Easy-to-make Quinoa And Chickpea Meatballs
Quinoa and chickpea meatballs are a nutritious and light dish that can also be enjoyed by non-meat eaters , because this dish does not contain any food of animal origin.
Are you looking for recipes to replace meat? Want to enjoy a more nutritious and filling breakfast? If your answers are yes, find out how to make delicious quinoa and chickpea balls. It’s a light, easy-to-prepare dish that you can include in your diet.
Quinoa and chickpeas are distinguished by their high content of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In addition, both foods are low in calories and are an important source of energy. Best of all, they’re versatile and can be added to many dishes.
Nutritional properties
Quinoa contributions
Quinoa is classified as a “super food” because of its nutritional properties. It is a gluten-free pseudo-cereal that also provides significant amounts of protein, vitamin E, and carbohydrates. The other nutrients contained in these seeds are:
- Vitamin B complex
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Match
- Folate
- Iron
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Fats, including omega 3 fatty acids
- Fiber
Contributions of chickpeas
Chickpeas are legumes that are well known around the world. Although their popularity is recent, they have been cultivated in Middle Eastern countries for thousands of years. Currently, they are appreciated for their high nutritional value, because it is an important source of:
- Vitamin B complex
- Vitamin E
- Protein
- Folic acid
- Potassium
- Match
- Manganese
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Healthy fats
- Fiber
Quinoa and chickpea balls
After considering the properties of these foods, it’s time to learn how to make the delicious quinoa and chickpea balls. Without a doubt, it is a nutritious dish that you can add to your diet with no regrets. Let’s go!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cooked chickpeas (200 g)
- A clove of garlic
- 1 cup of cooked quinoa (200 g)
- 1 piece of finely chopped red pepper
- 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (100 g)
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (15 ml)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (40 g)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of pepper
Ingredients for the sauce
- 4 pieces of tomato
- A clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of onion (40 g)
- 1 piece of cooked carrot
- 1 cup of vegetable broth (250 ml)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (30 ml)
Preparation of quinoa and chickpea balls
- To start, cook the chickpeas until tender.
- Then add the cooked chickpeas and a clove of garlic in a food processor.
- Mix until you get a puree. Then add a little salt and pepper. Booking.
- In another bowl, cook the quinoa.
- Then add the mashed chickpeas to a deep bowl and mix it with the quinoa, red pepper, breadcrumbs, soy sauce and cilantro.
- Make sure you turn everything into a smooth, supple dough. Then put the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- After the recommended time, take pieces of dough and form the dumplings.
- Then prepare the sauce by mixing the tomato, garlic, onion, carrot and a cup of vegetable broth.
- Process everything until it is well integrated and transfer it to a saucepan previously heated with olive oil.
- Let the sauce thicken for a few minutes and add the meatballs.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the meatballs are ready.
- Finally, serve with brown rice or a salad.
Interesting facts about quinoa and chickpea dumplings
Due to its healthy combination of ingredients, these delicious meatballs are 100% cholesterol free. In addition, the final preparation provides only 396 calories. Of course, the amount of calories varies depending on the side dish.
If you want to keep the concept of a healthy dish, try choosing healthy options like vegetable salads, brown rice, or vegetable cream. The meatballs can be eaten at lunchtime, as a substitute for meat. However, if you prefer, they are also a good option for dinner.
Here we share more nutritional information about this dish:
- Carbohydrates: 5 g or 23% of the recommended daily allowance (RDI).
- Proteins: 3g or 35% of the RDA.
- Fat: 3 g or 9.6% of the RDI.
- Dietary fiber: 3g or 23% of the RDA.
Have you ever tried quinoa and chickpea balls? If you do not include them in your regular diet yet, do not hesitate to follow this recipe. As you can see, they are easy to prepare and above all very nutritious.
