Italian TVP Meatballs Recipe (Vegan) (2024)

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This Italian TVP Meatballs recipe is made with textured vegetable protein are ready for spaghetti, a meatball sandwich, or served as a party appetizer! Made with TVP, flavorful seasonings, and great spices these meatballs are perfect for meal prep, batch cooking, or to make ahead.

These easy plant-based meatballs are high in protein, vegan, and are meat and dairy free. Serve these vegan meatballs alongside pressure cooker penne or creamy red pepper pasta and with a slice of oven baked vegan garlic bread.

Italian TVP Meatballs Recipe (Vegan) (1)

Add some major flavor to your next spaghetti night with these delicious TVP meatballs. These meatballs are made with Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) which has a similar texture to ground beef.

I have had a lifelong love of spaghetti and meatballs! I have my Italian mother to thank for that one. To this day there is nothing I love more than a huge messy bowl of pasta swimming in my White Wine Tomato Sauce… topped with giant and flavorful TVP meatballs!

This TVP Meatballs Recipe Is:

  • Hearty
  • Protein-Packed
  • Flavorful
  • Herby
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-Free
  • Great with Spaghetti or Pasta!
Italian TVP Meatballs Recipe (Vegan) (2)

One of the BEST Pantry Staple Vegan High Protein Recipes

These TVP textured vegetable protein meatballs recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal! It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards. You probably already have a lot of these ingredients on hand! Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious meals using a few staples you can rotate.

I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep on hand. And you can check out all my favorite pantry staple recipes on TheHerbeevore.com here. By stocking up on whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!

Italian TVP Meatballs Recipe (Vegan) (3)

This recipe is perfect for meal prepping- When I make these I try to make a lot of extras so I can enjoy them throughout the week! For lunch or dinner (or both some days, don’t judge) spaghetti and meatballs are definitely on the menu with this super easy recipe.

What’s In Textured Vegetable Protein Meatballs?

See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

  • TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein): I love stocking my pantry with TVP! TVP is made from soy protein and has the exact same texture as ground beef… making it really versatile to use in place of real meat. We use TVP in soups and stews, for taco filling, and in lasagnas. TVP is a great pantry-staple protein, and it lasts a long time. We always keep a few bags of this stuff on hand.
  • Italian Seasonings: one of my favorite spice blends, I add a pre-mixed Italian seasoning to my soups, stews, and pasta sauces. You can make your own Italian seasoning blend with oregano, parsley, thyme, basil, rosemary, and garlic. I like to use this organic Italian seasoning blend which has the right amounts of everything.
  • Nutritional Yeast:not to be confused with bread baking yeast,nutritional yeast has a cheesy nutty umami flavor! Also great in soups and sauces of all kinds.
  • Bread Crumbs – Normally I just use some crusty bread for the breadcrumbs, but if you are looking for a nice gluten free variety, these GF Italian Breadcrumbs would be your best bet!
  • Salt and pepper to taste – Some pasta sauces can be quite salty so I wanted to keep these meatballs fairly low sodium. Add the amount of salt and pepper that you’d like – but if you are planning to use a salty sauce, then I would recommend cutting back.
Italian TVP Meatballs Recipe (Vegan) (4)

A Sheet Pan TVP Meatball Recipe For the Win!

These vegan TVP meatballs make the perfect sheet pan dinner! I love a good sheet pan meal, especially during these fall months when the weather starts to turn cooler. Cooking on a sheet pan is one of my favorite ways to get a meal on the table fast!

All the food gets cooked on a single pan, which makes cleaning up a breeze. And the oven does all the work for you, so you can focus on other kitchen prep while the food cooks. Sheet pan meals are awesome for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – check out my link here to see other sheet pan meals that are ready in no time!

What Do I Serve with These Vegan Italian Meatballs?

  • White Wine Tomato Sauce
  • Cheesy Eggplant Bake (Vegetarian, Keto)
  • Slow Cooker Summer Ratatouille
  • Sheet Pan Pasta Bake with Fresh Mozzarella and Lemon

As always, if you make this vegan and TVP Meatballs recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

Let’s keep in touch – make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get fresh recipes weekly. And don’t forget to follow over on Pinterest, Instagram , & my YouTube channel – I’d love to connect with you there!

Italian TVP Meatballs Recipe (Vegan) (5)

Italian TVP Meatballs

Italian TVP Meatballs Recipe (Vegan) (6)Kelly Jensen

This Italian TVP Meatballs recipe is made with textured vegetable protein are ready for spaghetti, a meatball sandwich, or served as a party appetizer! Made with TVP, flavorful seasonings, and great spices these meatballs are perfect for meal prep, batch cooking, or to make ahead. These easy plant-based meatballs are high in protein, vegan, and are meat and dairy free. Serve these vegan meatballs alongside pressure cooker penne or creamy red pepper pasta and with a slice of oven baked vegan garlic bread.

4.91 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 82 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Textured Vegetable Protein TVP
  • 1 cup Vegetable Stock
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings oregano, basil, parsley
  • 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce make sure GF or tamari
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs use gluten free, if needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Add the TVP into the pot, stir, and let sit for 10 minutes while the TVP absorbs the broth.

  • In a large bowl, add the TVP and the rest of the ingredients. Knead until they form a dough.

  • Form the mixture into small 2 inch meatballs.

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook the meatballs for 20 minutes.

  • Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet fry the meatballs for 7-8 minutes until they brown and begin to crisp.

  • Serve over spaghetti with homemade marinara, on a sub sandwich, or use as a co*cktail party appetizer!

