I’m obsessed with these Lentil Walnut Meatballs!! Last night for dinner I made Kale Marinara Pasta and topped it with a big fat juicy vegan meatball – and it was so delicious! These vegan meatballs are super easy to prepare and are a great addition to your meal prep routine.

They are oil-free, plant-based and contain just several ingredients, including cooked lentils, walnuts, ground chia or flax seeds, breadcrumbs, water and salt. Simply puree all ingredients in a food processor, scoop into balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30-45 minutes. Before serving, steam for about 5-7 minutes because the tops get a little dry during baking.

7 ways to serve vegan meatballs

You can enjoy these super easy vegan meatballs a variety of ways, here’s a few ideas:

1. …with Marinara and Spaghetti
2. …with Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy
3. …as Meat Lasagna
4. …with Marinara as an appetizer (roll them into smaller sized meatballs before baking)
5. …as Meat Tacos (crumble cooked meatballs and place into tacos)
6. …as Meat Nachos (crumble cooked meatballs and place on top of nachos)
7. …as a Meatloaf (instead of baking into balls, combine the ingredients with other desired meatloaf ingredients and bake in a loaf pan for the same amount of time)

How to store vegan meatballs

You can store these meatballs in the refrigerator for about 5 days in an airtight container. Before enjoying, steam meatballs for 5-7 minutes. Alternatively, you can freeze these meatballs in a ziplock bag after baking. To reheat, simply steam until warm on the inside, about 10-15 minutes.

Super Easy Vegan Meatballs (oil-free)

Makes 6-8 large meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry French green lentils, cooked (makes about 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils)
• 1/2 cup walnuts or other nuts
• 2 teaspoons ground chia or flax seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon iodized salt

Directions

1. Cook French green lentils in boiling water for 20 minutes.
2. Drain lentils and add to a food processor with walnuts, ground chia or flax seeds, water, salt and breadcrumbs.
3. Process until almost smooth. Leave a little bit of chunks if desired.
4. Scoop lentil mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet with an ice cream scooper or large spoon.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35-45 minutes.
6. Let cool before storing in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
7. To serve: The top will get a little dry, before serving steam for about 5-7 minutes. Serve topped with your favorite oil-free marinara sauce and cooked pasta.

Sincerely, @chefveronicadailey

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Further reading:

• [Printable] Daily Meal Tracker & track your daily intake and plan your meals with this tool!
• Easy oil-free “Chickpea Meat” recipe
• Super Easy Oats (oil-free, vegan, whole grain recipe)
• Easy vegan chocolate cake recipe (oil-free, whole grain)
• Easy oil-free vegan hummus recipe
• [Printable] 16 easy vegan kids meals (oil-free, plant-based, whole grain)