Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Baked Tofu White Bean Balls with Basil Pesto

Name: Baked Tofu White Bean Balls with Basil Pesto
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 14 oz (400 g) Firm tofu, pressed and crumbled; 1⅓ cups (250 g) Great northern or cannellini beans, canned, drained and rinsed; ½ cup (60 g) Plain dry breadcrumbs; 2 tbsp (15 g) Ground flaxseed; ⅓ cup (75 g) Water, divided; 3 cloves (9 g) Garlic, minced, divided; 1 cup chopped (60 g) Fresh parsley, chopped, divided; 2 tsp (2 g) Dried oregano; ½ tsp (1 g) Crushed red pepper; ¾ tsp (5 g) Salt, divided; ¾ tsp (2 g) Black pepper; ¼ cup (60 g) Olive oil, divided; 1⅔ cups leaves (40 g) Fresh basil, leaves; ⅓ cup chopped (40 g) Walnuts, toasted; 1 lemon, juiced (45 g) Lemon juice, divided; 5 cups loosely packed (150 g) Baby spinach; 2 cups sliced (200 g) Cucumber, sliced; 1⅔ cups (250 g) Cherry tomatoes, halved; 4 large pitas (256 g) Whole-wheat pita, cut into wedges

Golden, crisp-edged tofu and white bean balls with garlic and parsley, topped with a bright basil-walnut sauce and served with a crunchy lemony spinach salad and warm pita.

Oven
55 min · 30 min hands-on
Serves 4
Vegan

Over 60 g carbs
Protein 20 g+
Fiber 6 g+
Sat fat 4 g or less

Ingredients

14 oz400 gFirm tofupressed and crumbled
1⅓ cups250 gGreat northern or cannellini beans, canned, drained and rinsed
½ cup60 gPlain dry breadcrumbs
2 tbsp15 gGround flaxseed
⅓ cup75 gWaterdivided
3 cloves9 gGarlicminced, divided
1 cup chopped60 gFresh parsleychopped, divided
2 tsp2 gDried oregano
½ tsp1 gCrushed red pepper
¾ tsp5 gSaltdivided
¾ tsp2 gBlack pepper
¼ cup60 gOlive oildivided
1⅔ cups leaves40 gFresh basilleaves
⅓ cup chopped40 gWalnutstoasted
1 lemon, juiced45 gLemon juicedivided
5 cups loosely packed150 gBaby spinach
2 cups sliced200 gCucumbersliced
1⅔ cups250 gCherry tomatoeshalved
4 large pitas256 gWhole-wheat pitacut into wedges

Steps

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment.
In a small bowl, stir the flaxseed with 45 g of the water (about 3 tablespoons) and let it thicken for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mash the great northern beans with a fork, then add the crumbled tofu, the flaxseed mixture, the breadcrumbs, two-thirds of the garlic, half of the parsley, the oregano, the red pepper flakes, 3 g of the salt and the black pepper. Mix until it holds together when squeezed.
Roll the mixture into 20 balls, set them on the sheet pan and brush them with 10 g of the olive oil (about 2 teaspoons).
Bake the balls for 25 minutes, turning once halfway, until golden and firm.
Meanwhile, make the herb sauce: blend the basil, the remaining half of the parsley, the walnuts, the remaining third of the garlic, 30 g of the lemon juice (2 tablespoons), 40 g of the olive oil (about 3 tablespoons), the remaining 30 g of the water and 1 g of the salt until smooth.
Make the salad: toss the spinach, cucumber and cherry tomatoes with the remaining 15 g of the lemon juice, the remaining 10 g of the olive oil and the remaining 1 g of the salt.
Warm the pita wedges in the oven for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Spoon the herb sauce over the balls and serve with the salad and warm pita.

Check labels: Vegan when you buy plain dry breadcrumbs and whole-wheat pita labeled vegan.

Check labels: Dairy-free when you buy plain dry breadcrumbs made without milk.

Contains: Tree nuts, Gluten, Soy. Some brands contain milk, egg.

Cook mode Log it in Today

Made it

Made it? Share how yours turned out.

Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

Want one that fits your numbers?

Pick the meal, the pan and your targets, and the Every Helping recipe generator writes a recipe with every number worked out. Free on the web.

Make a recipe More from the recipe book

Baked Tofu White Bean Balls with Basil Pesto

Ingredients

Steps

Made it

You might also like

Want one that fits your numbers?