These vegan eggplant meatballs are the ideal summer finger food to share as an aperitif, buffet dish or main course.

Who has never tried making meatballs eggplant? They are so delicious, light and tasty that they will literally leave you craving more.

What I am going to share with you today is a very simple recipe that I have been using since I became vegan, because making delicious vegan eggplant meatballs is not only very possible but also extremely easy.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These vegan eggplant meatballs are a flavour-packed, wholesome alternative to meat-based versions. Whether you’re plant-based or just looking to reduce meat in your meals, this recipe is sure to impress. Rich in umami and packed with satisfying texture, they’re ideal for weeknight dinners or special occasions.

They are also:

• Completely plant-based and dairy-free
• High in fibre and nutrients from aubergines
• Deliciously tender inside and crispy outside
• Freezer-friendly and great for meal prep
• A versatile dish – serve with marinara sauce, spaghetti or on their own

Ingredients

• Eggplants (aubergines) that have been precooked with whichever method you prefer, either roasted in a pan, baked in the oven or in the air fryer. The latter is the cooking method that I personally prefer, as it allows us to get a perfect result in a very short time, about half of the time if we were to use the traditional oven.
• Wholemeal Flour. The flour will act as a thickener, just like eggs in the original version. You can however use any type of flour you wish; you can use durum wheat semolina for a more crunchy version or a gluten-free flour for a gluten free version.
• Fresh parsley. A staple ingredient of traditional meatballs, parsley gives an element of freshness to our vegan meatballs. Alternatively, you can freely use other fresh (or dried) herbs to taste; for example these meatballs also go very well with basil or mint.
• Fresh garlic. A pinch of finely grated fresh garlic undoubtedly gives a stronger flavor to our meatballs. If you don't like this ingredient so much, you can use dry garlic, as it is less pungent.
• Grated vegan cheese. You can use any brand you like, or even nutritional yeast. If you have some time to make your own, this aged chickpea cheese works perfectly.
• Salt and Pepper according to your taste.
• Vegetable oil for cooking. In this version I would suggest cooking in an air fryer as, with this fantastic appliance, it is actually possible to have a result that is very close, if not equal, to traditional fried food without using large quantities of oil. Obviously, if you do not own an air fryer or still prefer the fried version, you can certainly deep fry the meatballs in a generous amount of vegetable oil until golden brown, or bake them in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for about double the time I will indicate below.
• Panko or breadcrumbs. Another element that I personally love to use in the vegan version of eggplant meatballs is panko. Largely used in Japanese cuisine, panko is nothing more than a coarser breadcrumbs than the traditional one which, gives a richer and crunchy breading/coating. Of course this ingredient is not essential and it is possible to replace it with traditional or gluten-free breadcrumbs.

How to Make Vegan Eggplant Meatballs

Step 1: Roast the Eggplant (Aubergines)

In the oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Pierce the aubergine skin and place them whole on a baking tray. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until soft and slightly golden, turning them halfway through.
In the air-fryer: Pierce the aubergine skin and place them whole on a baking tray. Air fry for 15-20 minutes at 200°C, turning halfway through.

Step 2: De-Seed/Chop Eggplants

Once cooked, allow the eggplants to cool down until you can handle them easily, then, with the help of a knife, remove the peel and fillet the pulp. The eggplants will be soft enough that you can do this completely by hand; this will also allow you to easily remove any seeds that are too large.

Transfer the eggplants fillets into a colander and squeeze them as much as possible with your hands to remove excess water.

Step 3: Make the Mixture

Place the drained eggplant fillets in a large bowl, then add: flour, chopped parsley, garlic and grated vegan cheese, along with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix everything until you get a dough that can be easily worked by hand; if it is still too wet, add more flour. The dough should be firm but still a little sticky at the same time. Don't worry about meatballs as they will thicken during cooking.

Step 4: Shape and Fry

Take about a tablespoon of dough and form the meatballs with the palms of your hands.

