Check out these low FODMAP and vegan veggie balls. An easy and delicious plant-based recipe packed full of nutrients. And ready in 30 minutes!
The inspiration for these low FODMAP Vegetable Balls came from … Ikea! I’ve always wanted to create a plant-based meatballs recipe. And everytime I thought of doing so, I remembered the flavor of the famous Swedish vegetarian balls that I love but can no longer eat!
What’s in these low FODMAP vegetable balls?
At first, a low FODMAP version of Ikea’s famous veggie balls seemed like an impossible task! If we analyze its ingredients, we see foods with a high FODMAP content. Besides onion powder, the original Ikea recipe has chickpeas, peas and corn.
We can actually tolerate a bigger amount of pulses and cereals if they’re canned. It’s therefore possible to make these low FODMAP vegetarian balls with canned chickpeas, and a small amount of canned corn kernels and peas. Carrots and red peppers are also ingredients of the original recipe and are well tolerated in the 1st phase of the diet. Instead of kale, which is low FODMAP, I opted for spinach to make the recipe quicker and easier to make.
Are they vegan?
Yes! Ikea’s vegetable balls are vegan-friendly, as they have no animal products. They also contain pea protein and yeast extract. For today’s recipe, I chose to add nutritional yeast, which is optional, but important for vegans and flexitarians. Nutritional yeast is rich in B vitamins, proteins, minerals, fibers and antioxidants.
To replace eggs (a binder that maintains the shape of the balls) just put them in fridge for a few minutes. This way they will hold their shape and won’t crumble when sautéing.
Are these vegetable balls 100% safe?
We’ve calculated all the ingredients to ensure that they are 100% safe for the first phase of the Low FODMAP Diet. Like all the recipes on the blog, this one was reviewed and approved by Monash certified dietitian Sandra Rosmaninho Almeida.
These low FODMAP vegetable balls are delicious, very easy to make and are ready in half an hour! Their taste is so similar to the original, that it will be difficult to distinguish them! Tempted?
Low FODMAP Vegetable Balls
Ingredients
- 5.29 oz | 150g canned chickpeas
- 2.64 oz | 75g canned corn kernels
- 1 oz | 30g canned peas
- 5.29 oz | 150g carrots
- 5 tbsp olive oil divided
- 2.64 oz | 75g red bell peppers cubed
- 2.64 oz | 75g spinach
- 1 tbsp parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- Pinch of back pepper
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
- 5.29 oz | 150g cornstarch or any low FODMAP flour (rice four works well)
Instructions
- Weigh, rinse well and drain the canned chickpeas, corn and peas. Set aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and sauté the red pepper until soft; about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté for 3 minutes or until wilted. Set aside.
- Pulse the carrots on a food processor or blender until you get a shredded texture. Add sautéed vegetables, chickpeas, corn, peas, parsley, salt, turmeric, black pepper and nutritional yeast - optional. Pulse until you get a mixture with visible pieces of vegetables. Avoid turning it into puree.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the cornstarch, mixing well with a spatula. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to solidify.
- Make balls with your hands dusted with flour, and sauté them in the same pan with 4 tablespoons of heated oil, until you get golden balls; 3 to 5 minutes.
- Drain on paper towel before serving.
Notes
- canned chickpeas - 1.48oz | 42g (GOS)
- canned corn kernels - 2.64oz |75g (fructans)
- canned peas - 1.58oz | 45g (GOS).
- normal spinach does not contain any FODMAP. Baby spinach does, and the recommended dose is 2.64oz | 75g.
These look great! Can I ask if it’s possible to add pea protein to veggie balls somehow?
Thank you 🙂 yes you can as long as it’s hydrolyzed, otherwhise it won’t be low fodmap.