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  • Prep-time: / Ready In:
  • Makes 25 to 28 balls

Tasty both right out of the oven or at room temperature, these savory snacks are filled with homemade potato-based vegan cheese. The melty center surprise is encased in a tasty veggie ball that gets its vibrant green hue from green beans and spinach. Corn, jalapeño, and onion bring extra zesty flavor to the mixture while crunchy bread crumbs prevent this vegan finger food from falling apart. Dip them in marinara sauce for an extra decadent treat that tastes like pub grub—minus all the unhealthy ingredients. Feel free to bake the spinach bites ahead of time to pack them into lunch boxes or picnic baskets.

Tip: Chile peppers contain oils that can irritate your skin and eyes. Wear plastic or rubber gloves when working with them.

For more vegan finger food recipes, check out these tasty ideas:

Ingredients

  • 2¼ lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • ¾ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
  • ¼ teaspoon agar powder
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 8 small cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ teaspoons sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup fresh or thawed frozen corn
  • 1 fresh jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (see tip)
  • 8 oz. fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cups finely chopped onion
  • 8 cups packed fresh spinach
  • 2 cups dry bread crumbs
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 3 cups oil-free marinara sauce , warmed

Instructions

  1. Place potatoes in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to saucepan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, 15 minutes or until tender. Let cool 10 minutes. Transfer 2 cups of the potatoes to a high-speed blender. Place remaining potatoes in a large bowl; mash.
  2. For vegan cheese filling, in a small saucepan combine ½ cup of the milk and the agar; mix well. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Transfer milk mixture to blender with potatoes. Add the remaining ¼ cup milk, the nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, 2 of the garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Cover and blend until very creamy. Stir in corn and jalapeño.
  4. Carefully pour blended mixture onto a large baking sheet in a layer no more than ½-inch thick; let cool. Cover tray in plastic wrap; freeze 1 hour or until cheese is set.
  5. In a food processor combine green beans and onion; pulse until very finely chopped. Transfer to bowl with mashed potatoes. Place spinach in food processor; pulse until very finely chopped. Transfer to bowl with mashed potatoes. Add bread crumbs, almond flour, Italian seasoning, and the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 6 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Mix well to combine.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove cheese from freezer.
  7. Roll ¼ cup of potato-spinach mixture into a ball. Flatten to a 4-inch disk between your palms. Place 1 tablespoon of the cheese in the center, then fold the edges of the disk toward the middle to enclose cheese; roll into a compact ball. Place ball on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining potato-spinach mixture and cheese.
  8. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Flip balls over and return to oven. Bake 20 minutes more. Serve immediately with warm marinara.

Comments (4)

(5 from 2 votes)
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Sally B2 days ago
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What could be used as a substitute for almond flour? (Due to nut allergy).
Thank you

Jen3 days ago
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These are delicious! They are definitely a bit time-consuming to make but well worth the effort as an occasional treat (I think they will be a regular item on our St. Patrick’s Day menu).

JRW1 week ago
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Why don’t your recipes have nutrient values?

Kim5 days ago
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That would be so helpful!!!!!!

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about the author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.

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