This vegan meatball sub is the ultimate comfort food! It’s filled with protein, has hidden veggies and is easy to freeze and pull out for those busy nights!
This recipe was originally published on 7/21/14
I love a good freezer meal. Especially one that’s stretchy pants worthy. And this vegan meatball sub is exactly that with a bonus of healthy. Kinda living the dream over here.
Vegan Meatball Sub Sandwich
The key to this beauty is what’s inside. And lucky for you I have the perfect vegan meatball recipe! They are texture perfection and you will most likely shove at least one in your mouth while building this sandwich.
Along with the vegan meatballs, you need some good toppings for the perfect vegan meatball sub. You don’t want a boring sandwich, because that is just a waste of calories.
Toppings for the perfect vegan meatball sub
There are many options and ways to change up this recipe, but I’m a traditional girl at heart so here are my favorite toppings:
- sautéed kale marinara- exactly what it sounds like, see the directions for making this
- vegan parmesan– yes, it exists and it’s incredible
- store bought vegan cheese
- vegan cream sauce
- vegan cheese sauce
- fresh parsley
Tips for prepping a vegan meatball sub
The best thing about this meal is that it’s easy to prep ahead for a quick dinner. Here are my best tips for making easy meals your specialty:
- Prep the vegan meatballs over the weekend and freeze.
- You can freeze them raw or cooked, if you have some time to bake, then freeze them raw. If you want super quick and are okay compromising on texture a bit then freeze them baked.
- When you are ready to use, defrost the morning of until room temp then bake or warm in the oven if you froze them baked already.
- To prevent freezer burn, wrap in parchment then foil. Then put in a ziploc freezer bag or airtight container.
- Prep the marinara ahead too and keep in fridge if using that week or freeze for later use.
- Double the marinara recipe and freeze in small portions to pull out when needed.
- Prep any toppings you will be using.
Can I make vegan meatballs in bulk?
You absolutely can, but here is what I will warn you about…depending on the size of your food processor, you may want to make multiple batches.
If you overstuff your processor, then the ingredients won’t be able to move around enough and you will end up with the bottom pureeing into paste and the top still chunky.
What can I serve with a vegan meatball sub?
While this vegan meatball sub is perfect all on it’s own, it’s always fun to serve them with a side! Here are some of our favorite matches for this droolworthy meal:
- Eggplant Fries
- Oven Baked French Fries
- Baked Onion Rings
- Parmesan Potato Chip Rounds
- Asparagus Fries
- Curly Fries
- Kabocha Squash Chips
- Vegan Caesar Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Vegan Macaroni Salad
How to Make a Vegan Meatball Sub
The bulk of this recipe is the prep. If you prep everything ahead of time, it takes mere minutes to put it together!
- Prep the vegan meatballs
- Make the sauce
- Build the subs
- Devour!
Vegan Meatball Sub Sandwich
Ingredients
- vegan meatballs recipe , you may have a few left over
- 2 cups marinara , homemade or store bought
- 2 cups chopped kale
- a drizzle of your favorite oil for sauteing veggies ,or veggie broth if not using oil
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 5 hot dog buns or sub sandwich rolls , gluten free if needed
Optional toppings:
- vegan parmesan
- store bought vegan cheese
- vegan cream sauce
- vegan cheese sauce
Instructions
- Saute kale and garlic in a pan using oil or veggie broth until wilted. Add marinara and cook until warmed throughout.
- Assemble sandwiches by toasting buns and placing 3 beanballs in each bun.
- Top with marinara/kale mixture and any other toppings you like!
- Devour!
Notes
- Freeze any extra meatballs or double the recipe and freeze for later.
- You can use any marinara sauce you like, but homemade is always my favorite.
- You can also sub another green for kale, such as spinach or chard.
- The nutrition facts do not include the optional toppings.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Emily Kemp says
The ultimate comfort food, love this!
Ashley says
Great recipe! Since I eat egg I just used 1 egg in the recipe for the whole batch of lentil ball instead of the flax and it worked great!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much Ashley! Glad you found a way to make this work for you!
Mason says
Great recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much! Let me know when you do!
The Vegan 8 says
OMG this looks amazinggggggg!! I make a lentil and rice ball recipe that I never got around to posting, just like you, I jump from idea to idea and my kitchen is constant chaos!! I’m printing this out! I think my hubby would just go wild over it. Can’t wait!!
veggiesdontbite says
Ah, thank you so much! They are a huge hit with my hubby for sure. Plus it’s easy to make a bunch of the beanballs and sauce and freeze for future use. Makes for really quick but healthy dinners on those busy nights! My toddlers love them too! I make little beanballs for them and let them use toothpicks to dip in the sauce. They love it! Oh and your lentil and rice balls sound delicious!!
Dina says
It looks Yummy and healthy!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you! It is the same recipe as the burgers I gave you 🙂
Ana says
Beanball Panini? Inspired!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you! The kids loved it!