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Vegan meatballs in baked beetroot and red pepper sauce

These vegan meatballs in baked beetroot and red pepper sauce is a healthy and delicate dish – perfect in a balanced, plant-based diet. Although I made it with vegan meatballs, these are cooked separately so feel free to use pork, turkey or beef meatballs, if preferred. The healthy sauce can be precooked then kept in the fridge or freezer, making this dish a super quick and easy meal for a midweek family supper. Serve it pasta or gnocchi.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pack vegan meatballs (about 18
  • 5 baby beetroots
  • 2 small red onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 red pepper
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • Dash of Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp Italian mixed dried herbs or marjoram, oregano
  • Olive oil
  • About 250 ml passata
  • 1 vegetable stock cube or 2 tsp bouillon powder
  • 1 handful fresh herbs basil, mint, dill or parsley
  • Ground pepper

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Cut the beetroots, onions, red pepper and carrot in half, arrange them in a large baking tray.(Don’t peel them). Add the unpeeled garlic cloves too.
  3. Scatter the dried herbs on top of the vegetables, then drizzle some olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar on top. Season to taste, then toss well.
  4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or so.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the meatballs according to the packet instruction.
  6. When the veggies are tender, remove the tray from the oven and let them cool a bit. Remove & discard the skin of the garlic, onion, beetroot and red pepper.
  7. Put all veggies in a food processor, including any cooking jus, add the fresh herbs and process until you get a thick smooth sauce.
  8. Pour the sauce into a saucepan, add the passata and stock cube or powder and bring to a simmer. (At this point you could add some spinach, green peas or shredded kale if you like). Add more passata and water, if it's too thick.
  9. Simmer for a couple of minutes and serve with the meatballs.