baked french onion chickpea meatballs

So, yeah. Couldn’t wait until September to flash these balls on the web.

It has been awhile since I’ve shared a “meatball” recipe. Quite frankly, I’ve missed them. My chickpea meatballs are one of my proudest creations as a quasi-food person on the Internet. The basic formula is quite diverse and adapts beautifully to a variety of cuisine’s flavors…including, as I learned the other day, French.

This is a decadent treat of a supper. Most of you know that I’ve averted my eyes to cooking a whole lot this summer; it’s been too hot and I’ve been too unmotivated to pursue most recipes involving an oven. Here, though, I made an exception. In part because I have this delusional thought that making autumnal foods will usher in fall feels more quickly, in part because I’ve been itching to make French onion meatballs since last year, and the third part because I had time for a more extensive undertaking.

And ya’ll, I tell you, these were worth the increased house temperature and the extra time.

If you’re in general also not into cooking right now, at least bookmark these for cooler days, for Thanksgiving, and beyond. They are so good. Crisp vegetarian meatballs hinted with warm sage and oregano and a touch of gruyere, baked in a sultry onion sauce with lots of cheese melted atop. Unf. I cannot wait to dig into the leftovers tonight for dinner.

Touch My Balls

You might think, oh no, this post is just gonna be jokes about balls. You, sir, are absolutely correct.

The balls are your ticket to French onion happiness. If you’ve made them before, the base is the same, but the juice of the recipe is a bit of fresh oregano, sage, and shredded gruyere cheese. Gives each sphere a cozy French kiss.

In your food processor, whip a can of drained chickpeas with walnuts, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, and the gruyere – this combination is the heft and what helps the meatballs adhere – along with the herbs and some garlic. Don’t forget salt and pepper. The batter should be coarse and slightly crumbly, but will hold together when squished into a ball.

Note: if you’re allergic to walnuts, another nut like pecans or almonds works. If you use a seed, like pumpkin seeds, halve the amount called for in the recipe card.

Oil your hands (helpful to prevent stickage) and roll into balls. You’ll get around 14-16 depending on whether you’re overcompensating or not. Place the balls and pop the balls in the fridge for a bit to firm up.

When you’re ready to roll, heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a big cast iron skillet. Set the balls in the oil and sear for 8-10 minutes, turning every minute or so to brown all sides. Chickpea balls are not true meatballs, so they are more tender. I like to use a pair of soft-sided tongs or a wooden spoon to turn them and prevent any breakage.

When they’re nicely cooked up, move off to a plate. Heat the oven to 425 degrees while you’re at it.

Onions Make You W(h)ine

Well, here they do. Usually they just make you cry.

In the same skillet in which you cooked the meatballs, start the onions. This caramelizing process is a bit more truncated since we cook the onions and a slightly higher heat, rather than the super low and slow method touted by most caramelized onion purists. Wanted to keep the authentic flavors while also making this more time-accessible for many of ya’ll busy peeps.

Melt some butter in the pan, then chuck in the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and pepper to boot. Stir these around every so often for about 10 minutes, then begin pouring in the wine. I do this in three turns, letting the wine cooked down in between, to help ease the caramelization along while making sure each tendril of onion is infused with the winey flavor.

After this 20-25 minutes of easing the onions into their jammy final form, stir in some oregano and garlic, then a bit of flour to help thicken the sauce. Pour in your broth hereafter. I use either a vegetarian beef broth or an onion-based broth, but if you’re not vegetarian/pescatarian you can use a regular ole beef bouillon. Simmer this down until the sauce thickens around the onions.

Groo-yay? Groo-air? Groo-eer?

I could write a novel about the different pronunciations I’ve heard of gruyere. Most folks just give up and say groo then falter into a void of pronounced nothingness.

The final step of our French balls is to stick the balls back into the sauce, then sprinkle with cheese. I had some mozzarella in my fridge I wanted to use, so I added this to my shredded gruyere. Push the skillet into the oven for a bit just to melt the cheese down.

Then, all your hard work is paid off. It’s time to EAT THIS SHIT.

Mashed potatoes, crusty bread, even a pasta like orzo are excellent accompaniments. I always sprinkle some fresh herbs overtop, too, because I’m a big fan of a little greenery.

A salad or steamed broccoli is always a good idea, or whatever veg you prefer.

A word on gruyere: if you can’t find it or don’t want to spend the money – gruyere can come with a heftier price tag than most common cheeses – a good Swiss is the best substitute. You can use all mozzarella, too, if you’re in a big pinch, but I’d be hesitant to call it French onion if you took this route. Only resort to mozz if you’re in an emergency and you need balls nooooow!

Now, who’s ready for autumn? Show of hands?

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to comes say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

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