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Vegan lentil meatballs with fresh basil on a cooling rack lined with parchment paper.
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5 from 7 votes

Lentil Meatballs

These vegan lentil meatballs are easy to make, packed with flavor and loaded with plant-based protein. Serve them with pasta, on a salad or in a wrap for a delicious meatless meal.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 meatballs
Author: Brittany Mullins

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ cup dry brown or green lentils
  • 1 ⅓ cup water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 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 old fashioned rolled oats
  • 3 Tablespoons tamari
  • 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon 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.
    Lentils and a bay leaf in a pot covered with water.
  • 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.
    Walnuts spread across a baking sheet lined in parchment paper.
  • 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.
    Carrots, onions, celery and garlic cooking in the bottom of a pot with a wooden spoon.
  • 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.
    Ingredients mixed together in a food processor.
  • Stir in the reserved lentils
    Leftover lentils added to mixture in food processor.
  • Scoop 1 ½ Tablespoon at a time and shape into a meatball and place on a prepared baking sheet.
    A 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop filled with lentil mixture next to several lentil meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake another 10 minutes.
    Twenty baked lentil meatballs arranged on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • 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

Serving: 4 meatballs | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 423mg | Potassium: 438mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g