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.
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Whether or not you follow a plant based diet, these vegan meatballs are seriously SO good. They’re bursting with fresh herbs like parsley and basil, lots of onion and garlic (it wouldn’t be an EWC recipe with loooots of that).
Plus, they’re really easy to make with simple ingredients you most likely have on hand already.
Freezer friendly, easy to make, naturally gluten free with nut free options and plenty of variations to meet your needs.
How to make this recipe
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.
Roughly chop the onion, mince the garlic and add to a large pan with the oil.
Saute for about 5-7 minutes or until golden lightly brown. Add in the mushrooms and cook down for 5 or so minutes or until softened.
Add to a food processor with all remaining ingredients and pulse until combined. You don’t want it too mushy, but definitely soft and kind of meatbally looking. If the mixture looks too wet, add in more oats until easy to handle. It should be firm, but not dry.
Taste and adjust any seasonings as desired. I usually add extra basil, but it’s up to you!
Use a spoon or a cookie scoop (my preference) to form into balls. Add to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect circles, we can reshape in a second!
Brush the tops with olive oil and 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 and cooked through.
You can then enjoy as is with pasta & sauce or transfer to pan and lightly saute with olive oil, then top with sauce and let simmer. Enjoy!
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! 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 1/2 cup of cooked lentils, so use 2 cups of cooked lentils in total and omit the mushrooms entirely.
As far as the lentils go, you can use either green or brown for this recipe but I do not recommend using red. Red lentils are much softer/mushier than green or brown, so stick with those for best results!
Do they keep?
Yes! Once prepared, these vegan meatballs will keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
These can also be frozen! 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.
Are they gluten free?
Yes! Just be sure to use certified gluten free oats as needed to ensure there is no cross contamination.
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Vegan Lentil Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked green lentils (about 2/3 cup uncooked)
- 8 ounces mushrooms (I used baby bella)
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup homemade cashew parmesan (click for recipe)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (see notes)
- 1-1 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, tapioca or arrowroot
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.
- Roughly chop the onion, mince the garlic and add to a large pan with the oil.
- Saute for about 5-7 minutes or until golden lightly brown.
- Add in the mushrooms and cook down for 5 or so minutes or until softened.
- Add to a food processor with all remaining ingredients (start with 1 cup of oats) and pulse until combined. You don't want it too mushy, but definitely soft and kind of meatbally looking. If the mixture looks too wet, add in more oats until easy to handle. It should be firm, but not dry. I ended up using close to 1 1/2 cups of oats, but it depends on how your lentils were cooked.
- Taste and adjust any seasonings as desired. I usually add extra basil, but it's up to you!
- Use a spoon or a 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 perfect circles, we can reshape in a second!
- Brush the tops with olive oil and 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!
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