Vegetarians fall into a few cooking camps: those who are happy to call a bowl of roasted veggies dinner; those who seek out meat replacements, yearning for the flavors they've decided to give up; and people like me: folks who want to skip the processed tastes of tofu dogs and seitan and who want real, composed meals, minus the meat.
I've been thinking about this quest for a while now. Frombaked falafelandpumpkin-ricotta dumplingstozucchini "noodles" ratatouille-style, when I think about putting together a weeknight vegetarian dinner, I think about real meals; not just a pile of vegetables or a bowl of pasta that masquerades as dinner.
这个月,我的素食版本解决atballs: an alternative to those packaged meat replacements and a hearty, healthy food I can drop into soup or top spaghetti with. I started with a basic combo of mushroom and zucchini, then gave it an Asian-inspired spin with a super flavorful paste of miso, ginger, and garlic. The result is a fresh and playfultake on wonton soup.
Although most veggie "meatball" recipes I found relied on lentils, some other bean, or even oats (which sounds pretty off-putting to me), I stuck to all vegetables—a mixture of mushroom and zucchini—along with the classic meatball stir-ins of breadcrumbs and egg. When I first served these balls, my taste-tester actually thought the mixture was meat, which goes to show how flavorful, and deceivingly meaty, that mushroom mix is.
But while my first batch of meatballs were delicious, they fell apart in a soggy mess. I quickly realized the key is in drying the mixture out, similar to making theclassic French mushroom duxelles mixture. It's a technique I've relied on a few times in vegetarian recipes, including the filling for my veggie play on Turkducken,the Vegducken, and the base for amushroom "meatloaf.". Since vegetables have more water content than meat, pan-frying them first to release the moisture helps the finished meatballs hold together. Also, be sure to pack the balls firmly so they won't fall apart while cooking.
Although the meatballs would be great baked on their own (serve them with asoy dipping sauce), I'm a big fan of dropping them in this delicious, filling soup. It's the perfect, warming bowl to enjoy on a cold night, and one I've enjoyed making all winter long.
