Vegan Greek Meatballs with Lemon Garlic Orzo
When it comes to pasta, I’m currently obsessed with all things orzo! You typically see it at restaurants as a cold pasta salad, and it’s nothing to write home about. However, there is so much to play around with when it comes to this pasta. Believe it or not, there was a long period of time where I couldn’t even find it. So if you struggle to find this particular pasta you’re not alone!
Let’s talk Greek food! My husband and I love all things Greek so I love to replicate the staple flavors with veggie packed dishes. One dish they are known for, is lamb meatballs. While I don’t do lamb, I love the combination of the flavors, the tzatziki sauce, fresh cucumber etc. The best part? You can easily tap into all these components sans animal products!
What’s great about this recipe? Everything! It features pantry staples, it’s filling affordable, can be made gluten free, packs plant protein, fiber, tons of flavor, the meatballs can easily be made in bulk, it’s perfect for any season, you can pair the meatballs with a salad rather than pasta, and it’s just so good!
If you’re a fan of all things greek, you have to try these new vegan Greek Meatballs with Lemon Garlic Orzo and Tzatziki Sauce!
Why this recipe is great:
Quick
Easy
Affordable
Packs plant protein and fiber
Perfect for any season
Can easily be made in bulk
The Tzatziki and orzo pasta pair well!
You can pair the meatballs with a salad
Vegan Greek Meatballs with Lemon Garlic Orzo
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 meatballs 1x
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2 tbsp olive oil (to cook meatballs)
- 1 can of white beans (drained/rinsed)
- 1/3 cup nuts, chopped walnuts
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped (finely)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tbsps fresh oregano (or 1tsp dried oregano)
- Salt/Pepper as needed
- 2 tbsps ground flax mixed with 3 tbsps water
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 cup vegan sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup english cucumber, sliced into triangles
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsps fresh dill, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dry dill)
- 2 tsps garlic, minced
- salt to taste
Orzo Pasta:
- 2 cups cooked orzo pasta
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Meatballs: Make the flax eggs, set aside. The mixture should be slightly thick.
- In a pan over medium heat add the diced onion and mushrooms with a lil olive oil and cook until translucent and mushrooms are slightly reduced in size. About 5 to 7 minutes. Now add the garlic, cook for 2 more minutes and set aside.
- Take all the prepped meatball ingredients and combine in a large bowl sightly mashing together. You want to have at least 75% mashed with some beans still there to hold everything together. Form Balls and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil to med/high heat and cook the balls making sure to cook the entire ball 5-7 mins. The more balls on the pan the longer it takes to cook.
- Make the Tzatziki sauce: In a small bowl combine everything together, set aside.
- Cook the orzo pasta according to instructions and toss and coat in the remaining ingredients.
- Assemble the Bowls: Serve greek meatballs warm with orzo pasta. Garnish with Tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, lemon, lemon zest, dill, and parsley.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
