Vegan Lentil Meatballs
Easy to make and full of flavor, these vegan meatballs are made with a base of lentils and mushrooms for a simple dinner. Serve over your favorite spaghetti with plenty of fresh basil.
Even though these aren’t technically ‘meat’balls, (they’re made with lentils and mushrooms after all) they’re still bursting with fresh herbs like parsley and basil, lots of onion and garlic (it wouldn’t be an Eat With Clarity recipe without lots of that).
Plus, these vegan meatballs are really easy to make with simple ingredients you most likely have on hand. They’re made entirely from scratch and loved by all types of eaters. Freezer friendly, easy to make, naturally gluten free with nut free options and plenty of variations to meet your needs. If you love this recipe, try my lentil bolognese or vegan vodka sauce next!
Quick tips
- As written, this recipe is not spicy. You can up the spice by increasing the red pepper flakes to about 1 teaspoon or garnish the dish with more as you like.
- I’m not a huge mushroom fan, but I promise it doesn’t taste like mushrooms. It’s usually the texture that turns me off, and since these are getting added to the food processor, you won’t even notice. It just adds a really nice savory and meaty flavor.
- These vegan meatballs don’t have a traditional binding agent. Most vegan meatball recipes will use a flax egg or something of the like, but I find the breadcrumbs get that job done!
How to make vegan lentil meatballs
Cook the lentils according to package instructions and set aside to cool. Cook in vegetable broth for extra flavor if desired. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the oil in a large pan and add in the chopped onion. Saute for about 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
Add in the mushrooms and cook down for 5-10 minutes or until softened. Next, add in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for about 1-2 extra minutes to toast the tomato paste.
Add to a food processor with all remaining ingredients and pulse until combined. Careful not to over mix, you want to retain some texture so it’s meaty. If the mixture looks too wet, add in more flour or breadcrumbs until easy to handle (you can also add in about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or another starch to absorb more moisture). It should be firm, but not dry. If it seems at all dry you can add in some more olive oil or a little splash of broth.
Use a spoon or a small cookie scoop (my preference) to form into roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. Add to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly shaped, we can reshape in a bit! You will have around 20-24 meatballs depending on the size.
Bake for 15 minutes, carefully re-shape with your hands as needed and flip over. Bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
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You can then enjoy as is with pasta & sauce (delicious with my pomodoro sauce) or transfer to pan and lightly saute with olive oil, then top with sauce and let simmer. Enjoy and try my air fryer falafel next!
Serving suggestions
I always go with the classic spaghetti and meatballs, but you can also use this in a sandwich or just served on their own with sauce for a high protein snack! However you have them, I love a generous sprinkle of cashew parmesan and plenty of fresh basil on top.
Recipe variations
If mushrooms aren’t your thing, you can sub for an additional 3/4 cup of cooked lentils, so use 2 cups of cooked lentils in total and omit the mushrooms entirely. You can also add in some walnuts if you like more texture. Vegan meatballs are very versatile, so feel free to swap where you see fit!
As far as the lentils go, you can use either french or brown for this recipe but I do not recommend using red. Red lentils are much softer/mushier than french or brown, so stick with those for best results!
How to store
Once prepared, these vegan meatballs will keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days. I suggest storing them plain (without sauce) so they don’t get mushy. Then you can easily reheat them in the oven or on the stove with a bit of oil, then add your sauce!
You can also freeze them! Before adding any sauce to the cooked meatballs, let them cool then transfer to an air tight container or freezer safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. You can then reheat them in the oven or on the stove with a bit of oil.
More easy dinner recipes!
- Vegan Tofu Tacos
- Chickpea Burgers
- Nut Free Pesto Pasta
- Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Sesame Chickpea Meatballs
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Vegan Lentil Meatballs
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups cooked brown or french lentils about 1/2 cup uncooked
- 8 ounces mushrooms I used baby bella
- 1 medium/large yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup homemade cashew parmesan click for recipe
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes see notes
- ¾ cup plain, gluten free breadcrumbs
- ⅔ cup fine almond flour
Instructions
- Cook the lentils according to package instructions and set aside to cool. Cook in vegetable broth for extra flavor if desired.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add in the chopped onion. Saute for about 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
- Add in the mushrooms and cook down for 5-10 minutes or until softened. Next, add in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for about 1-2 extra minutes to toast the tomato paste.
- Add to a food processor with all remaining ingredients and pulse until combined. Careful not to over mix, you want to retain some texture so it’s meaty. If the mixture looks too wet, add in more flour or breadcrumbs until easy to handle (you can also add in about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or another starch to absorb more moisture). It should be firm, but not dry. If it seems at all dry you can add in some more olive oil or a little splash of broth.
- Use a spoon or a small cookie scoop (my preference) to form into roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. Add to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly shaped, we can reshape in a bit! You will have around 20-24 meatballs depending on the size.
- Bake for 15 minutes, carefully re-shape with your hands as needed and flip over.
- Bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- You can then enjoy as is with pasta & sauce (delicious with my pomodoro sauce) or transfer to pan and lightly saute with olive oil, then top with sauce and let simmer. Enjoy!
Notes
Comments
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