Vegan Meatball Sub

makes about 20 'meatballs' / serves 4 + leftovers

FOR MEATBALLS:

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 8 oz button mushrooms, cleaned with dry towel and chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili flake
• 1 15 oz can of white beans, drained and rinsed
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups bread crumbs, split into 1 cup and 1/4 cup

FOR CHARD:

• 5 stalks chard, removed from ribs and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt

FOR SUBS:

• 1 25 oz jar of your favorite red sauce (We love Jar Goods sauces) (click to order spicy red, classic red or vodka sauce)
• sub rolls
• parsley and chili flake for sprinkling

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat a large skillet or cast iron pot oven medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil and onion and cook for five minutes. Next add garlic and mushrooms and cook for another two minutes. Stir in oregano, salt, pepper, and chili flake. Add white beans and lemon juice and stir, let the mixture cook for 1 more minute.

Add the white bean mushroom mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture comes together. Pour in the parsley and 1 cup of bread crumbs and pulse a few more times until the mixture is well combined. Let the mixture sit for five minutes so the bread crumbs absorb some of the white bean mushroom mixture.

Meanwhile add remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper, chili flakes, and parsley to a bowl. Take a 1 tbs scoops of the 'meatball' mixture and roll it into a ball in your hands. Roll it around in the bowl of seasoned bread crumbs and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until there is no 'meatball' mixture remaining.

Bake the 'meatballs' for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes flip them for even browning and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.

While the 'meatballs' are baking, prepare the chard. Heat a few tsp of olive oil over medium heat in the same pot or skillet you cooked the 'meatball' mixture. Add garlic and salt and cook for 1 minute. Pour the garlic oil over the chopped chard and massage. Set aside.

Add a jar of red sauce to the same pot you cooked the garlic in and heat over low heat. When the 'meatballs' are cooked, place them in the warm marinara sauce.

Place chard in toasted buns and top with meatballs, parsley, and chili flake. Enjoy!