Hi everyone, I’m back with a recipe that I started making this spring and that I have made numerous times since then. It’s very easy, don’t require any unusual ingredients, is very versatile and nutritious.
You can use these lentil balls for spaghetti & “meatballs” (as shown in the picture), on top of a salad or a Buddha bowl, bring them to a picnic with a dip, etc. They are a great source of protein and fiber.
They are so convenient that I always double or triple the recipe to have leftovers for freezing. When I need a quick meal I just chop some veggies, pop a few of these frozen lentil balls in the microwave or let them unfreeze in my lunchbox and, bam, a nutritious meal that took literally no time!
Let’s cook!
Serving: Approx. 20 lentil balls
Time: 15 minutes to prep and 40 minutes to cook
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium onion, chopped;
- 3 cloves garlic, minced;
- 1,5 cups cooked green lentils (I encourage you to cook them yourself!);
- 3 tsp dried herbs (I usually use 1 tbsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp dried oregano);
- 1 tsp smoked paprika;
- 2 tbsp tomato paste;
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast;
- 2 tbsp almond meal (grounded almonds);
- 1 tbsp grounded flaxseed;
- Salt and pepper to taste;
- ¼ cup quick oats or more almond meal (optional).
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit;
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the onions, garlic and sauté them until golden brown;
- Add them to a food processor with all the other ingredients except the oats and pulse until well combined but still a little bit chunky;
- Taste and adjust seasoning;
- At that point you should be able to roll the mixture into balls (I usually do 1 heaping tablespoon of mixture per ball). If the texture is too sticky, add more almond meal or the oats.
- Place the lentil balls on your prepared baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes or until golden. If necessary, broil on low for a couple of minutes to obtain the golden color (be careful not to burn!);
- Let it cool a little bit and enjoy or freeze for later.
Bon Appétit,
@Veganmontreal
