Lentil balls

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

1. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit;
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the onions, garlic and sauté them until golden brown;
3. 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;
4. Taste and adjust seasoning;
5. 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.
6. 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!);
7. Let it cool a little bit and enjoy or freeze for later.

Bon Appétit,

@Veganmontreal