Recipe and Image Amber Bremner
These tempeh balls are a fantastic high protein stand-in for traditional meatballs, inspired by the classic flavours of Italian pork sausage. I serve these with spaghetti and marinara sauce as a familiar family-friendly meal that keeps everyone happy. They are delicious shallow fried but can be oven-baked for a healthier (lower oil) result. If you’re not cooking for a family, leftover meatballs keep really well in the fridge for a few days (stored alone so they don’t go soggy) or in the freezer for another meal. They can be reheated by warming in a low oven.
Makes 28 balls
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
250 g block of tempeh, grated 1 apple, peeled, cored and grated
½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup roughly chopped walnuts
¼ cup finely chopped parsley 3 tbsp flour
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest 1 tsp grated or crushed garlic (2–3 cloves)
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper Pinch or two of cayenne pepper
Cooking oil or spray oil
Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until soft and lightly golden. Remove from heat.
Add the cooked onion and all remaining ingredients (except cooking oil/spray oil) to a food processor and blitz until well combined and the mixture comes together as a slightly chunky, coarse dough. Squeeze a small amount together in your hands to check that it binds—if not, it might just need a little more blending.
Firmly roll the mixture into small balls around 3 cm in diameter. At this point, you can cook the balls immediately or refrigerate them for later.
When you’re ready to cook the balls, heat a generous splash of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the balls, turning often, until golden brown on all sides. Depending on the size of your frying pan, you might need to do this in two batches.
If baking in the oven, arrange the balls on a baking sheet and brush or spray with oil. Bake at 220ºC fan bake (240ºC conventional oven) for 20–25 minutes, turning them at least once during cooking and brushing or spraying with a little extra oil. They’re cooked when they’re golden brown and firm to the touch.
Serve with your favourite pasta and marinara sauce.
Extracted with permission from Simply Veg by Amber Bremner, $49.99 RRP (Upstart Press), published 10 April 2025. Pre-orders are available from www.quitegoodfood.co.nz and www.upstartpress.co.nz
