do not simmer the meatballs in the sauce, they will soften and break down.

Notes

  • Three binders, three jobs: flax gel glues, oats absorb the moisture, breadcrumbs dry the surface so the balls brown.
  • Roast, never boil: boiling drives water into the sweet potato and a waterlogged base is why these fall apart.
  • Chill the mix: 20 minutes in the fridge or 10 in the freezer, so the oats finish absorbing.
  • Never simmer in sauce: sauce goes over the baked meatballs at the end.
  • Gluten free: use certified gluten free oats and breadcrumbs, no other changes.
  • Storage: meatballs and sauce in separate containers for 4 days, or freeze baked meatballs up to 3 months and reheat at 350F.