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Lentil meatballs are just as good as "real" meatballs, but they have the added bonus of being nutrient-rich and just as yummy. This vegan recipe for lentil meatballs is not only dairy-free but egg-free as well. The use of gluten-free flour adds yet another layer of protection if you are on a restrictive diet. While there are a number of different vegan meatball recipes that use other ingredients, such as chickpeas, brown rice, cauliflower, tofu, tempeh, and seitan to name a few. This recipe keeps it simple making the meatball out of mushrooms, flax seeds, lentils, and gluten-free powder.
Ingredients
- 2 cups red lentils (rinsed)
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup onions (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more for cooking)
- 8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup finely ground flax seeds (also known as flax meal)
- About 1/4 cup gluten-free flour, such as sorghum or rice flour (more if needed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Steps to Make It
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In a medium-large pot, combine the lentils, vegetable stock, onions, and garlic and bring to a boil.
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Turn down the heat, and let the lentils simmer, covered, for about 20-25 minutes, or until very soft.
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Remove from heat and mash well with a potato masher or fork.
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Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add the mushrooms and thyme and saute until the mushrooms are very soft, about 4-6 minutes.
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In a food processor or blender, combine half of the lentil mixture with the mushrooms, ground flax seeds, and nutritional yeast and process until smooth.
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Add the processed mixture to the remaining lentil mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
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Gradually stir in the sorghum flour or rice flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture holds together. Allow the mixture to reach room temperature before forming into balls.
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Cook the lentil balls. Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add the lentil balls to the hot oil, cooking only as many at a time as will fit without touching one another.
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Cook, flipping the lentil balls to brown them on all sides until they’re golden brown, about 4 minutes.
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Repeat until all of the lentil balls are cooked.
Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients
Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.
Tips
- When gradually adding the gluten-free flour, just add enough so that the mixture holds together.
- While some people prefer to cook their meatballs through in the sauce of their choice, these really work infinitely better when they are first seared or lightly sauteed in a pan, as it will keep them from falling apart.
- The lentil meatball mixture can be made up to one day in advance and then formed into balls and cooked.
- These vegan meatballs made with lentils are easy to prepare and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways: over spaghetti with store-bought or homemade sauce, on dairy-free sandwich bread as a meatless meatball sub, in a wrap, or just on their own.
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