Orange Cauliflower Meatballs

Name: Orange Cauliflower Meatballs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: Cauliflower 1.25 lbs; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; White onions ½ cup; Celery 0.8 cup; Carrots 0.7 cup; Precooked Cannellini beans 2.3 cups; Plant-based cheese 1.8 oz; Flax seed ground 3 tbsp; Water lukewarm 2.8 oz; Whole grain flour 1 ¼ cup; Whole wheat breadcrumbs 1.3 cups; Black pepper to taste; Chickpea flour 2.5 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Orange juice 3 oz; Water 7.1 oz; Fine salt to taste

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Serving: 10
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Lulù Gargari

Orange Cauliflower Meatballs arrive crisp outside, tender at the center, and finished with an aromatic orange cream that pulls the whole dish together. The cauliflower-and-orange combination sits naturally in winter cooking—both ingredients are at their best in the cold months, and the fragrance that comes off the finished plate is part of what makes them so appealing. These are fully vegan, and they have a reliable habit of winning over the non-vegans at the table just as thoroughly as everyone else.

Because there are no eggs in the mix, a simple flaxseed-and-water binder does the structural work, holding the meatballs together and giving them a satisfying, cohesive texture without compromising the soft interior. The orange cream is integral to the dish—not an optional garnish you can skip—and it's what gives each bite its character. It's aromatic, it's bright, and it ties the cauliflower's mild earthiness to the citrus running through the whole recipe. Serve the meatballs warm, with the cream alongside, and they'll disappear faster than you expect.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for about 40 meatballs: Cauliflower 1.25 lbs (550 g); Extra virgin olive oil to taste; White onions ½ cup (80 g); Celery 0.8 cup (80 g); Carrots 0.7 cup (80 g); Precooked Cannellini beans 2.3 cups (530 g); Plant-based cheese 1.8 oz (50 g); Flax seed 3 tbsp (20 g) - ground; Water 2.8 oz (80 g) - lukewarm; Whole grain flour 1 ¼ cup (150 g); Whole wheat breadcrumbs 1.3 cups (150 g); Black pepper to taste

for breading and frying: Chickpea flour 2.5 oz (70 g); Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Orange juice 3 oz (80 g); Water 7.1 oz (200 g); Fine salt to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Orange Cauliflower Meatballs

To prepare the orange cauliflower meatballs, clean the cauliflower by removing the leaves 1 and the base of the core. Cut into florets 2 and boil them in boiling water for about 8 minutes 3.

Drain the cooked florets and set them aside 4; after cooking the weight will be about 14 oz (400 g). Now combine about 1/3 cup (approximately 3 fl oz / 80 ml) of warm water with the ground flaxseeds 5, mix to obtain a homogeneous mixture 6, and set aside for 10 minutes.

Trim and finely chop the onion 7, carrot 8 and celery 9.

In a pan heat the oil 7, add the chopped vegetables for the soffritto—carrot, celery and onion 11, season and sweat over low heat for 5 minutes, just long enough to soften them 12.

In a food processor place the cooked cauliflower 13, the drained cannellini beans 14 and the cooled soffritto 15.

Add the water-and-flaxseed mixture, which will act as the binder, then season with grated vegan cheese 17, salt and pepper 18.

Blend everything to obtain a homogeneous mixture 19, transfer it to a bowl and also add the whole wheat flour 20 and whole wheat breadcrumbs 21.

Mix 22 to obtain a dough that is firm but not too dry 23. Take portions of dough about the size of a walnut and shape the meatballs with your hands 34.

Move on to cooking: heat a drizzle of oil in a skillet, then roll the meatballs in chickpea flour 26 and place them in the hot pan, browning them for about 10 minutes 27.