If you’re looking to get more vegetables into your diet, then this plant-based recipe is an easy way to do so.
Using beetroot, aubergine, greens and tahini quinoa, there’s plenty of nutritional ingredients included in this delicious offering.
It serves up two to three portions and could easily make for a filling dinner, or the perfect side at a dinner party or gathering.
Created by the team at Grubby, a plant-based recipe box firm, this is just one of many recipes you can try out this weekend.
Beetroot beanballs, aubergine, greens and tahini quinoa
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
- 1 aubergine
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 25g pumpkin seeds
- 1 red onion
- 250g beetroot
- 1 tin mixed beans
- 300g quinoa
- 1 cube veg stock
- 70g spinach
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 ½ tbsp agave syrup
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Chop the aubergine into 3 cm chunks, toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven at 150C Fan/170C/325F/ Gas Mark 3 for 20-25 minutes until soft.
- Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a high heat and toast the pumpkin seeds for two minutes until popping and golden.
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the same frying pan used for the seeds over a medium heat.
- Finely dice the red onion and fry for 5-6 minutes until softened. Peel and finely grate the beetroot and add to the frying pan along with the drained and rinsed mixed beans.
- Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and fry for five more minutes.
- Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa according to packet instructions, and cover with boiling water in a medium saucepan and crumble in the veg stock cube.
Simmer for 10-12 minutes until tender. - Remove the frying pan from the heat once the beetroot is soft and mash the beans and beetroot together with the back of the wooden spoon or a masher until you have a rough paste.
- Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, leave the mix to cool on a plate and wipe out the pan.
To make the sauce:
- In a bowl mix the tahini with the agave syrup, the lemon juice, water and olive oil.
- Stir until you have a smooth creamy consistency, add more water if you need.
- Next, using your hands, shape the warm beetroot bean mix into small 2cm round balls and fry on a high heat in a tablespoon of olive oil for 2-3 minutes to crisp up.
- Once the quinoa is cooked, remove from the heat, drain and stir in the spinach and roasted aubergine from the oven.
- Serve the beetroot balls on a bed of the aubergine quinoa, lots of tahini dressing and toasted pumpkin seeds.