Straightforward vegan TVP meatballs! They are very high in protein (almost 30 grams per serving), plain to make with pantry ingredients and also grain-free and gluten-free.

vegan tip meatballs on a bed of spaghetti

Hooray for fall! After months of blazing heat, suffocating humidity, and malevolent mosquitoes, East Texas is, virtually overnight, a tranquil haven. Praise be! Post-church, Kevin, Nick and I spent most of the day outdoors, wandering through the woods, riding bikes, and blowing bubbles.

The cooler weather has reinvigorated my cooking, too. I’ve been meaning to do some experimenting with TVP (texturized vegetable protein) and today felt like the day to do it.

What is TVP?

TVP is an acronym forTextured Vegetable Protein. It is a nutritious alternative to meat that is made from soy (specifically, defatted soy flour). It is a complete protein (it contains all of the essential amino acids), fat-free, gluten-free, and has a neutral flavor that can be use in a wide variety of dishes such as stews, casseroles, meatloaf and burger patties.

TVP is sold in dried form (it looks like bulgur) and is rehydrated to for use in recipes.

I approached my TVP meatballs in much the same way as I would any meatball: lots of flavor from herbs, onion and garlic, a binder (flaxmeal “eggs” to keep it vegan), and equally important, salt.

Recipe Benefits

Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
High protein (30 grams per serving!)
High fiber (11.6 grams per serving!)
Gluten-free
Grain-free
Oil-free option

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

texturized vegetable protein (TVP)
flaxseed meal
boiling water
1 tablespoon oil or water
1 medium onion
minced fresh garlic (or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder)
dried Italian herb seasoning
salt & ground black pepper
Optional: packed fresh parsley leaves

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Soak the TVP and Flax

The first step is reconstituting the TVP. It’s plain: just add hot water, stir, and let sit for about 10 minutes. The resulting texture is light and fluffy, and has a satisfying, nutty aroma (I am so going to develop a power bar with TVP next).

bowl of tvp with boiling water being added

Step 2: Prepare the Aromatics

Next, the aromatics. I used onion, garlic, and Italian herbs (dried). You can change up the herbs (e.g., make these Mexican, Moroccan or Swedish by varying the herbs and spices).

Cook and stir the onions, garlic and herbs until the onions are softened and then add to the bowl of TVP-flax. If you like, add in fresh parsley, too.

bowl of soaked tvp getting mixed with onions and parseley

Step 3: Pulse in a Food Processor

Every recipe I found for TVP meatballs gave instruction to simply mix the TVP with the other ingredients and press together into balls. I cannot imagine this working, even with added flour, and I noted that reviewers for such recipes remarked that their balls crumbled.

To prevent crumbly balls, I put everything in a food processor and pulsed until the mix started to come together. It still had plenty of texture, and it was a breeze to form into cohesive balls.

Step 4: Shape into Balls

For even meatballs that bake evenly, I reach for my small cookie scoop. This yields reliable 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls with ease.

Step 5: Bake the Meatballs

Last, instead of frying the meatballs, I used the same method I do for meat meatballs:I bake them.

Bake the meatballs on a large baking sheet in a preheated 375F (190C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes until they were golden-brown, firm, and, pardon me for bragging, absolutely, undeniably scrumptious!!!!

Kevin has yet to taste them, but I served them to Nick for dinner, along with some warm marinara to coat and cut spaghetti on the side. As I walked back to the kitchen, Nick yelled, “Mommy, these are YUMMY!!!”

Straightforward Vegan TVP Meatballs

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 36 1-inch meatballs

Ingredients

2 and 1/3 cups 224 g texturized vegetable protein ( TVP )
3 tablespoons 20 g flaxseed meal
2 and 1/4 cups 560 mL boiling water
1 tablespoon 15mL oil OR water
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Optional: 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Spray or lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet .
In a large bowl , combine the TVP , flax and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil (OR water) in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the herbs, salt, and black pepper; cook and stir 30 seconds longer.
Place the TVP mixture, onion mixture, (optional) parsley in bowl of food processor . Process until mixture just begins to hold together.
Shape mixture into 1 inch (2.5 cm) size meatballs ( a small cookie scoop works perfectly).
Arrange balls on prepared sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until browned. Serve as you would any kind of meatball (e.g., with sauce, noodles, as a snack, etc.)