Vegan chickpea meatballs
Firm, flavour-packed vegan meatballs made with chickpeas, mushrooms and oats — great with pasta or tucked into a bap.
These vegan chickpea meatballs are my go-to when you want all the comfort of meatballs without the meat. They combine chickpeas, chestnut mushrooms and oats for a satisfyingly meaty texture and plenty of umami.
Make a big batch and use them with spaghetti and tomato sauce, in a bap with vegan grated cheese, or cooled in lunch boxes. They freeze beautifully and reheat with a quick blast in the oven.
Ingredients
- 400 g tinned chickpeas — drained and rinsed (net drained weight approx 240 g)
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — finely chopped
- 1 brown onion — finely grated
- 2 garlic cloves — crushed
- 80 g rolled oats
- 30 g plain flour
- 15 g ground flaxseed
- 45 ml cold water — for the flax 'egg'
- 30 ml tomato purée
- 15 ml tamari
- 15 g nutritional yeast — about 2 tbsp
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper
- 30 ml olive oil — plus extra for brushing
- 15 g fresh flatleaf parsley — finely chopped, to fold in and scatter on top
Equipment
- food processor
- baking tray
Instructions
Make the flax 'egg': stir ground flaxseed with cold water in a small bowl and leave to thicken for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped chestnut mushrooms and grated brown onion and sweat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is beginning to brown. Add the crushed garlic and tamari for the last minute and remove from the heat.
In a food processor combine the drained tinned chickpeas, the cooled mushroom/onion mixture, rolled oats, plain flour, nutritional yeast, tomato purée, dried oregano, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper and the flax 'egg'. Pulse in short bursts until the mix comes together but still has small pieces for texture — about 8–12 short pulses (≈45–60 seconds of total processing). Stir in the chopped fresh flatleaf parsley by hand.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up — this makes shaping far easier.
After chilling, shape the mixture into golf‑ball-sized meatballs (about 20 in total). Place them on the prepared baking tray, brush or lightly brush with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, and bake for 18 minutes, turning once halfway, until golden and firm.
Serve hot with spaghetti and tomato sauce, in a sandwich, or cooled and added to salads. Scatter extra chopped fresh flatleaf parsley before serving.
Tips
- Squeeze as much moisture as possible from the cooked mushroom/onion mix — a clean tea towel or kitchen paper helps. Wet veg = soggy meatballs.
- Pulse in the food processor rather than running it continuously — you want small bites of texture, not a smooth paste.
- Chill the mixture for 30 minutes before shaping; it firms up and reduces sticking.
- These freeze well: freeze on a tray until solid then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen in a hot oven at 200°C fan for 12–15 minutes.
- If the mixture feels too loose after chilling, add 1–2 tbsp extra plain flour or 15–20 g more rolled oats to bind.
Substitutions
tinned chickpeas → tinned brown lentils, drained (same quantity)
Stays closeplain flour → gluten-free plain flour (same quantity)
Stays closerolled oats → fresh breadcrumbs (80 g)
Noticeably differenttamari → soy sauce (same quantity)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 240
- Calories
- 12 g
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 400 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes — swap the plain flour for a gluten-free plain flour blend and ensure your oats are certified gluten-free. The texture will be almost identical.
Will they hold together without chilling?
Chilling is recommended — it firms the mix and prevents collapsing. If short on time, shape gently and bake on a very hot tray but expect slightly softer meatballs.
Can I cook them in a frying pan or air fryer?
Yes. For a frying pan brown on all sides over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, then finish in the oven for 6–8 minutes. In an air fryer, 180°C for 10–12 minutes, turning once, works well.
How long do they keep?
In the fridge they keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container; frozen for up to 3 months.
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