Description
these tender baked lentil “meatballs” utilize pre-steamed lentils so they come together in a matter of minutes making for an easy meatless dinner or lunch the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups steamed lentils (I used Trader Joe’s)
- 1 shallot, peeled & roughly chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
- 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1–2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3–4 tablespoons favorite marinara sauce
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (start with 1/4 cup, if mixture is wet once all combined, add more, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can form a ball)
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil
- Optional for serving: pasta, carrot & zucchini noodles, marinara sauce, fresh parmesan and minced fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat and place minced shallot and onion in, sautéing for ~2 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Add sautéed garlic and shallots to a food processor along with carrot and process until minced.
- Add lentils, egg, oregano, marinara, breadcrumbs, cheese, a sprinkle of salt & pepper and process until well combined. If needed, add additional breadcrumbs (enough so that you can form a ball)
- Using a cookie scoop (my favorite meatball making trick!), scoop out ~2 tablespoons of the lentil mixture, rolling gently into a ball and place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until you have used up the entire lentil mixture.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until lentil meatballs are browned and firm to a gentle touch.
- Allow to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes (this helps them set up) before serving.
- Serve over your favorite pasta or with some carrot & zucchini noodles. Top with your favorite marinara sauce, a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil.
Notes
- Lentil meatballs will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge and will freeze well for up to 2 months.
Keywords: meatballs, lentil, vegetarian, meatless, dinner
