In The Kitchen
Copycat Veggie Balls
Description :
Since the Covid lockdown, I haven't been able to go to IKEA® where they serve delicious veggie balls. So in the true self-assemble spirit that makes it so famous, I set out to make a clone. Mine are even better. The original has pea protein and kale, which I find expensive and gross, respectively. I made some changes to make it easier on the wallet and taste buds, then bake them. Some assembly required. Serve bowl-style with rice and your favorite sauce.
Ingredient :
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¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
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1 cup diced white onion
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½ cup diced carrots
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½ cup diced red bell pepper
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1 cup frozen corn
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½ cup frozen peas
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1 teaspoon water, or more as needed
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¾ cup cooked spinach
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1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
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1/2 cup red lentil flour
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½ cup chickpea flour
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¼ cup nutritional yeast
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⅛ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
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2 teaspoons garlic and onion seasoning
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1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
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½ teaspoon ground turmeric
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⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
Direction :
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Heat vegetable broth in a skillet over medium heat; add diced onion, carrots, and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add corn and peas. Cook until the corn and peas are warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add water if needed to keep it from burning. Set aside to cool.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Squeeze cooked spinach to drain. Pulse chickpeas and drained spinach together in the bowl of a food processor 3 times. Add red lentil flour, chickpea flour, yeast, parsley, seasoning, sage, turmeric, and white pepper. Pulse another 3 times. Add the cooked vegetable mixture to the food processor. Pulse 5 more times. The final result should leave the chickpeas coarse and the vegetables and herbs chunky with visible pieces of bell pepper, corn kernels, and peas.
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Mix dough by hand to ensure all the seasoning, flours, and vegetables are fully incorporated. The dough should be sticky, not dry. Add a bit of chickpea liquid if necessary. Let rest for 10 minutes.
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Scoop out dough to make 30 balls, arranging them on the prepared baking sheet with about an inch separation.
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Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
