A delicious vegan and gluten free meatless bean ball recipe that is perfect as a canape for party season! Make ahead and heat as needed!
In a large frying pan, sweat the onion & garlic in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil
Add all the herbs & spices & let them sizzle to activate their flavours for a second
Add the drained kidney beans & cranberries & cook for a few minutes until the beans start to fall apart a bit.
With a masher or back of a fork, mash the beans to form a thick, chunky paste.
Season with salt & pepper & let the mixture cool a bit.
Mix the ground linseed with the water & allow to form a thick gel.
Mix the linseed mix in with the kidney bean mixture (this is the binding agent!)
Roll into walnut sized balls, then baste with some olive oil.
At this stage you can either put the balls into the fridge, or into the freezer until ready to use them.
When ready to cook, heat the oven to 180c/Gas Mark 6
Put the balls on an oven proof tray & cook for around 15 minutes (longer if from frozen) until slightly crisped on the outside.
Sweat the garlic in some olive oil & add the spices
Add the tomatoes & cook down until reduced.
Season with salt & pepper & if needed, add some sugar to taste.
Let cool a little, then blend until smooth
Serve the spicy bean balls on a platter with the sauce to dip it in.