Vegan Meatball Subs

The BEST Vegan Meatball Subs! Loaded with beans, Italian spices, and marinara on a toasty bun. Vegan, gluten-free, and kid-friendly!

Ohhhhhh the hours I poured over naming this beaut.

Bean Balls. Bean Ball Subs. Mushroom Meatball Sandwiches. Vegan Paleo Meatless Meaty Meatball Sub Sandwiches. What?

The bottom line is that I made you meatless balls because I love you and I love anything that’s a vehicle for marinara sauce atop a toasty bun. You know my Easy Vegan Lasagna is the best thing since sliced bread. I’m the girl that asks for a side of tomato sauce with, um, everything. Like hold the cheese and double the sauce on that ‘za, mkay?

These balls have been a long time coming. One of my all time favorite meals in Columbus is the eggplant meatball sub at one of our only vegetarian restaurants, Whole World. It’s so good that my carnivrous boyf happily eats it without worrying his muscles will shrink. The rich marinara, the house-made whole grain bun, the most fantastical meatless meatballs…I mean I can barley write about it without salivating.

So it was due time for me to create something similar at home. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about making my recipes accessible to as many people as possible. With food allergies, insensitivities, and preferences on the rise like no other, it’s pretty important to me as a dietitian and food blogger to create food that tastes delish to the masses but is secretly super wholesome, plant-based, and more often than not, gluten-free. My goal in life is to make awesome, healthy food for all. We’re getting there!

The good news is that this recipe is VERY customizable. All tastebuds welcome.

Let’s talk ingredients.

I found some gluten-free Italian-style panko breadcrumbs at Whole Foods on sale for super cheap-o; but please feel free to use whatever bread crumbs you have on hand (or even make your own)! I like the Italian-style ones for that extra hint of parsley, basil, and oregano. The panko adds great texture. If all you have is plain breadcrumbs, just go heavier on the Italian seasoning. If you’ve got fresh herbs like parsley and basil on hand (I’m jealous), add those!

For cheese lovers, Parmesan cheese would make a great stand-in for the nutritional yeast (which you can find in the natural section of any grocery store).

I used pinto beans as the base, but kidney, chickpeas, or black beans would all work just fine.

For extra umami flavah flave, try a splash of soy sauce (sub tamari for gluten-free) or a splash of vegan worcestershire sauce.

Now that I’ve given you three and a half zillion ways to modify this recipe, it’s time to set you free.

I hope you fall head over heels in love with these sammies like I have. The serving possibilities are endless. I adore them on buns, but feel free to try them over zucchini noodles, whole grain pasta, or straight up dipped in copious amounts of marina.

THE MORE THE MAR[INARA]-IER!