Homemade Tofu Meatballs

These homemade tofu meatballs are a healthy way of making your favourite dishes with meatballs, but this time without the meat! Everything is thrown into a mixing bowl (no food processor needed), then shaped into balls and pan fried. For an oil-free version, you can also opt to air fry or bake in the oven! I’ve added these meatballs to a noodle soup with a ginger, harissa and tahini broth (you can also get the recipe for this below). Watch the video and get the full recipe!

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes (+ more to make the broth/noodle soup)

Servings: 24 meatballs (+ broth for 2 people)

Ingredients

• 1 block extra-firm tofu (350g)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 flax egg or egg alternative
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2-3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1-inch piece of garlic (optional, see notes)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Olive oil to pan fry (see notes for oil-free)

Mushroom, Ginger, Harissa & Tahini Broth

• Handful of mushrooms
• 1-inch piece of ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 heaping tbsp harissa paste
• 2 heaping tbsp tahini (or nut butter)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Generous pinch of salt
• 2 cups veggie broth

Equipment

• Mixing bowl
• Frying pan

Instructions

1. Use your hands to squish the extra-firm tofu into a large mixing bowl, until it’s all well separated and crumbled. Add breadcrumbs, egg alternative, vegan Worcestershire sauce, salt, cornstarch, and nutritional yeast. Peel and mince garlic, and optionally peel and grate ginger (see notes). Mix well.
2. Use about 1 1/2 tbsp of the tofu mixture for each meatball, rolling in your hands to shape into tight balls. It should make approximately 24 meatballs, but feel free to make them smaller or bigger if you want more/less.
3. To a pan on medium heat, add olive oil to coat the bottom. Then, add in the meatballs, turning them every couple minutes until they’re golden and crispy on all of the outside.
4. (Optional) If making the noodle soup, keep your meatballs warm in a preheated oven or on low heat in the pan while you cook the noodles and make the broth. Boil a pot of water for the noodles, and for the broth, start by sautéing sliced mushrooms in olive oil, then add in minced garlic and grated ginger. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring often, and once softened, add harissa, tahini (or other nut butter, soy sauce and salt. Mix well, then add veggie broth and bring to a simmer. Assemble the soup with the cooked noodles, broth, meatballs, and optionally you can add bean sprouts, green onions, sesame seeds, and pickled onions. Enjoy!

Notes

*I love the ginger in these meatballs for a dish such as this noodle soup, however, I would skip the ginger if using them in another dish such as spaghetti bolognese.

*To make these meatballs oil-free, bake them in the oven at 400F for 20-25 minutes, flipping them halfway.