Vegan Eggplant Meatballs

Mediterranean Eggplant Hummus "Meatballs"

5 from 4 votes

Savory eggplant and creamy hummus form the base of these vegan eggplant meatballs. Infused with Mediterranean flavors, they are a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional meatballs.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 20

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: (makes about 24 meatballs)

Calories: 183kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Sheet pan

Ingredients

Meatballs:

2 large eggplants (about 42 ounces total)
¼ cup hummus
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
¼ cup pine nuts
1 cup panko breadcrumbs (preferably whole wheat) plus about ½ cup for dredging
Olive oil spray

Creamy Hummus Sauce:

½ cup hummus
½ cup dairy-free yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, mint or combination of the two

Optional for serving: pita bread

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Prick the eggplants all over with a fork. Place them on a lined baking sheet and roast in the oven 45-55 minutes until soft. Remove from oven and let cool. Scoop the flesh out and place it in cheesecloth or a dish towel and wring out any excess water. Place the eggplant in a bowl and chop it up.
Stir in the hummus, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, cayenne, cilantro, and pine nuts. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until combined. Add more breadcrumbs as needed until the mixture holds together.
Place the remaining ½ cup breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Form the eggplant mixture into meatballs (I like using a small cookie scoop for this) and lightly roll them in the breadcrumbs. Place them on a greased baking sheet. Discard any remaining breadcrumbs. Spray or brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake in the oven 18-22 minutes until firm. For an extra golden crust, place them under the broiler for a few minutes at the end.
To make the sauce, stir the hummus, yogurt, lemon juice and herbs together in a bowl. Top the sauce with some of the oil and pine nuts from the hummus container. Serve the meatballs with the sauce.

Notes

You can use plain or flavored hummus in this recipe. I like to use roasted pine nut-flavored hummus.

Serve the meatballs with the creamy hummus sauce on the side to dip into, pita bread or naan, and fresh vegetables like cucumber, tomato, and red onion.

Leftover meatballs are perfect to pack for lunch the next day on top of a salad or tucked into pita bread as a sandwich.

Nutrition