Name: Vegan Lentil Meatballs Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 persons
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 6 cups Plum Tomatoes, halved; 1 Onion, quartered; 4 cloves Garlic; 4 tablespoons Olive Oil; 1/2 teaspoon Salt; 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper; 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar; 2 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth; 1/4 cup Basil; 1 cup Coconut Milk

Front shot of Vegan Lentil Meatballs in a bowl

These Vegan Lentil Meatballs are pretty delicious. First, lentils are cooked with aromatics such as shallots and garlic until tender. Then they are shaped into meatballs and cooked until the exterior is brown and crispy. These Vegan Lentil Meatballs are also packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and potassium, supporting heart health.

And why serve Vegan Lentil Meatballs with a canned tomato sauce when you can serve them with a flavorful roasted tomato soup? That's right - we're serving these meatballs with soup, not sauce. The creamy tomato soup perfectly contrasts these crispy, chewy Vegan Lentil Meatballs.

Equipment Needed

Oven

Author: Sarah Leadon

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

60 mins

Total Time

80 mins

Serves

6 persons

Ingredients

Tomato Soup

6 cups Plum Tomatoes, halved
1 Onion, quartered
4 cloves Garlic
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
2 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
1/4 cup Basil
1 cup Coconut Milk

Lentil Meatballs

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Shallots, minced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1/2 cup Dried Lentils, rinsed
1 cup Water
1 cup Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 cup Walnuts
2 tablespoons Brown Rice Flour
2 tablespoons Ground Flaxseed Meal
2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
2 teaspoons Tamari
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

Tomato Soup

Preheat oven to 400 °F.

Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic into a large baking pan. Add olive oil, salt, black pepper, and brown sugar and toss to combine.

Roast plum tomatoes for 40-45 minutes. (Start making the lentil meatballs while the tomatoes are roasting in the oven, so everything finishes cooking around the same time.)

Place the roasted tomatoes into a large saucepan and add vegetable broth.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add basil and remove the tomato soup from the stove.

In batches, blend the tomato soup until smooth. Place the tomato soup into another saucepan.

Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk to the tomato soup and stir to combine. Heat the tomato soup over medium-low heat to keep it warm if your lentil meatballs are not done yet.

Lentil Meatballs

Meanwhile, to a medium saucepan, add oil. Set it over medium-high heat.

Add minced shallots. Cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent.

Add garlic, rosemary, oregano, smoked paprika, and lentils, and cook for a minute until garlic is fragrant.

Add water and vegetable broth and let the lentils come to a boil.

Decrease the flame to medium-low, cover the lentils, and cook for 30 minutes until the broth evaporates. Make sure the lentils are tender and not dry or soggy.

In a large bowl, add lentils and set them aside.

To a food processor, add walnuts. Pulse until walnuts are chopped finely.

Add walnuts to lentils, brown rice flour, ground flaxseed meal, nutritional yeast, tamari, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.

On a baking sheet, add a sheet of parchment paper. Spray it lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

Scoop about 1-2 tablespoons of the lentil meatball batter into your hands. Form it into a ball and place the lentil meatball onto the prepared baking sheet.

Continue forming the meatballs and placing them on the baking sheet in an even layer until all the lentil meatball mixture is gone.

Bake the lentil meatballs for 30 minutes until they are brown and crispy.

To Serve

Divide the tomato soup between 6 soup bowls. Add 5-6 meatballs to each bowl. Garnish each bowl by swirling a tablespoon of coconut milk on top of the lentil meatballs and adding more fresh basil if desired.