Step 1

First, press your tofu to get rid of excess moisture. Either use a tofu press or wrap your block of tofu in a kitchen towel or a few paper towels. Place a few heavy objects on top of it (I like to use my Dutch oven) and press for 1 hour.

Step 2

If you haven't already, mix the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl. Let it soak for 5 minutes, or until it becomes gel-like. This will be our vegan egg substitute.

Step 3

Then, add breadcrumbs and milk to a large mixing bowl. Let the breadcrumbs soak in the milk and soften for 5 minutes.

Step 4

Next, crumble the tofu into the bowl and add all ingredients (except the olive oil).

Step 5

Either using your hands or a spatula, mix until everything is well distributed. Using a cookie scoop, scoop 1 ½ tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a tight ball. You should have 13-15 meatballs.

Step 6

Preheat oven to 380ºF (200ºC). In the meantime, fry the meatballs. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and once hot, add olive oil. When the oil is hot enough add the meatballs and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Make sure to not overcrowd the pan, you may need to fry the meatballs in batches.

Step 7

Transfer the cast-iron skillet to the oven and bake the meatballs for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until dry to the touch. (If you don't have a cast-iron skillet you'll need to transfer the meatballs to a baking sheet layered with parchment paper after frying).