Lentil Meatballs
User Reviews
5
Lentil Meatballs
Description
The Lentil Meatballs recipe begins with simmering brown or green lentils seasoned with a bay leaf until tender and all water is absorbed. While lentils cook, walnuts are toasted to release their oils and deepen their flavor. Aromatic vegetables including onion, garlic, celery, and carrot are sautéed until soft and fragrant. These components are combined with oats, tamari, tomato paste, ground flaxseed, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and a mix of dried herbs and spices such as thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne, black pepper, and salt.
The mixture is shaped into meatballs and baked in the oven at 350°F. The resulting texture is firm from the lentils and oats, with added crunch and richness from walnuts. These vegetarian meatballs offer a layered combination of savory, slightly sweet, and herbal flavors. While they can be served as a main dish, they also complement sauces, pastas, or sandwiches, adding plant-powered protein and flavor variety.
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown lentils or green lentils, dry
- 1 ⅓ cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ large onion about 1 heaping cup, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 rib of celery chopped
- 1 carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 cup rolled oats old fashioned
- 3 Tablespoons tamari
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons Flaxseed ground
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
- ¼ teaspoon salt sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare lentils by rinsing them and adding to a pot with water and a bay leaf. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat down and simmer covered until all the liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf and set the lentils aside to cool. This step can be done in advance.
- In the meantime toast walnuts by spreading them onto a baking sheet and toasting in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- While walnuts are toasting and lentils are cooking heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauté pan and cook onions, garlic, carrots and celery until they’ve softened and become fragrant. About 5-10 minutes. Once cooked remove from stovetop to cool.
- Add lentils (reserve ½ cup for later), cooked veggies, toasted walnuts, oats, tamari, tomato paste, ground flaxseed, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, ground pepper and sea salt to the food processor. Pulse until mixture is just combined and the texture is to your liking. You want the mixture to be combined enough to stick together, but you don’t want it to be completely pulverized.
- Stir in the reserved lentils
- Scoop 1 ½ Tablespoon at a time and shape into a meatball and place on a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake another 10 minutes.
- Serve meatballs immediately over spaghetti noodles and sauce, in a wrap, on a salad or as an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 20meatballs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 245 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 4 meatballs | |
| Calories | 245kcal | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 28g | 9% |
| Protein | 11g | 22% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 423mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 438mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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