Quinoa Balls

If you love quinoa, then this recipe for quinoa balls is a must-try! You’ll love its crispy texture, plus it’s protein-rich! 

Quinoa has been super trendy in the food community, especially when it comes to vegans – and it’s no wonder why! However, most people believe quinoa is a type of grass when it’s actually not! You might call quinoa a pseudocereal because it resembles those so much.

Quinoa seeds are super tasty and have tons of benefits. They’re rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, and, last but not least, they’re full of protein – which pretty much explains why all the vegans are so hyped about them! Believe me, it’s hard to find one of those “What I Eat in a Day” YouTube videos that don’t contain quinoa at least for one meal…

Now let’s get to the point of this article: quinoa balls! 🙂 I’ll always love a quick, healthy recipe. So I tried this one, one day when I was out of inspiration. And oh boy, did it surprise me!

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These quinoa balls turned out crispy on the outside, hearty and full of flavor. I just couldn’t get enough of them! And I couldn’t believe how little time they took for how pretty and delicious they were. Not to mention that I’ll always be a sucker for food that’s eaten with a sauce – I just love it – and these ones do the job properly thanks to the coconut dip.

So how can you make them?

First of all, you obviously need to cook the quinoa. This should take almost no effort. And if you like handy tricks, soak the seeds in water the night before – this should halve their cooking time and speed things up even more! 😉

To make these balls you’re going to need a bowl and a bunch of your favorite ingredients. You’ll obviously have to keep quinoa as a base and build on top of that. Veggies are a must in this combination, and you’ll want to have them finely chopped. Red and yellow peppers, onions, cauliflower, and carrots would all be great options. You will then need a bunch of seasonings such as salt, paprika or garlic powder.

Don’t go overboard with the spiciness factor, though, as these quinoa balls must be eaten together with the yummy coconut dip! It goes amazingly well and it will be the “kick” that’s going to give this recipe the best flavor. If you are a fan of spicy food, another alternative is to make a Sriracha-mayo sauce – it’s just as delicious!

Use a spoon or an ice cream scoop to make sure your balls are evenly sized. You can make them as small or as large as you’d like. I prefer them small as they look incredibly cute on a party platter and are easier to pop into your mouth and devour in just one bite. You can make bigger ones for sandwiches, to use instead of falafel, for example.

You have two options when cooking the balls: frying or baking. Baking would be the healthier one, as there’s not nearly enough oil involved, but deep-frying gives the balls that over-the-top crunchiness which, let’s face it, turns every party food into an addiction.

Now, what would quinoa balls be without a sauce or a dip? Exactly! 🙂 They simply wouldn’t be that good! The sauce takes them to a whole different level, as it reveals new flavors. So please don’t skip on it as it’s incredibly easy to prepare! You’ll just have to mix coconut yogurt with tahini, garlic powder, and some salt. Yep, that’s about it.

You can go further and season your sauce if you’d like to, though you’ll always have to keep in mind the fact that the sauce should complement the balls perfectly. So don’t make it too crazy!

These quinoa balls with coconut dip are the perfect vegan appetizer. They’re amazing for movie night, game night, and most of all, I believe, for barbeque parties, where vegans usually feel left out. Well, do that no more! These are very in tune with the whole barbeque atmosphere, especially with the sauce and all, so I’m sure even the most avid meat lover is going to enjoy them tremendously.

Besides that, they’re a pretty versatile snack – you can use them in multiple ways. Add them on top of salads for a boost of nutrition and protein, put them inside tortillas for a healthy wrap, and even use them when making pasta. You can serve them hot or cold, they’re amazing both ways!

So, did I manage to catch your attention? If yes, make sure to try cooking these, then share them with your loved ones. And don’t forget to tell me their opinion about them as well! 🙂

Quinoa Balls

 

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup Cannellini beans, drained, rinsed & mashed
• ⅓ cup broccoli florets
• ⅓ cup carrots, cooked
• ⅓ bell peppers, sliced
• 2 Tbsp Rice flour or chickpea flour
• 1 Tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp dry dill
• 1 Tbsp Italian mix herb
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp black ground pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• For the coconut dip:
• ½ cup tahini
• ¼ tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ½ cup coconut yogurt
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions.
2. Add the mashed beans, broccoli, carrots and bell peppers in your food processor. Blend until well-incorporated.
3. Remove it in a mixing bowl.
4. Add in the cooked quinoa, salt, pepper, Italian herbs, dill, sesame seeds, and rice flour. Mix together with your hands.
5. Once mixed thoroughly, form the balls using the quinoa mixture, about one tablespoon for each. Set aside.
6. In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
7. Begin adding the quinoa balls to the pan and cook until golden and crisp on all edges.
8. To make the dip, mix all dip ingredients until incorporated.
9. Serve the quinoa balls with tahini coconut dip and pesto sauce.

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