26 Jun Vegan Meatball Sub Sandwich w/ Cashew Parmesan & Caramelized Onions (oil-free)
Meatball subs were a childhood favorite of mine. I had them often, and they were always reminiscent of times with family and friends. Growing up in an Italian household, they were pretty much a staple. Thankfully, we’ve created a vegan alternative, and in my opinion these vegan meatball subs are way better as they are free from cholesterol, saturated fat, and any of the harm associated with its counterpart.
Our vegan ‘meatballs’ are made from eggplant, chickpeas, and tempeh, and are ones you can feel good about making and enjoying. Paired with a fresh sourdough hoagie, a heap of caramelized onions (no oil needed!) and our homemade cashew parm, this sandwich is sure to be a favorite among family and friends.This recipe is part of our monthly collaboration with our friend Caitlin, From My Bowl. The challenge was to make sandwiches, which are pretty much my favorite thing in the entire world, so I was super excited about this one. Caitlin made these epic Kale Pesto Burgers on homemade pretzel buns, talk about drool worthy!Who’s do you prefer? Our Eggplant Meatball Sub, or Caitlin’s Kale Pesto Burgers? This is gonna be a close one, for sure!
Vegan Eggplant Meatball Sub w/ Homemade Cashew Parmesan (oil-free)
A hearty vegan meatball sub sandwich that does not skimp out on flavor OR nutrition! It is packed with veggies and herbs, PLUS doused in marinara and a super easy parmesan, you don’t want to miss out on this!
- Prep Time: 50
- Cook Time: 42
- Total Time: 1 hour 32 minutes
- Yield: 3
Ingredients
1/2 recipe of our Eggplant Meatballs
Cashew Parmesan
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of chili powder
Oil-free Caramelized Onions
- 1 cup sliced white onions
- ~1+ cup low sodium vegetable broth
Pair with:
- Three 6″ sourdough hoagies
- 1 cup oil-free marinara sauce (we use Engine 2) or pizza sauce
Instructions
Cashew Parmesan
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix/pulse until a fine meal is achieved. Store in the refrigerator to keep fresh. Lasts for several weeks.
Oil-free Caramelized Onions
- Add 1/4 cup vegetable broth into a pan over medium-low heat. Once warmed, add in the onion and cook down, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes.
- Add more broth as needed to prevent burning, but don’t add more until it has cooked off.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Slice open your bread if it is not already cut, and place into an oven on a baking sheet to toast for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on it to prevent it from getting burned! remove from oven and allow it to cool a bit before handling.
- Gently add your meatballs into a large mixing bowl, and pour over the marinara (or pizza sauce). Toss gently (to avoid breaking the meatballs) until they are all thoroughly coated with sauce.
- Divide you meatballs amongst your bread, then top with the onions and a sprinkle of parmesan. Dig in!
Notes
If you would like to make this recipe gluten-free, simply sub gluten-free bread and breadcrumbs.
You will probably have extra parmesan– it can be used on pizza, sandwiches, macro bowls, etc!
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
If you like sandwiches, check out our other recipes below!
Thai Peanut Roasted Veggie Sandwich {easy + oil-free}
Easy Lentil Sloppy Joes {oil-free}
Leftover Lentil Sandwich Bread + Avocado Toast
Disclaimer: This page may contain affiliate links, thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
Sarah
Posted at 15:28h, 26 JuneYes! This looks so good. I don’t think I’ve ever had a meatball sub (vegan or not) but this one is definitely one I’d like to try.
Jasmine Briones
Posted at 20:05h, 26 JuneI hope you get to, it’s one of my childhood favorites!
Marlena | Where You Get Your Protein
Posted at 16:20h, 26 JuneLooks super delicious! I haven’t had a meatball sub in forever!
Jasmine Briones
Posted at 20:04h, 26 JuneThanks Marlena!
Cassie Tran
Posted at 21:27h, 27 JuneI didn’t enjoy meatball subs on the regular, but I LOVED meatballs. These meatballs look fantastic! The caramelized onions look absolutely fabulous with everything!
Jasmine Briones
Posted at 07:02h, 29 JuneThank you so much Cass, I hope you can try it out 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
Posted at 03:20h, 28 JuneWhat a great hearty sandwich! That’s how to get the boys to eat plant-based!
Jasmine Briones
Posted at 19:28h, 28 Junehahah YES!!
Linda from Veganosity
Posted at 12:48h, 28 JuneVegan bean balls are the best! This looks so good.
Jasmine Briones
Posted at 07:03h, 29 JuneThanks so much Linda for stopping by!! 🙂
Jenn
Posted at 21:39h, 28 JuneNow THIS is a sandwich! I want to sink my teeth into a huge bite. And love all those caramelized onions on top!
Jasmine Briones
Posted at 07:01h, 29 Junethank you so much for the love Jen! PS I love your blog!
Easy Vegan Kale Burgers + Homemade Pretzel Buns 🍔🌿 - lovefoodvideos
Posted at 08:17h, 29 June[…] Be sure to check out Sweet Simple Vegan’s (aka Jasmine + Chris’) Meatball Subs: Recipe Video – https://youtu.be/E7t_1qx5e-w Recipe – http://staging.naderboraie.com/2017/06/vegan-meatball-sub/ […]