Vegan Lentil Quinoa MeatBalls

These lentil meatballs are perfectly tender on the inside, firm on the outside, and loaded with so much flavor! Enjoy these easy vegan meatballs with a big bowl of spaghetti for the ultimate comfort food meal!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 360kcal

Author Stacey Eckert

Equipment

Food Processor
Medium-Sized Pot
Large Baking Tray

Ingredients

3 cups water
¼ cup uncooked quinoa rinsed & drained
¾ cup uncooked french lentils rinsed & drained
5 oz cremini mushrooms (about 5 large mushrooms)
1 cup red onion diced (one small onion)
1 cup gluten-free old fashioned oats (or gluten-free bread crumbs)
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 tbsp water
¼ cup sunflower seeds or walnuts
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 garlic cloves minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 tbsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp sea salt add more to taste
¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

Start by boiling 3 cups of water in a medium-sized pot. When the water boils, season it with salt and add ¾ cup of rinsed and drained uncooked french lentils. Reduce the heat to medium and set a timer for 24 minutes.
When there are 12 minutes left on the timer, add ¼ cup of uncooked quinoa to the pan with the lentils and give it a stir to combine. Let the lentils and quinoa continue cooking together until there is no water left in the pot. It should take a total of 23-24 minutes to cook the lentils and quinoa.
Let the cooked lentil quinoa mixture cool for a few minutes. While it’s cooling, add 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp of water to a small bowl. Mix it together and put it in the fridge to thicken for 10 minutes.
Pour the lentils and quinoa into a large food processor. Add the roughly chopped cremini mushrooms, diced red onion, oats, sunflower seeds, tomato paste, vegan Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, Italian seasonings, garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and the flax egg.
Pulse the filling on high for 1-2 minutes or until all the ingredients are combined and broken down into small chunks. The mixture will be sticky but that’s normal.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
While the oven is heating up, line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Use a large spoon to scoop the filling out of the food processor into your hand and then use your palms to roll the filling into golf ball sized meatballs. The filling will make 14-15 large vegan meatballs.
Arrange the meatballs on the tray and bake them for 15-18 minutes or until browned on the outside. Serve with tomato sauce and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast (or vegan parm) over your favorite pasta.

Notes

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or you can freeze them for a future meal.

Nutrition