Chickpea Veggie Meatballs
Baked, not fried – that’s the line that separates these from falafel. Cooked chickpeas bind the base while corn, peas, and carrot keep it juicy, and a 25-minute stint at 350 F (180 C) firms the outside while the centers stay soft, with none of the oil-soaked heaviness of the deep-fried version.
The chickpeas are everything. Undercook them and they crumble, so the balls fall apart on the sheet – simmer until truly tender. If the mix feels wet when you go to shape it, work in spelt or chickpea flour a spoonful at a time until it holds together. Frozen corn genuinely beats canned here: it’s less watery and tastes sweeter.
- Short on time? Swap dried chickpeas for canned or sprouted ones and skip the long soak and boil.
- Paprika adds a warm, smoky edge, and pink Himalayan salt gives a rounder minerality than plain table salt.
- Savoy cabbage and bell pepper stud the smooth chickpea mash with little crisp flecks.
Serve warm – with a green salad, zucchini noodles, or tucked into a pita with a tahini sauce. They keep 2 to 3 days in the fridge and reheat easily.
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Ingredients
Instructions
If you're using dried chickpeas, soak them ahead of time for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water at least every 12 hours. If the room is warm, keep the container of chickpeas in the refrigerator.
Cook the chickpeas in salted water for about 1 hour. For 1 cup of chickpeas you'll need 3 to 4 cups of water, so there's no harm in being off with the amount.
Meanwhile, cut the carrot into 4 pieces and simmer it for 15 minutes over medium heat along with the savoy cabbage leaves.
Process the cooked chickpeas in a food processor or run them through a meat grinder; you don't need a perfectly smooth puree. Add the spices and salt.
Chop the onion and garlic very finely and add them to the chickpeas. Grate the cooked carrot, seed the bell pepper and dice it into small cubes, and finely shred the cabbage.
Combine all the vegetables and the chickpeas in a deep bowl; add a couple of tablespoons of flour if needed.
Shape round meatballs and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the meatballs for 25 minutes at 350 F (180 C). Serve with a salad, zucchini pasta, or wrapped in a pita.
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