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Two Halves of a Quinoa Meatball Sub on a Plate with Water Glass in the Background
Quinoa Meatball Sub with Grilled Peppers + Onions
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Hearty quinoa meatballs are smothered in tomato sauce and stuffed into buns with grilled bell peppers and onion strips to make these crowd-pleasing vegan sandwiches!
Course: Sandwich
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 -6
Calories: 554 kcal
Author: Alissa
Ingredients
Quinoa Meatballs
  • 1 tbsp 7 g ground flax
  • 3 tbsp 45 ml warm water
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ½ cups 402 g cooked quinoa
  • ½ cup 17 g loosely packed fresh basil, chopped
  • ¼ cup 8 g loosely packed fresh oregano, chopped
  • ½ cup 48 g panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup 200 g cooked chickpeas
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Grilled Onions + Peppers
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
  • 4 to 6 Burger Buns, book, page 101, or store-bought
  • 1 to 2 cups 250 to 500 ml Garlic Herb Pizza + Pasta Sauce (book, page 173), or store-bought, warmed
  • ½ cup 80 g Vegan Parmesan, (book, page 65), or store-bought
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (163ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. To make the quinoa meatballs, in a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax and warm water. Set aside to gelatinize, about 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Keep the pan on the stove to fry the meatballs in.
  4. Combine the flax mixture, sautéed garlic, cooked quinoa, fresh basil, fresh oregano, bread crumbs, chickpeas, salt and red pepper flakes in a food processor and pulse until a thick paste forms. Move the mixture to a bowl and heat the frying pan over medium heat again. Scoop 1 ½-inch (3.8-cm) balls into the frying pan and sauté until golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Move the cooked balls to the lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until all of the meatballs are cooked.
  5. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, to heat the balls all the way through.
  6. While the meatballs bake, prepare the grilled onions and peppers by heating the olive oil in a large frying or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions and peppers together until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  7. When everything is ready, slice open the buns and stuff 3 or 4 meatballs inside. Top with grilled onions and peppers, warm tomato sauce and a generous sprinkle of the vegan Parmesan. Serve and enjoy!
  8. Leftover meatballs will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge. They can also be frozen and will thaw very well.
Recipe Notes

Alissa's note: I used store-bought rolls and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast in place of vegan Parmesan.

Nutrition Facts
Quinoa Meatball Sub with Grilled Peppers + Onions
Amount Per Serving
Calories 554 Calories from Fat 89
% Daily Value*
Fat 9.9g15%
Saturated Fat 1.4g7%
Sodium 1327mg55%
Potassium 393mg11%
Carbohydrates 92.7g31%
Fiber 12.5g50%
Sugar 9.9g11%
Protein 23.2g46%
Calcium 270mg27%
Iron 7.4mg41%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.