You might also like these recipes for vegan air fryer meatballs, vegan Swedish meatballs and vegan Indian kofta meatballs. I love adding harissa to unexpected foods, and one of my favorite ways to eat this spicy North African sauce is by adding it to vegan meatballs that can be served as a hors d’oeuvre or snack. And because you’ve already done all the work of packing flavor into your harissa sauce, the meatballs themselves literally take minutes to throw together, that too in a food processor. This is what you want to serve your hungry little ones when they get home from school, famished. Or what you want to serve when you’re kicking back with drinks and good company and conversation and want something tasty to nibble on. Or when you wake up in the middle of the night wanting something tasty to eat without losing your sleep from the guilt. I usually make meatballs with pinto or red kidney beans, but this time I went with chickpeas, which work really well. You can use any other bean you have a mind to. What makes these meatballs healthy, in addition to the beans, is that the only other major ingredient they have is oats. Make sure you get gluten-free oats if you want these to be truly gluten-free. And make sure you get rolled oats. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
I love, love, love the cilantro yogurt sauce that accompanies this recipe. It is sparkling and bright and so delicious, you’ll want to eat it by itself. With the meatballs it’s mindblowingly good and it complements them perfectly. On to the recipe then. It’s Saturday and I don’t want to spend all my time at the computer, do you? Instead, let’s get cooking and eating.
How to make vegan harissa meatballs
This is a really easy recipe so there’s not a lot to share. One of the key things to remember is to soak your chile peppers for the harissa before you use them. Use the soaking water to grind your harissa paste. I make my harissa oil-free, but if you want a more traditional version, add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil to the chiles and garlic and cumin and coriander seeds and then blend. How much harissa you use in the meatballs is a matter of taste. I find two heaping teaspoons to be just enough for me and my family, but you can use more or less. It’s a spicy sauce so after making your meatball batter taste it, then add more if needed. You can make the meatballs without oil–use just cooking spray to coat the skillet. The crust won’t be as golden-brown and slightly crunchy, the way it is when you use some oil, but the meatballs will nonetheless be amazing. I love the cilantro yogurt and how tangy and bright it is. My vegan cashew yogurt, which I make at home, is quite tangy, so I add only the lemon zest and not the juice. You can add the juice if your yogurt is not tangy enough.
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