Our somewhat international background comes through in the kitchen quite often. Old recipes from all over Europe are simple and yummy. Often, there are as many versions of the same meal as there are countries. Meatballs Recipe Traditional and Plant-Based is one of them.
The Ukrainians, the Poles, or the Russians would call them kotlety; the Swedes, kottbullar; and the Mennonites, kotletten. We love them in so many ways, just plain with some veggies, in a sandwich, or as a pre-made cold dish with some salad.
Meatballs do not have to contain meat. They can also be made out of grains, beans, peas, or mixed vegetables. My favourite, I think, is the buckwheat version. They taste so yummy, and if you didn’t know, you might think they are just perfect meatballs.
Fry or bake
Meatballs can be deep-fried, air-fried, baked, or pan-fried with just a little oil.
The air fryer is a great choice, but baking them in the oven works great, too. They need 30-40 minutes on 350, depending on size.
Frying in a pan with little oil works well too; however, it is hard to get them evenly browned. I still think it is better than deep frying in lots of oil. They will need about 5 minutes on each side, for a total of 20 minutes.
Shape and coating
Most meatballs are shaped into balls; however, shaping them into burgers works too, and is great for using them in sandwiches or burgers. The recipe can be the same.
The plant-based version may be easier to form when you coat them in wheatlets or breadcrumbs.
Traditional meatballs
Most traditional recipes do not include exact measurements. More or less of something does not really matter. Every home had its own preferences, or maybe it just depended on what was available. Most families had many people to feed, from the land or the garden they grew. Things were simple. Nevertheless, most recipes have survived decades and are considered specialty foods.
The simple, more relaxed approach to recipes is what resonates with me. Recipes are meant to offer inspiration, not a strict pattern to follow. I love using imagination and creativity in the kitchen. Read more at Freestyle Cooking.
There is no way to say that just one recipe is the one and only traditional meatball recipe. But maybe it is safe to say that all traditional recipes did include meat.
This recipe has more vegetables than most traditional recipes would.
Zucchini makes the meatballs juicy, without using much fat. I call zucchini my secret ingredient and add it to many dishes. In the picture above, I used frozen zucchini; fresh, of course, works even better.
Plant-based “meatballs”
Replace the ground meat with 4 cups of your favorite cooked and strained legumes, and there you have yummy whole-food plant-based “meatballs”.
The legumes can be processed in a food processor to a very fine or coarse texture, as you prefer.
Using buckwheat is another option. It is an amazing grain that doesn’t get enough attention, I think. It cooks quickly, tastes great, and is packed full of nutrients. Some go so far as to say it is the world’s healthiest food. Buckwheat is also gluten-free. So the buckwheat meatballs are gluten-free, also.
For the meatballs, use cooked buckwheat groat. To cook, use a 2 1 water-to-grain ratio and cook for 10-15 minutes.
I do not use zucchini in the buckwheat meatballs since the wheat is already more on the moist side. Just use all potatoes instead. And yes, we use raw potatoes in meatballs. If the potatoes are a very watery variety, strain them.
Instead of bread, I use ground flaxseed for the buckwheat version. It can be used in any version if you want the meatballs to be gluten-free.
Try the plant-based version, you might like it even better than the traditional; we sure do. The oven-roasted tomato sauce goes well with the meatballs.
Here is the meatball recipe, traditional and plant-based. As I said before, use it as a guideline, add spices you like, and be creative; there is no right or wrong when it comes to traditional recipes. Enjoy!
- 2 lb extra lean ground beef or 4 cups cooked legumes or buckwheat
- 1 cup shredded zucchinis (Use all potatoes with buckwheat)
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 cup shredded potatoes
- 1 slice whole grain bread or 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Note: If you have a food processor, you can add all the ingredients except the meat, legumes, or grain, and chop for a few minutes. Otherwise
- Shred and chop all the vegetables
- Soak the bread.
- Mix well
- Form about egg-sized balls, or the size and shape you like, and place them on an oiled baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 - 40 minutes on F350 or till golden brown.
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Must try this with some grass fed ground beef.
Grass fed ground beef is the best, I also have made them with meat from the hunt and they were great.
To soak the bread, do you use water?
Yes, water is fine, some like to use milk. I personally do not soak the bread since I add everything to the food processor and there is enough moisture from the veggies.
I LOVE the idea of adding zucchini to make nice juicy meatballs—so clever!
How do you prepare your zucchini for freezing? It looks like you chop it up and then…?
(In my area people only grate it up and use it for cakes in the winter months.)
I have done just grate the zucchini up and freeze. But I find zucchini better if blanched. I cut it in cubes and blanch for 3 minutes and freeze. This way I can use them in many recipes.
Delicious meatballs, Anna! I am preparing this for my family, your recipe blew me away.
Thank you Agness, so glad to hear you like it.
You’re a wise and thoughtful lady Anna. Much appreciate your giving options for vegans and non-vegan for staple comfort recipes. I must try this with buckwheat and chickpeas and flax!