Today I’ll show you how to make light baked vegetarian meatballs. In the past I was vegetarian for a long time when I lived in London, and as I often did then I used split red lentils which are very quick to prepare compared to other legumes.
Red lentils are rich in plant protein, low in fat, and contain a good amount of fiber as well as iron, potassium, phosphorus and B vitamins. So they are an excellent protein source but certainly much less fatty, easily digestible and they also help regulate the bowel.
However, in my opinion lentils alone weren’t enough to make them tasty, so I also added other flavors — as usual, vegetables and aromatic herbs — which have zero WW points. I also used soy yogurt, so if you do the same they are vegan meatballs. Here’s how I prepared them.
Other light vegetable patties are here:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 30 meatballs
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup split red lentils (with other types of lentils cooking time will be longer)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (≈50 g) whole wheat flour
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup soy yogurt (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp herb-flavored salt (or salt and mixed dried herbs to taste)
- Total points = 19 WW points
- Points per meatball = 0.63 WW points
- Points for 4-5 meatballs = 3 WW points
- Points for 9-10 meatballs = 6 WW points
Preparation
First, rinse the lentils very well until the water runs clear.
Put the lentils in a pot with plenty of cold water and boil for 5 minutes, then check doneness. Usually split red lentils start to fall apart after 5 minutes, but if 5 minutes is not enough, cook them a few more minutes.
Drain them well and leave them in a colander until they are cool and have lost most of their cooking liquid. If they seem very wet, press them slightly with a fork to remove excess water. Do not over mash them or only the outer part will remain and you will lose the pulp that contains the nutrients.
While the lentils cook, clean and finely chop the carrot, garlic and onion and put everything in a large bowl. As soon as the lentils have cooled add them to the vegetables together with the flour, yogurt, and herb-flavored salt (or salt and mixed dried herbs) and one teaspoon of oil.
Mix the ingredients very well: the dough will remain very soft and moist.
Place a sheet of parchment paper, moistened and wrung out, on the baking tray and brush it with the remaining teaspoon of oil: this prevents the meatballs from sticking too much to the paper.
Wet your hands and, using a teaspoon, take a little dough at a time and form many balls: in my case 30 meatballs. The mixture is very soft so it takes a little patience but it’s worth it.
Place them on the parchment paper as you go and then press them slightly. This mixture remains soft even after baking but flattening them will give meatballs with a thick, crispy crust and a soft interior.
Bake at 392°F for 15 minutes, then carefully loosen them with a silicone spatula and turn them all over.
Put the tray back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
Turn them once more and leave them in the oven for another 10 minutes or until golden.
Remove from the oven and serve our vegetarian meatballs without eggs. These disappeared in no time! And yet the Dutchman doesn’t like things with carrots, but he gobbled them up one after the other and I only managed to try 6…
They are delicious served hot but also warm or cold. In fact they are a good idea as an appetizer or for a picnic basket.
I enjoyed them just like in the photo, with a small salad of tomatoes and celery. But next time I’ll eat them like falafel with my Light Hummus, I am sure it will go perfectly.
With the addition of a couple of whole grain croutons or a rye roll this makes a truly nourishing and tasty main course. If you make them let me know if you enjoyed them.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
These meatballs keep for 4 days in the refrigerator or you can also freeze them cooked for 4-5 months.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Which other yogurt can I use?
You can use the yogurt you prefer but it is important that it has no added sugar or fat. Among plant-based options I recommend soy because it provides some protein while almond or oat yogurts do not. Of course if you don’t follow a vegan diet you can also use regular or fully skimmed Greek yogurt without sugar, same weight; the WW points do not change.
What can I use instead of split red lentils?
You can use other types of lentils but they will take a bit longer to cook.