Bread each meatball in the panko and transfer it to the basket of the air fryer, previously sprayed with vegetable oil.

Spay or drizzle some additional vegetable oil on the meatballs, then cook them for 15 minutes at 200° C (390°F), turning them halfway through cooking. The addition of a drizzle of oil when cooking with air is important a) to avoid the meatballs sticking to the basket, b) to simulate the effect of fried-not-fried. Any excess fat will go to the bottom of the fryer, so the meatballs will absorb the bare minimum during cooking, giving you the taste but not the excess fat.

Serving Suggestions

Following my advice you will get a bunch of crispy and fragrant aubergine meatballs, which you can accompany with a side salad for a light and tasty main or second course, or to be served as an aperitif or even an appetizer. Alternatively try them:

• With spaghetti and marinara sauce
• In a vegan meatball sub with fresh basil and dairy-free mozzarella
• As a protein-packed snack or appetiser
• Topped with tahini dressing and served with a side salad or couscous

Storage Tips

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• To freeze, arrange the meatballs on a tray to freeze individually, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Reheat in the oven or pan-fry from frozen.

Tasty Variation

If you want to make them even more delicious you can insert a cube of vegetable mozzarella inside each meatball in order to to achieve a stringy, oozy cheesy filling.

Recipe

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Vegan Eggplant Meatballs

These eggplant meatballs are the ideal summer finger food to share as an aperitif, buffet dish or main course.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Eggplant Cooking Time + Cooling 1 hour hour

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 (3.3 lb) Eggplants approx 1.5kg
• ▢ 40-50 g (0.30 cups) Wholemeal Flour
• ▢ 30 g (0.27 cups) Grated Vegan Cheese
• ▢ 1 Handful of Chopped Fresh Parsley
• ▢ 2 Cloves of Garlic
• ▢ 100 g (1 cups) Panko or Regular Breadcrumbs
• ▢ Salt
• ▢ Pepper
• ▢ Vegetable Oil

20 balls

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Instructions

• Wash the eggplants well, prick the skin with a fork in few places, place in the air fryer basket and cook for 20 minutes at 200° C (390°F). Alternatively, you can always cook the pricked eggplants in a skillet or pan over medium-high heat, taking care to constantly turn them until they become soft, or you can bake them in a preheated oven at 200° C (390°F) for about 40/45 minutes.
• Once cooked, allow the eggplant to cool down until you can handle them easily, then, with the help of a knife, remove the peel and fillet the pulp. The eggplants will be soft enough that you can do this completely by hand; this will also allow you to easily remove any seeds that are too large.
• Transfer the eggplants fillets into a colander and squeeze them as much as possible with your hands to remove excess water.
• Place the drained eggplant fillets in a large bowl, then add: flour, chopped parsley, garlic and grated vegan cheese, along with salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix everything until you get a dough that can be easily worked by hand; if it is still too wet, add more flour. The dough should be firm but still a little sticky at the same time. Don't worry about meatballs as they will thicken during cooking.
• Take about a tablespoon of dough and form the meatballs with the palms of your hands.
• Bread each meatball in the panko and transfer it to the basket of the air fryer, previously sprayed with vegetable oil.
• Spay or drizzle some additional vegetable oil on the meatballs, then cook them for 15 minutes at 200° C (390°F), turning them halfway through cooking. The addition of a drizzle of oil when cooking with air is important a) to avoid the meatballs sticking to the basket, b) to simulate the effect of fried-not-fried. Any excess fat will go to the bottom of the fryer, so the meatballs will absorb the bare minimum during cooking, giving you the taste but not the excess fat.
• Serve the vegan eggplant meatballs immediately with a pinch of salt, or even warm or cold, depending on your taste.

Notes

If you want to make them even more delicious you can insert a cube of vegetable mozzarella inside each meatball in order to to achieve a stringy, oozy cheesy filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 42kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 11mg

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