🥕 High-Protein Veggie Balls
Savory, crispy-on-the-outside veggie balls packed with vegetables and protein. They’re great as a light main dish, side, snack, or meal-prep option and pair perfectly with a yogurt or cottage-cheese dip.
🧾 Ingredients
For the Veggie Balls
- 2 cups finely grated zucchini
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup finely chopped broccoli
- ½ cup finely chopped spinach
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup cottage cheese, well drained
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
Optional Dip
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley or dill
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
👩🍳 Detailed Instructions
1. Prepare the vegetables
Grate the zucchini and carrot. Place the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and gently squeeze out excess water. This step is important because overly wet zucchini can make the veggie balls fall apart.
Finely chop the broccoli and spinach.
2. Cook the vegetables
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, carrot, broccoli, and spinach. Cook for 4–6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and some of their moisture evaporates.
Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes.
3. Make the mixture
In a large bowl, combine the cooked vegetables, eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan, almond flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, salt, and parsley.
Mix thoroughly until everything is evenly combined.
Let the mixture rest for 5–10 minutes so the almond flour can absorb some moisture.
4. Shape the veggie balls
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your hands or a small cookie scoop, form the mixture into compact balls, about 1½ inches wide.
Place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
5. Bake
Lightly brush or spray the veggie balls with olive oil.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, turning them gently halfway through, until golden and firm around the edges.
For extra browning, place them under the broiler for 1–2 minutes at the end, watching carefully.
6. Make the dip
While the veggie balls are baking, mix Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder, herbs, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
7. Serve
Serve the veggie balls warm with the yogurt dip. They’re also delicious alongside a large salad or roasted vegetables.
💪 High-Protein & Weight-Loss Friendly
The combination of eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan, and Greek yogurt makes these considerably higher in protein than traditional vegetable fritters or veggie balls. For a weight-loss-friendly meal, serve them with plenty of non-starchy vegetables and a protein-rich dip.
Approximate yield: 16–18 veggie balls.
Tip: For even more protein, use low-fat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.
