Lifestyle
Quick and easy-to-make gluten-free mushroom meatballs
Gluten-free mushroom meatballs served with Greek-style yoghurt or labneh dipping is the perfect option for a Meat-free Monday.
For those with gluten intolerance, Meat-Free Monday can be a bit of a challenge, with hidden gluten lurking in so many dishes. Gluten-free mushroom meatballs are packed with flavour and made without breadcrumbs, making them a lighter, veggie-friendly alternative that doesn’t compromise on texture or taste. These versatile mini bites go beyond the usual pasta pairing. Serve them as a savoury appetiser, pile them over zucchini noodles for a low-carb twist, or stuff them into a gluten-free sub roll with marinara sauce for a yummy sandwich. Recipe compliments of South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association.
Ingredients
- 500 g white button mushrooms
- 1 400g 400g tin kidney beans drained & rinsed
- 75 g ground almonds or ground GF oats
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- Generous handful of fresh parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Dipping sauce
- 250 ml plain Greek-style yoghurt or labneh (vegan substitute: coconut yoghurt)
- 1 clove garlic finely grated
- 1 Lemon zest
- ½ tsp salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Seasonal salad to serve
- Sherry vinegar, to serve
- Olive oil for cooking
Vegan tip: The meatballs are vegan and you can easily make the whole recipe vegan by substituting coconut yoghurt into the dipping sauce.
Method
For the dipping sauce
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Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well-mixed.
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Taste to adjust seasoning.
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Refrigerate until serving.
For the meatballs
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Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor until fine.
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Heat a large dry frying pan over medium heat and cook the mushrooms until they release all their liquid and are dry, turning golden brown on the edges.
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Season lightly with salt and pepper.
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Allow to cool.
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Add the kidney beans and the rest of the meatball ingredients to the food processor.
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Blitz until the beans are fine and everything is well mixed.
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Transfer cooked mushrooms to a large mixing bowl along with the bean mixture.
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Mix well.
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Form the mixture into little balls.
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Preheat the air fryer to 200˚C.
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Brush the inner basket with olive oil.
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Brush the meatballs with a little olive oil.
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Air fry the meatballs for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
To serve
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Plate a seasonal salad on a serving platter.
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Top salad with the meatballs.
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Spoon dipping sauce into a serving bowl and finish with a little drizzle of olive oil.
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Give meatballs and salad a drizzle of sherry vinegar before serving and enjoy!
