Vegan cauliflower meatballs with strawberry bbq sauce

I am a big fan of the recipes created by accident in just a few seconds. And it is even better when they are based on those few last ingredients in your fridge that you still have to use before going shopping again. And I must admit that I even prefer to have those last few products that I have to use than a fully packed fridge with a lot of possibilities.

So on the day that I was preparing these meatballs for the first time, I also realized that I had lent my blender… That situation forced me to think in a non-standard way (what to do? Cooking without a blender is like cooking without a hand!) and adapt the recipe that had popped up in my mind. I was kind of lucky of not having a blender that day and using a simple grater. Now, when I’m preparing these meatballs, I don’t use a blender anymore, and thanks to that I can enjoy that amazing cauliflower meatball structure.

The cauliflower meatballs prepared in this way with strawberry sauce are perfect as a snack or a light lunch. However, I recommend serving them as a summer dinner: with new potatoes, dill, and some seasonal veggies. Although, I have to admit that a rustic hot dog with lots of sauce, crispy lettuce leaves and roasted onions is also a good choice.


Vegan cauliflower meatballs
  • 2 cups of grated raw cauliflower (around a half of a small cauliflower)
  • 1 smoked tofu (170g)
  • 6 full tbsp of chickpea flour
  • 2 tsp of ground allspice
  • 2 flat tsp of salt
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp of pepper (freshly ground will be best)
  • 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil
  • 2 tbsp of water
  • Rapeseed oil for frying the meatballs

  1. Grate the cauliflower coarsely. It’s also a good way to use the cauliflower stem – it’s easy to grate and also works very well here.

  2. Put small cauliflower pieces in a larger bowl.Grate the smoked tofu in the same way and add it to the cauliflower.Grind allspice (you can use a coffee grinder or a mortar) and add all the remaining ingredients to the cauliflower and tofu.

  3. Mix thoroughly, set aside for three minutes.With wet hands, roll small meatballs. Don’t worry if everything seems too wet – chickpea flour will soak up the extra moisture during frying and everything will be fine.In a small pan filled with at least one-centimeter layer of hot oil, fry the meatballs for 4/5 minutes. Roll them around from time to time to make them beautifully brown and crispy on each side.


Strawberry BBQ sauce

For a small jar of sauce

  • 300g chopped strawberries
  • 1 small red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil
  • 2 tbsp of sugar
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 2 tbsp of soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp of dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp of hot pepper or two pinches of chilli
  • 1/2 tsp of cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp of smoked paprika

  1. Chop the red onion and garlic into smaller pieces, cut the strawberries without stalks into quarters.

  2. Heat a tablespoon of oil at the bottom of a pot, fry the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes. Then add the strawberries, sugar, salt and simmer in a covered pot for 5 minutes.

  3. Add the remaining ingredients, except for smoked paprika. Simmer uncovered for 2 minutes.

  4. Blend the sauce, depending on your preferences – you can thicken it by heating it in a pot for a few more minutes. The sauce will also thicken slightly after cooling.

  5. Add the smoked paprika at the very end. I recommend doing this at this stage to preserve its rich, smoky aroma.

Still hungry?