The Best Vegan Meatballs

Step 1

Rehydrate the soy curls. Add the soy curls to a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let the soy curls rehydrate for 15-20 minutes.Drain the soy curls and rinse them a couple of times under cold water. Doing so will get rid of the soybean flavor. Next, squeeze the soy curls with your hands to remove most of the moisture.

Step 2

Process the remaining ingredients. Add the cooked white beans, oil, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, sugar, onion powder, smoked paprika, dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and water to a food processor. Process for 15-20 seconds or until smooth.

Step 3

Add the soy curls. Next, add the rehydrated soy curls and process for another 4-6 seconds or until it resembles a bolognese sauce. The soy curls should be finely chopped but not completely puréed. Otherwise, you will lose the texture. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Step 4

Add the vital wheat gluten. Add the vital wheat gluten to the bowl containing the blended soy curls. Mix using a spatula or with your hands until it forms a paste resembling ground meat.

Step 5

Divide the mixture into balls. Using a measuring spoon or a cookie scoop, divide the mixture into 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls. Shape them into balls with your hands and transfer them to a steamer.

Step 6

Steam. Using an Instant Pot or a bamboo steamer basket placed on top of a pot of boiling water, steam the meatballs for about 50 minutes.

Step 7

Let cool. After steaming, remove the meatballs from the steamer basket and let them cool for at least 15 minutes. You can now sauté the meatballs in a pan and use them in your favorite recipes!