1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. This ensures your meatballs won’t stick and will bake evenly, giving them that perfect golden color.
2. In a small bowl, combine ground flax seeds and water. Give it a stir and let it sit for at least 5 minutes to “gel.” This mixture acts as a binder in the absence of eggs, making your meatballs hold together beautifully.
3. Set a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and swirl it around. Once hot, add the diced onions to the pan and stir. Sauté the onions until they become slightly soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic and oregano to the pan and sauté for another minute. The aroma will be heavenly as these ingredients meld together, creating a fragrant base.
5. Finally, add nutritional yeast, chili, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir for about 30 seconds. Pour in lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This adds depth to your mixture!
6. Remove the sauté pan from heat and let the mixture cool slightly. You want to add this to your other ingredients without cooking them further.
7. In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, place walnut halves and rolled oats. Pulse until you have a coarse meal. This adds texture to the meatballs while also providing healthy fats.
8. Transfer the meal to a large bowl. Place the bowl back on the motor base of the food processor and add the white beans. Pulse until they are ground up but still have some chunky bits. This will create a nice base for your meatballs.
9. Transfer the ground white beans to the large bowl with the walnut and oat mixture. To this large bowl, add the flax gel mixture, sautéed onion and garlic mixture, tamari, lemon zest, parsley, dill, and big pinches of salt and pepper. Use a spatula or your hands to mix until thoroughly combined. This is where all the flavors come together!
10. Pinch off a bit of the mixture and give it a taste. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. This step is crucial! You want to ensure your meatballs are perfectly seasoned before they go into the oven.
11. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the mixture per meatball and roll it into a ball. Place the meatballs on the lined baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops with additional olive oil. This will help them brown nicely.
12. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake the meatballs for about 25 minutes, or until the tops have dried out a bit, the meatballs are firm, and the bottoms are browned. Be sure to check them halfway through and rotate the baking sheet if necessary.
13. Once done, serve your Lemony Oregano Vegan Meatballs with pasta, on a platter with hummus and tahini sauce, or even in a grain bowl setup!
