A vegan meatball sub that's like a flavor explosion in your face! Spicy black bean meatballs are smothered in chipotle-tomato sauce and stuffed into crusty rolls to make these scrumptious Mexican-inspired vegan tortas!
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
- Oil mister or cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 chipotle peppers (from a can), finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 bolillo or telera rolls, sliced open
- Diced avocado
- Diced onion
- Shredded lettuce
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Preheat the oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until everything is finely chopped and well-mixed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Taste test the mixture and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
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Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (you should get about 20-25) and arrange them on the baking sheet. Lightly spray with oil.
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Bake the meatballs until lightly browned, about 30 minutes, flipping once about halfway through.
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While the meatballs bake, coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place it over medium heat.
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When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute, until very fragrant.
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Stir in the tomato sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and oregano.
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Raise the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow it to cook for about 25 minutes, until it thickens up just a bit.
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Remove the sauce from heat. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking (see note).
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Slice the rolls open and stuff with meatballs and lettuce. Ladle the sauce over top and top with avocado and onion.
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Serve.
For extra chipotle flavor (and heat), stir in some of the adobo sauce from your can of chipotle peppers.