High Protein Black Bean & Quinoa Balls

Today’s post is a quick, easy, healthy, gluten-free, dairy free and oil-free, just what you need for a perfect spring / summer weeknight dinner or to pack up in your lunch for the next day. These quinoa balls are crispy, hearty, and full of flavour, plus an added bonus of protein for all you plant based eaters out there. Plus they are simple to make, requiring just a few ingredients. These mini (or if your like me – big) balls go so well with pasta or in a wrap (and hummus or mashed avocado) and they are great as a snack with your favorite dips.

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As usual, you can play around with any ingredients to suit your taste buds. You can use kidney beans, or chickpeas instead of black beans (though I have to say they are the best with black beans), just see what consistencies work for you and what you have in the house or can find at the shops. Likewise, you can spice them up or down however you like with spices and herbs.

I added the quinoa balls with a creamy (plant based) sun-dried tomato sauce and pasta (gluten free) with some spinach and fresh cherry tomatoes, it’s like a classic Italian comfort food made a bit lighter so you can eat as much as you want! (winner!) plus you wont be left with the bloated feeling in your stomach from normal pasta and meat balls because they are full of natural ingredients. But, in addition they are also great with salad, in sandwiches, or just stuffed into a pita like falafel you would buy from the shops. The leftovers are also just as tasty cold, so you can use them the next day, or freeze if you’ve made a larger batch – which I would highly recommend doing.

Ingredients:

For the black bean and quinoa balls

• ·        1/2 cup of Quinoa
• ·         1 can of Black beans
• ·         1/4 cup of Almond flour (normal will also work) or bread crumbs
• ·         2 tbsp Tomato paste
• ·         ½ tbsp Sriracha (or added spices)
• ·         2 tbsp Nutritional yeast 
  

For the sun-dried tomato sauce

• ·      ½ cup of halved cherry tomatoes
•      ½ cup of Sun-dried tomatoes
• ·         1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• ·         1 clove of garlic
• ·         2 tbsp nutritional yeast 
• ·         Handful of fresh basil
• ·         Salt, pepper

To serve

• ·         Salad of your choice
• ·         ½ cup of halved cherry tomatoes

Method: 

Black bean and quinoa balls

1.    Add quinoa and one cup of water to a pot and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain any excess water and cool.

2.    Meanwhile add black beans to a bowl and mash coarsely with a blender or a fork. Add quinoa, oat flour or bread crumbs, tomato paste, Sriracha, nutritional yeast and spices and mix well together. Use your hands to make it into a moldable dough.

3.    Using a table spoon scoop out the mixture and roll into balls (your choice in size) then add to a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

4.    Bake at 180-200 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until crispy.

Sun-dried tomato sauce

1.    Place sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy.

Assembly
Add sun-dried tomato sauce and cherry tomatoes to salad / pasta and mix well. To serve, top pasta with 4-5 balls per serving and sprinkle with fresh basil and salad.

If you try this recipe, let me know! I would highly appreciate if you could leave a comment and rate it. Also don’t forget to take a picture and tag it on my Instagram (use the hashtag #inyourstridefitness)

Enjoy!