Loaded with protein and bursting with flavor, this vegan meatball casserole will leave you licking your fingers and the bowl. It has a double serving of heart-healthy legumes and a sizeable portion of colorful veggies.
This recipe makes a lot of happy dinners and diners. I added my homemade curry powder to sass up the meaty, hearty meatballs, a dollop of harissa, a Moroccan spice paste, to add pleasant fire to the black bean sauce, and then doused it all in perfectly seasoned, crunchy breadcrumbs. The result is an extravagant mouthful of textures and flavors: there's the comforting chewiness of the meatballs, the tender and meaty beans, and the very different but equally alluring crunchiness of the veggies and the breadcrumbs.
I came up with this vegan meatball casserole in my quest to amp up quality protein in my dinners, and this dish definitely packs a punch with 31 grams in a serving. Starting with my Mexican black bean casserole recipe for the sauce, I added meatballs made of vegan sausage and lentils and veggies I had on hand.
I served the casserole with quinoa for even more protein. It tastes just as good with a crusty French bread or sourdough bread, or you can eat it on its own! It's filling, cozy and if you have leftovers they will taste amazing the next day.
Recipe card
Vegan Meatball Casserole
Ingredients
For vegan protein meatballs
- 2 cups canned or cooked brown lentils (about 16 ounces. Drain out all liquid)
- 14 ounces plant-based sausage (broken into 1-inch pieces)
- 4-5 garlic cloves (roughly chopped, if large)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or any neutral oil)
- Salt to taste
For black bean sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 1 large carrot (or 2 small, finely chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 heaping tablespoons harissa paste
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups canned or cooked black beans (from 1 cup dried beans, or use two 14-oz cans. Drain out all liquid)
- 1 cup mushroom stock (or water)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 3 scallions (chopped, for garnish. You can also use cilantro instead)
For seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs (I used sourdough breadcrumbs, but any breadcrumbs, including panko, will work here)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Make seasoned breadcrumbs
- Mix the breadcrumbs, oregano, nutritional yeast, salt and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Add the oil and mix until all crumbs are moistened. Set aside.
Make protein meatballs
- Place the lentils, plant-based sausage, garlic, red pepper flakes, curry powder and chickpea flour in a food processor bowl. Add salt to taste.
- Pulse 10-12 times until the ingredients come together. The mixture might feel a little bit loose but you should be able to form it into balls using your hands. Keep a bowl of water at hand and dip your fingers and palms in it to form the meatballs more easily. Make 18 meatballs of roughly the same size.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and spray or coat the bottom with oil. Add the meatballs, leaving some space between each.
- Cook the meatballs on all sides in batches until lightly browned and firm. The meatballs might flatten a little, but they should hold together and firm up nicely. Set the cooked meatballs aside while you make the sauce.
Make the black bean sauce
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about five minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and sauté for a minute longer.
- Mix the harissa paste, tomato paste and oregano into the vegetables.
- Add the black beans to the skillet. I like to mash them a bit with a fork first to help thicken the sauce. Add a cup of the mushroom stock. Stir to mix and bring to a boil, then turn off heat.
Assemble and bake the casserole
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
- Nestle the meatballs into the black bean sauce.
- Sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs evenly over the meatballs. Place the skillet in the oven and bake 15 minutes. Then turn on the broiler and broil for three more minutes to crunch up the breadcrumbs.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. Scatter chopped scallions on the top before serving.
Notes
- Do you prefer vegan meatballs without vegan sausage? Try these yummy air fryer vegan meatballs in this casserole.
- If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the black bean sauce to a four-quart baking dish, add the meatballs and breadcrumbs and bake.
- If you find the meatballs aren't holding their shape, add some more chickpea flour or breadcrumbs. Because the meatball mixture is soft, it can help to dip your hands in a bowl of water, then form each meatball by tossing it between your palms. Once the meatballs have been pan-fried, they will hold their shape very well.
- You can also just drop dollops of the meatball mixture on the hot skillet with a cookie scoop, if you don't want to take the time to form the meatballs.
Nutrition Information
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Vegan meatball casserole FAQs
Yes, I love bell peppers in this dish. Zucchini and eggplant are also good choices, but if using eggplant make sure it is tender before adding the black beans.
You definitely can. You can find plant-based meatballs with a good amount of protein in most supermarkets. I recommend these for the best flavor.
White beans will be great in this dish. You can also use pinto beans or kidney beans.
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