1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup oat flour
2 cloves garlic
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (1 ½ cups)
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 large egg
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
½-1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for pan searing or baking
Optional: toothpicks for serving
1/4 cup unsalted tahini, room temperature
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
*Note: If using salted tahini, reduce salt to ¼ teaspoon.
Add the onion to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
Add the remaining no-meatball ingredients. Pulse until the mixture comes together and is easily formed into a ball. If the mixture is too wet, add a bit more oat flour.
Roll the no-meatballs into 1-inch balls. (Tip: add a little olive oil to your hands for a cleaner rolling process.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes up to overnight. The no-meatballs can be cooked on the stovetop or baked in the oven.
On the stovetop: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the no-meatballs in batches. Turn to brown evenly on all sides, about 10 minutes. In the oven: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or prep with olive oil mister generously. Roll each ball in the olive oil. Place balls onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake 25 minutes, turning once halfway through cook time.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before assembling.
Add all tahini sauce ingredients to a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Place no-meat balls on a serving platter. Drizzle with the tahini sauce and serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: These walnut no-meatballs can also be frozen and thawed for later.