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A plate of cranberry bean meatballs with dipping sauce and a hand reaching in to pick one up.
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Vegan Cranberry Meatballs (Spicy Sweet Bean Ball Canapés)

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!
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Canape, party food, Snack
Cuisine: Vegan
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings: 32 balls
Calories: 61kcal
Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Spicy Bean Balls

  • 480 g kidney beans drained (2 standard tins/cans)
  • 1 small red onion finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoon dried cranberries finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 4 teaspoon ground linseed/flaxseed mixed with 3 teaspoons of water
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Spicy Tomato Sauce

  • 400 g chopped or crushed tomatoes 1 tin/can
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 small chilli optional!
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt, Pepper & a little sugar if needed
Metric - American

Instructions

For the Spicy Bean Balls

  • In a large frying pan, sweat the onion & garlic with a tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Add all the herbs & spices & let them sizzle for a minute to activate their flavours.
  • 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.
  • Combine 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 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
  • Put the balls on an oven proof tray & cook for around 15 minutes (longer if from frozen) until slightly crisped on the outside.

For the Spiced Tomato Sauce

  • 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

To Serve

  • Serve the spicy bean balls on a platter with the sauce to dip it in.

Nutrition

Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg