Although I’m not a vegan or vegetarian, I have a deep love and appreciation for vegetables. It’s easy for me to prepare them at home—you’ll find a big pan of simply roasted mushrooms, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts in our oven almost every night of the week—but when I go out, I’m often disappointed by how much of an afterthought the vegetables seem. Even when restaurants do have a decent selection of vegetables, they are usually deep fried, slathered in cream, or similarly disguised via butter and cheese. Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that deep-fried Brussels sprouts or garlicky, buttery mushrooms are not delicious, but I am saying that vegetarian and vegan recipes can hold their own as the principle of a plate. Case in point: today’s lentil meatballs.
Why I Love Lentils and These Meatballs
I’ve long been a lover of legumes, which, if we want to get scientific, include (per Wikipedia) “a plant or its fruit or seed in the family Leguminosae.” You might know them better as ingredients that include, among others, chickpeas, peanuts, and today’s superstar, lentils.
Lentils are fiber and protein powerhouses.While not technically a vegetable, they are an excellent resource in vegetarian and vegan cooking, because the lentils make vegetarian dishes extra hearty and satisfying, no meat required.They are also easy to make, budget friendly, and can be adapted to a wide range of cuisines and styles.
Today’s lentil meatballs are exactly the sort of dish I’d envision in my star vegetarian restaurant. They pack so much flavor and are so filling that your thought won’t be “Where’s the meat?” but rather “Can I have a second helping?”
Bake Lentil Meatballs for Easy Prep
Once the lentils are cooked, making these easy lentil meatballs is a simple matter of blending and baking. Everything goes into the food processor, then once the vegetarian meatballs are shaped, all that remains is to bake. Pan frying might be more traditional for meatballs, but I found the hands-off baking method to be just as effective, healthier, and so much easier too.
How to Serve Lentil Meatballs
With Vegetable Noodles. I elected to serve these lentil meatballs on a bed of spiralized zucchini and sweet potatoes (I use this spiralizer attachment, which fits easily on my stand mixer).With Pasta. If you aren’t watching your carbs, they’d be just as tasty over a bed of traditional pasta noodles.With Both. If you aren’t ready to go all-veg in your noodle selection, a blend of half zucchini noodles, half pasta noodles is quite scrumptious too. That’s how Ben and my two younger sisters—none of whom are vegan and all of whom sampled and heartily approved of the lentil meatballs recipe—enjoyed them. We topped them with a simple tomato sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
