Easy Eats: Spanish-inspired meatballs with chilli, chickpea and spinach sauce.
A secret vegetable ingredient keeps these meatballs tender and juicy.
Kelly GibneyChef
- prepare
- cook
- 4 servings
- Easy
Caption:Spanish meatballs with chilli, chickpea and spinach sauce.Photo credit:Kelly Gibney
This recipe is full of good-for-you ingredients. Grated carrot keeps the meatballs moist, while chickpeas bring texture and added nutrition to the smoky tomato sauce.
Traditionally this dish might be served with crusty bread, roast potatoes or a green salad, but rice also works really well.
Ingredients
- For the meatballs: 500g beef mince (or a 50/50 beef and pork mix)
- For the meatballs: ¼ onion, diced finely
- For the meatballs: 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- For the meatballs: ½ tsp ground cumin
- For the meatballs: 1 medium carrot, grated
- For the meatballs: Handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- For the meatballs: ½ cup breadcrumbs
- For the meatballs: ½ tsp salt
- For the meatballs: 1 egg, lightly whisked
- For the sauce: 1/2 onion, diced finely
- For the sauce: 3 garlic cloves, diced or crushed
- For the sauce: 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- For the sauce: 1 tsp dried oregano
- For the sauce: ¼ tsp (or less) dried chilli flakes
- For the sauce: 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, well rinsed
- For the sauce: 700g jar tomato passata
- For the sauce: 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- For the sauce: 80g baby spinach leaves
- 70-80g feta, crumbled
- Olive oil, for sauteing
Instructions
- Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Start with a large spoon, and then use your hands to mix it all together and ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Roll into meatballs roughly the size of golf balls (damp hands make this easier).
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Cook the meatballs, in batches until browned all over. You do not need them to be cooked all the way through at this stage. Set aside while you make the sauce.
- Wipe out the pan and add another drizzle of olive oil. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the paprika, oregano and chilli flakes. Stir for 30 seconds before adding the chickpeas, tomato passata and red wine vinegar.
- Bring to a boil and then cook at a rapid simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the meatballs, reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute until just wilted. Taste and season generously with salt.
- Serve the meatballs topped with the crumbled feta.
