Vegan meatballs

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 small onion(s)
• 2 rolls
• 150 g kidney beans, alternatively chickpeas
• 2 tbsp soy granules, fine
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp stock powder
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp flaxseed
• 2 tbsp dried mushrooms, e.g. porcini mushrooms (approx. 8 g)
• salt and pepper
• Paprika powder, hot
• Spice(s) as desired

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

Soak the rolls in water ahead of time (this can take some time, especially if they are very dry and hard). Soak the soy granules as well (approx. 20 minutes). Squeeze the rolls and soy well; I use a large fine-mesh sieve for this. Finely chop the garlic and onion. Briefly grind the dried mushrooms and flaxseed in a spice grinder (the mushrooms give the meatballs their savory flavor, while the flaxseed binds them later and acts as an egg substitute. If you want to make the meatballs vegetarian, you can use two eggs and omit one tablespoon of flaxseed). Briefly puree the kidney beans (chickpeas are also an alternative) and their liquid with a hand blender. Combine all ingredients in the bowl. Mix thoroughly and season with plenty of spices. Depending on your preference, you can add caraway, cumin, or curry to the spices listed. The mixture will be a bit more liquid and stickier than traditional meatballs. Heat a pan with plenty of oil. Depending on the desired size, scoop out the meatball mixture with a tablespoon or teaspoon, place it in the pan, and press down lightly to form round, flat meatballs. Fry them over medium heat for a few minutes on each side until they are nicely browned. The meatballs taste great both hot and cold.