Nutrition

Calories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 9gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 242mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 12IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 2mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a rating and comment below, let us know what you loved about it!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support The Herbeevore and our beehives!

About the Author: Kelly Jensen

Italian TVP Meatballs Recipe (Vegan) (7)

Kelly Jensen has 7 years experience as a food blogger, freelance recipe developer, content creator, beekeeper, and loves cooking everything she can from scratch.

View all post by Kelly Jensen | Website

Italian TVP Meatballs Recipe (Vegan) (2024)

FAQs

How do you make TVP taste good? ›

To rehydrate your TVP, pour boiling water or broth over the desired amount and let it soak for 5-10 minutes, or until it's reached the desired texture. Because textured vegetable protein is quite bland on its own, we recommend rehydrating it with a broth to boost its flavor before combining it with a meal.

How do you bind textured vegetable protein? ›

Trying TVP Recipes
  1. Reconstitute 2 cups of TVP in vegetable broth.
  2. Mix in salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Add soy sauce and ketchup to taste.
  4. Mix in one egg (to bind the TVP).
  5. Mix in 1/4 cup flour.
  6. Form the mixture into patties. Bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes, until they're brown and crispy.
Jul 12, 2023

How to make meatballs that don t fall apart in sauce? ›

You can do a few things while preparing the meatballs to ensure they don't fall apart once they go into the tomato sauce.
  1. Don't add too much moisture: ...
  2. Keep the meat as cold as possible: ...
  3. Don't overwork the meat: ...
  4. Add meatballs to a simmering sauce, and don't over-stir:
Mar 15, 2019

How do you keep vegetable meatballs from falling apart? ›

Trouble keeping vegan meatballs together in pan
  1. Roast the meatballs before you sauté
  2. Chill the mix before you form the balls.
  3. Add a little quinoa flakes or oats.
Feb 1, 2017

What are the downsides of TVP? ›

What are the disadvantages of TVP? The main disadvantages of including this product in your diet include: Difficulty digesting soy properly — When soy is not fermented (soaked and sprouted), it can be hard to break down due to antinutrients it contains, which block some of its minerals from being absorbed.

What are the disadvantages of TVP? ›

Potential downsides

Although TVP can be made from several different ingredients, it's typically made from soy. Soy is one of the most common allergens. If you have a soy allergy, consuming soy-based products can cause serious side effects, including anaphylaxis, which can be life threatening ( 14 ).

What is the best way to use TVP? ›

The Best TVP recipes
  1. TVP bolognese. TVP bolognese is a delicious twist on the classic Italian dish that stays true to its roots. ...
  2. TVP meatballs. I say these are the meatiest vegan meatballs with Italian seasoning. ...
  3. TVP big mac style burger. ...
  4. TVP lasagna. ...
  5. Vegan moussaka. ...
  6. TVP chili. ...
  7. Instant pot vegan curry with TVP. ...
  8. Vegan taco meat.
Jan 31, 2024

How do you flavor textured soy protein? ›

Textured vegetable protein takes on that taste of whatever you're cooking it with. Because of this, instead of using water, you may want to consider rehydrating your TVP with sauce, soup or vegetable broth.

Does TVP need to be soaked? ›

Does TVP need to be soaked? TVP comes dehydrated so you need to add moisture. Some recipes call for soaking it ahead of time, but in this taco recipe, I found it quickest and easiest to add the dry TVP to the pan along with vegetable broth and allow it to soften and absorb the extra flavors right in the pan.

What not to do when making meatballs? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meatballs
  1. Not seasoning the meat.
  2. Not adding any moisture to the meat.
  3. Over-mixing the meat.
  4. Not shaping the meatballs correctly.
  5. Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.
May 1, 2019

What is the secret of a tender meatball? ›

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

What is the trick to keeping meatballs together? ›

How to make meatballs that won't fall apart
  1. Massage your meat. True story. ...
  2. Add breadcrumbs. Add breadcrumbs to the mixture, but not too many breadcrumbs. ...
  3. Add egg. ...
  4. Don't add much apart from meat. ...
  5. Roll your meatballs in flour. ...
  6. Give your meatballs space. ...
  7. Shake your meatballs. ...
  8. Brown your meatballs first.
Mar 3, 2022

What is a vegan binding agent for meatballs? ›

Aquafaba is the liquid from a carton of cooked garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas. All you do is strain the liquid from the beans into a bowl and that is your aquafaba. You can also create your own aquafaba egg replacer by soaking 1 cup of dried chickpeas in 3 cups of water overnight.

What are vegan meatballs made of? ›

Made with mushrooms, walnuts, and black beans, they're crisp on the outside, tender in the middle, and full of savory flavor. These vegan meatballs are the best I've tried. They're intensely flavorful, made with roasted mushrooms, a mix of savory spices, and balsamic vinegar for tang.

Do meatballs need a binder? ›

You want them firm enough so they don't fall apart when cooking, while still keeping a tender, juicy texture. That is why it is key to use a binder or two.

How do I spice up my TVP? ›

One of our favorite ways to improve the taste of the TVP is to add spices directly to the liquid you're rehydrating the TVP with; our favorites include a few tablespoons of taco seasoning, bay leaves, or a little hint of seasoned salt.

Is it OK to eat TVP every day? ›

In short, the answer is yes. While TVP is a processed food, it's derived from a healthy ingredient and provides a complete source of plant-based protein essential to one's health. That being said, like anything, TVP should be enjoyed in moderation. Additionally, it should not be your only source of protein.

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