chickpea meatballs au vin
You can take the coq out of the balls, but you can’t take the balls out of the coq. You know?
Ok, I’M SORRY, ENOUGH PHALLIC JOKES. But honestly, can I make meatballs without referencing balls and related anatomical parts at least once?
Anywho. Christmas approaches and that means a dive into a potential menu is in order, and I think these meatballs are fancy enough to make the final cut on your holiday table. Based off the incredible flavor combinations of French Coq au Vin, these Chickpea Meatballs Au Vin are a gratifying substitute for those of us chickenless folks. Tender chickpea meatballs braised in a rich red wine sauce, spiffed up with carrots and mushrooms and a bit of cranberry juice for an even deeper flavor. A perfect dinner for a cold, blustery night.
And the potatoes? Lush. I used my omnipresent Stovetop Herb Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes, as I do most nights we’re craving taters. Highly recommend. Potatoes aside, the meatballs whip up pretty quickly and in one skillet. You should be able to make them in a good deal less than an hour. Sweet deal, huh?
Don’t Drop the Balls
If you’ve made my chickpea meatballs before, this recipe doesn’t deviate much from the OG in my sage parmesan meatballs. Mix everything up in a food processor until the batter is cohesive, but it can still be a bit chunky. I like a little texture in my balls.
Oil your hands a bit and roll them up. Heat a little oil in the skillet you intend to use for the dish and sear the balls until nice and browned on all sides. I turn them about every 60-90 seconds since they fry up pretty quickly. Once they’re golden, move onto a plate.
Cooking with Wine (Drink It, Too)
Biggest reason you should cook with a wine you like is then you can pour yourself a glass and swig it while you fling some tongs around.
The red wine sauce is pretty easy and much quicker than if you used chicken in this recipe, since chicken takes a long time to simmer down and meatballs do not. Start out with a bit of butter and some garlic, shallots, and thyme. That smell, though. Then roll in some tomato paste, toss in mushrooms and carrots, and pour in that red wine and some cranberry juice. The cranberry juice is such a nice touch, really pulls forward the wine’s unique flavor profiles.
While you’re at it, top off your own wine glass and sip while the sauce simmers. 10 minutes does the trick, though if you have longer, go for it. The longer it cooks, the more intense the taste.
Before adding the meatballs back, make a cornstarch slurry and pour it into the sauce. This will thicken the whole affair up so it coats the meatballs really nicely. Once you’ve stirred the starch around a bit and the sauce tightens up, set the meatballs back in the pan and baste for a few minutes to coat each nook and cranny. At this point, I lower the heat so the meatballs don’t stick at all to the pan or overcook.
The house smells incredible as this dish simmers away. What’s even more incredible is when you get to eats it. Yahoo! Whip up those mashed potatoes or a pot of creamy polenta, divvy up the meatballs, and be sure to pour plenty of sauce over your portion. It’s the best part, after all.
Leftovers keep very well for about 5 days. I’d argue the sauce tastes even more amazing the longer it sits. I like to steam some green beans or broccoli for each portion. Simple enough, but a little green doesn’t hurt.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Meat-ballin’:
Garlic Butter Chickpea Meatballs with Wild Rice Pilaf
Mango Curry Chickpea Meatballs
Weeknight Sticky Sesame Jalapeño Chickpea Meatballs
chickpea meatballs au vin
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary sprigs
- 8 sage leaves
- 1/2 yellow onion, quartered
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup cremini/baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- mashed potatoes or polenta, to serve
Instructions
- To make the meatballs: combine the chickpeas, walnuts, breadcrumbs, parmesan, 4 cloves of garlic, the egg, rosemary, sage, onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until cohesive but not totally smooth. Oil your hands and roll into balls – you will get anywhere from 12-16 depending on the size of balls you prefer.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Sear the meatballs for 8-10 minutes, turning frequently until all sides are lightly browned. Move to a plate.
- Melt the butter in the same skillet and stir in the remaining 4 cloves of garlic, shallots, and thyme until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Swirl in the tomato paste, then stir in the mushrooms and carrots.
- Pour in the wine and cranberry juice. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry and pour into the red wine sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes longer.
- Add the meatballs back into the pan and baste with the sauce until nicely coated. Divide into bowls of mashed potatoes or polenta. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or thyme sprigs and serve!
