Tomatensoep met Balletjes (Belgian Tomatosoup with Vegan Meat Balls) – gluten-free
The final recipe in our 1-week Belgian cuisine veganizing challenge is a fine tomato soup brimming with flavor and accompanied by scrumptious vegan meatballs! I adore how the curry-infused meatballs complement the sweet and sour tomato soup. The texture of the meatballs turned out perfectly. We hope you enjoy this recipe and that our Belgian week has been a helpful experience for you too.
Thank you for joining us on this culinary adventure, and we look forward to sharing more delicious vegan recipes with you soon!
Tomatensoep met Balletjes (Belgian Tomato soup with Vegan Meat balls) – gluten-free
In Belgium, a typical Tomatensoup comes with some nice meat balls. We have veganized this dish to an onion- and garlic-free version to be enjoyed with a freshly made bread.
Equipment
- 1 food processor or immersion blender
Ingredients
For the vegan meat balls
- 3/4 cup soy granules soaked in hot water
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp curry powder
- salt and pepper
- 5 tbsp cornstarch
- oat flour optional
For the soup
- 5 very ripe tomatos
- 1 medium carrot
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 – 1 cup tomato purée
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp cane sugar or natural sweetener of choice
- salt and pepper
- water
- some fresh basil for decoration
Instructions
Prepare the vegan meat balls
- Drain well the soy granules and squeeze out the excess liquid. In a food processor or immersion blender, blend well the soy granules, tomato paste, mustard and spices.
- Transfer the mixture into a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cornstarch and knead the mixture with your hands. Let rest for approximately 5 minutes.
- From the mixture, start to form small balls. If it feels too sticky, add some oat flour. It should not taste too much like flour though. So 3 to max. 5 tbsp should be fine.
- In a non-sticking pan, fry the balls in a few tablespoons of oil until golden brown. Roll them from side to side to make sure they get evenly fried. Tipp: For an oil- free version, you can bake the balls in the oven preheated to 180 degrees. I recommend placing them on a rack lined with baking paper.
Prepare the soup
- In a pot, bring water to a boil. Let the tomatos drop into the water and boil on low heat until the skin breaks open (not longer than 30 seconds). Take the tomatos out of the water and let them cool down a little.
- Peel and cut the carrot into 0,5 cm cubes.
- Punch into the flesh of the tomatos with a fork to keep them in place and remove the peel with a knife. Cut the tomatos in small pieces.
- In a pot, fry the tomato pieces in the oil for a few minutes, stirring to prevent them from burning. Add the carrot, keep frying and stirring for a few minutes.
- Add the 3/4 cup of tomato purée (or 1 cup for an intense tomato flavor) and adjust the consistency of the soup to your taste with some water. Add the parsley, cane sugar and season to taste. Cover with a lid and cook the soup on low to medium heat for approximately 10 minutes or until the carrots are soft.
- Place the balls in 4 bowls, pour equal portions of the Tomatensoep on them, garnish with the basil and serve with (homemade) bread.