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Healthy made easy

BLACK BEAN MEATBALLS

By Madeleine Olivia Serves4 | Prep15-20 mins | Cook1hr

FOR THE MEATBALLS

1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 400g tin (1⅔ cups) of black beans, drained and rinsed 75g (¾ cup) rolled oats 1 tsp harissa paste (reduce the amount if you prefer less spice) 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 100g (1¼ cups) fresh breadcrumbs sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 baguette vegan cheese (optional)

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp olive oil a small pinch of chilli (hot pepper) flakes or a good splash of Tabasco sauce 400g tin (1⅔ cups) of chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp soft brown sugar or a good squirt of tomato ketchup ½ a bunch of basil, torn

1 Cook the onion and garlic in a frying pan with about 1 tbsp of olive oil over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until softened.

2 Transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a food processor, add the black beans, oats, harissa, oregano, vinegar, breadcrumbs and seasoning and blend until everything comes together. Pulse and don’t overblend. Roll the mixture into 16-20 meatballs.

3 Heat around 1 tbsp of olive oil in the same large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the meatballs and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning every few minutes so all sides are browned.

4 Meanwhile, start the tomato sauce by frying the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until softened. Add the remaining ingredients, fill the empty tomato tin halfway with water and add to the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, simmer for 5-10 minutes and season.

5 When the meatballs are ready, add them to the frying pan with the tomato sauce in and cook for 5 or so minutes (don’t overstir to avoid breaking the meatballs).

6 You can serve the meatballs with spaghetti or make a meatball sub. Simply add to a large baguette, then scoop over the tomato sauce and a layer of vegan cheese (if desired). Toast open under a preheated grill (broiler) until the cheese has melted, then close the sandwich up and enjoy.

DISCOVER MORE

The recipes on page 18-19 and the tofu satay curry on page 20 are taken from Make it Vegan by Madeleine Olivia, photography by Clare Winfield and Ali Green, published by Hardie Grant. (RRP £25.)