Meet Alex Caspero
Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Plant-Based Chef and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.
Vegan Eggplant Meatballs with Creamy Lemon dipping sauce.
What comes to mind when you think of meatballs? For me, I’m instantly transported back to my grandmother’s kitchen where we would eat dinner most Sundays when I was a little girl. With a last name like Caspero, Italian was always on the menu. It’s where I discovered my love for food, sitting at her counter where should would teach me how to shape gnocchi, give me sips of whatever sauce was simmering and guide me on rolling the perfect meatball.
Now that my diet is mostly plant-based, I’ve replaced her pork meatballs with my versions using mushrooms, chickpeas and now- eggplant. Meaty, tender, these vegan eggplant meatballs are delicious on their own as an appetizer or served as a main dish. To me, meatballs will always be shared food; whether you are passing a giant platter of pasta piled high with sauce-covered meatballs or serving these spiced Moroccan meatballs with a creamy lemon dipping sauce.
These meatballs are fairly easy to put together, but you will need a food processor to help break the ingredients down. I recommend cooking the eggplant in a little oil and water; this technique gives the eggplant flavor without weighing it down. Along with the white beans, the eggplant provides heft and a tender, meaty texture. Adding in a source of vitamin C, like the lemon juice, to the bean enhances iron absorption! Some research shows that pairing vitamin C with plant-based iron sources can increase iron uptake by 4-6x which is really impressive.
Meatballs aren’t meatballs without sauce, which is why we decided to serve these Moroccan meatballs with a creamy lemon sauce. When I’m making these meatballs for BL and I, I tend to add up to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to give them extra kick. Spicy meatballs make me want to dip into more of the cooling lemon sauce. If you’re not a fan of spice, then feel free to reduce the cayenne or omit it completely.
If you like these vegan eggplant meatballs, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
Vegan Eggplant Meatballs with Creamy Lemon Sauce! Vegan eggplant meatballs served with a creamy lemon dipping sauce. Perfect as an appetizer, main dish or party food!
Vegan Eggplant Meatballs
Vegan Creamy Lemon Sauce
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(9 comments) leave a comment
Wondering if the eggplant should be peeled?
I didn’t! But you are welcome to.
Hi Alex,
Thanks for sharing.
I’d love to try this recipe (egglants are on sale, to make it even better!), but I’m not a fan of breadcrumbs.
I saw someone repaced them with almond flour, but that adds a lot of (healthy) fat and I’m concerned with it being overly “filling”.
Could you please recommend another substitution? Ground oats maybe?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Line– ground oats will likely work! I’d try that, though I can’t guarantee the texture/taste will be there as I haven’t tried it myself.
I made this tonight and loved the flavor ( I could just eat the eggplant/bean mix with a spoon!!)…I was wondering what parts could be made ahead of time. Could I mix it together and keep in the refrigerator for a few days then bring to room temp make the balls and bake? or would it be best to only make and refrigerate the eggplant part before adding the beans & bread crumbs — but with the spices added so the flavors keep soaking in? just wondering if you tried any of this when developing the recipe … thanks
Hi JK- I haven’t tried making these ahead of time, but I imagine it would work. I’d make the mixture as-is ahead of time, then taste before baking. If the spices have dulled, simply add a bit more.
I love the fact that the “calories per serving” is only 36.
Ive just started to cook more scratch meals for myself and I made this. I subbed Almond Flour for the breadcrumbs (trying to do more keto) and it turned out well. The texture was excellent which for me is the most important. The middle eastern spices are an acquired taste for me but Im working on expanding my palate.
★★★★★
I am enjoying this recipe and will make it again. Love eggplant and the restrained oil content of this recipe is very appealing. I needed more breadcrumbs than called for — used whole wheat panko. Would also tweak the spices next time. I grind cumin seed myself so it is stronger/fresher than the supermarket variety. As much as I love it and try to adjust for that fact, I got a bit much in there. I am also curious about the size of the onion used; would like to see weights when possible. Thanks for a great idea.
★★★★