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I made this Lentil Meatball recipe today and I was very pleased with the results, I was looking for an easy lentil meatballs recipe that would be packed with flavor yet fancy enough to be served even at the holiday table and enjoyed by everyone including meat-eaters.
I knew I found a winner recipe when I serve them and my husband couldn't stop saying how much he loves them and that they are definitely a keeper! They remind me of Swedish Meatballs, the kind you find at Ikea.
I love making meatballs because they can easily feed a crowd, they are perfect for potlucks, and you can easily estimate the number of people you will be serving and make the right amount for them. My Vegan Tofu Meatball recipe is also a huge hit!
Health Benefits Of Lentils
Lentils are healthy and rich in nutrients and should be included as part of the diet:
1 cup of cooked lentils contains:
- 226 calories
- 39 grams carbohydrates
- 18 grams protein
- 16 grams fiber
- 3.6 grams sugar
- 0.8-grams fat
How To Make Lentil Meatballs (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
To make these vegan lentil meatballs, first sort and wash dried lentils. Use green, brown or black lentils for this recipe, saute onion, garlic, herbs, add lentils, along with water or vegetable broth and cook until tender and liquid has evaporated.
While lentil is cooking, make oat flour, followed by finely chopped walnuts in a food processor, then stir them in the lentil mixture along with ground flaxseeds, yeast flakes, and Bragg's Liquid Aminos.
Form into meatball shape and place onto a prepared baking sheet and baked for 30 minutes. While lentil meatballs are baking prepare the cashew gravy.
The cashew gravy is easy, you basically rinse cashews, and add all the ingredients except the herbs in a high-speed blender and process until creamy. Pour gravy into a saucepan, add herbs/seasonings and cook over medium heat until bubbly, while stirring with a whisk.
I wanted a dish that was very tasty so I adapted the filling from my Jamaican Lentil Patties recipes.
I was going to add a gluten-free flour to bind the meatballs and prevent them from breaking up, but to my surprise, the balls were quite sturdy without flour.
Feel free to add about 2 tablespoons of gluten-free flour of your choice, rice, oat flour or sorghum flour should work fine for this recipe.
I added my gravy when I'm plating my dish, just before serving, so that the meatballs aren't sitting for long in the gravy. It is delicious served with rice or mashed potatoes, green beans.
If you are still searching for recipe ideas for the holiday, don't worry we have you covered! Here are 25 DELICIOUS VEGAN RECIPES FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
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- Energy:
- 335 kcal / 1400 kJ
- Fat:
- 21 g
- Protein:
- 13 g
- Carbohydrate:
- 25 g
Ingredients
Lentil Meatballs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup dried lentils
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons oatflour
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 teaspoons Bragg's liquid aminos
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Creamy Cashew Gravy
- 1/2 cup cashews, soaked for 1 hour then drained
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, or cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Pinch of Cayenne pepper
- Preparation:
- 20 min
- Cooking:
- 1 h
- Ready in:
- 1 h 20 min
Instructions
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, parsley, paprika, and lentils to coat.
Add water and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cover the pot. Cook until lentils are tender and water has completely evaporated about 30 minutes. (Make sure lentils are dry and not soggy)
Transfer lentil mixture to a large bowl and set aside. Using a food processor, process/pulse walnuts until finely chopped. Stir walnuts into lentils along with the *oat flour, flaxseeds, yeast flakes, Bragg's Liquid Aminos and salt.
Preheat oven 400 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper.
Scoop mixture, using about 1-2 tablespoons. Form into balls and placing them on prepared sheets in a single layer until mixture is all gone. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown and crispy on the outside.
To Prepare Cashew Gravy
Combine cashews, water, yeast flakes, onion powder, garlic, arrowroot, Bragg's Liquid Aminos in a high-speed blender and process until smooth.
Pour sauce into a saucepan and add thyme, Italian seasonings, paprika. Heat on medium-high, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until sauce thickens.
Place meat balls in serving plate. Pour gravy on top and garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
1. Substitute your favorite marinara sauce for the creamy cashew gravy.
2. Substitute cashews with sunflower seeds for a nut-free creamy gravy.3
3. *To make oat flour, I place rolled oats in a blender and process until smooth. I store it in an airtight container in my refrigerator and I love to use it to make gluten-free pancakes as well.
4. The gravy is thick so you might want to add extra water to make it thinner.
My family loved these, they were very delicious 😋
Michelle Blackwood, thank you for your blog post.Really thank you! Awesome.
Shoaib, you are welcome. Hope you try it.