sticky basil peach meatball bowls

A perfect vegetarian bowl of balls for busy weeknights and peachy cravings.

I’m sitting here trying to form words and all my brain wants to do is distract me with idle chatter. Oh hey, you have to pee. Your water glass is too low. Probably why you have to pee. You gonna do anything about that water glass? You’re probably dehydrated. So you should go pee and check your hydration level.

Shut the fuck up, brain, I’m trying to be productive here.

It took me about 35 minutes to write those three paragraphs. Just a fun fact.

Basically, what I’m saying is the in the time it took me to form sentences, you can have dinner done. Sticky Basil Peach Meatball Bowls are fast, colorful, and completely tasty, with a bevy of sweet and savory flavors mingling together. Dump a few balls over a steaming pile of rice, spoon over a simple cucumber salad, and dive in with your chopsticks or fork. You’ll probably eat the whole thing in a shorter duration than the prep process.

Have I convinced you yet? Good. Let’s put on our big boy mitts and swing some spatulas.

Oh, Balls

Just like in my Sticky Sesame Jalapeno Chickpea Meatballs, the batter comprises a mix of chickpeas, egg, and breadcrumbs. To this dough I add lots of fresh basil, garlic, and ginger, for a big pop of flavor that’s tasty alone even before adding the sauce.

I chose to skillet sear the meatballs for a lovely crisp. Give them 10-12 minutes, flipping them every few minutes to crisp up all the sides. Monitor the heat in your skillet to make sure nothing burns.

You’re a Peach

Oh stop it, header, you’re making me blush.

Once the meatballs are in their final few minutes, mix up the sauce, which is simply soy, peach jam, rice vinegar, and a bit of water. Pour straight into the skillet with the meatballs and simmer until slightly thickened.

Then, whisk together cornstarch and water to make a slurry, and add to the pan. Toss around gently until the sauce thickens and creates and glossy coating around the meatballs. Though tempting, do not stick your finger into the hot skillet to taste test.

I complete each bowl with a cucumber, peach and corn salad dressed in honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. Nothing fancy, but a nourishing addition to sneak in some extra antioxidants.

If you’d like to make this meal entirely vegan, switch out the regular egg with a flax egg. I find an extra couple tablespoon of breadcrumbs helps adhere the meatballs better in this case, since the flax egg doesn’t bind *quite* as well as a regular egg in my experience. Might be a question of Florida’s humidity at play, too.

I serve up the meatballs with steamed jasmine rice and extra basil, as well as some chopped green onions. Lots of fresh shit does this dish justice. Also worth nothing that the amount of meatballs you get from this recipe depends on how big you make them. If you megasize the balls (teehee), you might only get 8. Tiny, 14. I managed 12 at about an inch in diameter.

Grab dinner by the balls tonight, people.

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

sticky basil peach chickpea meatball bowls

Juicy, saucy, covered in a sweet and sticky, peachy sauce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 green onions, trimmed
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 cup good-quality peach jam
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp corn starch, divided
• steamed rice, chopped basil, sesame seeds, and green onions, to serve

spicy cucumber peach salad

• 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
• 1 large peach, diced
• 1/2 cup corn, canned or frozen
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp sesame oil 1
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

 

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas, egg, breadcrumbs, basil, ginger, garlic, green onions, sesame seeds, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Pulse until a smooth, not sticky, dough forms. If the dough seems too tacky, add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon corn starch onto a large plate. Roll the chickpea batter into 1-inch balls. You may get anywhere from 10-14 depending on the size you choose. Toss the meatballs into the cornstarch to coat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil in a skillet over medium. Add the meatballs, being careful not to crowd the pan. Sear 10-12 minutes, turning every few to crisp up all sides.
• In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy sauce, the peach jam, rice vinegar, and 1/4 cup water. Pour into the skillet with the meatballs and simmer 4-5 minutes. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon corn starch with 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry. Pour into the pan and simmer 2-3 minutes longer until the sauce coats the meatballs.
• To make the cucumber peach salad: lay out the sliced cucumbers and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 5 minutes, then pat the excess water off. Whisk the honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds in the bottom of a bowl. Toss with the cucumbers, peaches, and corn.
• Divide the meatballs and salad into bowls of rice. Top with chopped basil, sesame seeds, and green onions, as desired.

Notes

*For vegan: Replace the egg with a flax egg: 1 tablespoon flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons hot water. Let sit for 15 minutes, then make the meatballs as directed.

Keyword asian, bowl, chickpeas, meatballs, peach, rice, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight dinner