These lentil and potato balls originated, as always for me, from having an ingredient at home that I wanted to use up. You might ask? The lentils? The potatoes? No! The parsley! Indeed, I ordered this bunch of parsley online by mistake (I usually get the potted plant) and wanted to use it…
Parsley calls for potatoes and then we need some protein, right? Chickpeas or lentils? I decided on lentils and proceeded with balls. And here I am with these tasty vegan balls prepared as always in my beloved air fryer, the Philips XXL Airfryer.
I know I shouldn’t say this on my blog, but I think these balls would be even tastier if fried, but we settle for the oven, and let’s pretend I didn’t even write this!!! Indeed, I will gloss over this less than dieting-friendly remark and move straight to the recipe…
For other vegan balls or an ideal side dish for the balls, here’s what I suggest:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 20 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Air frying
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 10 oz cooked lentils (cook about 3 oz from dry)
- 1.1 lbs potatoes (I don't peel them because the skin is healthy!)
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 5 g nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 bunch parsley
- 20 ml extra virgin olive oil (1 tbsp goes into the mix and 1 tsp is for cooking. Always use measuring spoons!)
- to taste thyme (ground)
- 1 tsp salt
- Total points = 20 WW points
- Points per ball = 1 WW point
Tools
- Blender
- Air Fryer
- Ice Cream Scoop
- Air Fryer Paper
Steps
As always, prepare and measure all the ingredients, please!
Start with the potatoes, which should be washed well with a brush, diced, and boiled in lightly salted cold water for 10-15 minutes, just until tender. Mash them and let them cool.
Place the onion, carrot, and garlic cut into pieces, dried thyme, cumin, and parsley into the blender bowl. Add the well-drained lentils, soy sauce, salt, oil, and pulse blend. It’s better if there are some small pieces left, as it gives the balls a bit of texture, which in my opinion, makes them more delicious.
Put the mixture in a bowl, add the nutritional yeast and the now-cool mashed potatoes and mix well with your hands. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Form slightly flattened balls. I use an ice cream scoop, which is very convenient for making the balls more or less the same size. Using this tool, I made 20. If you want, you can also make 40 small ones, to your liking! Brush the balls on both sides with a little oil. 1 teaspoon will be enough for all the balls.
For 20 balls, you need to cook them in two batches. Start by placing 10 balls in the air fryer basket on a piece of parchment paper. Cook them at 340°F for 15 minutes, then very gently lift them (they will still be a bit soft) and also remove the parchment paper. Put the balls back directly in the basket, flip them, and cook for another 15 minutes at 340°F. If you want them more golden, leave them for a few more minutes. Repeat for the other 10 balls. In the end, you can put them all together in the basket for 5 minutes as you no longer risk them sticking to each other.
Place the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake them at 356°F-392°F for about 30-40 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking. Depending on the oven, you may need to cook them a little longer.
And there you have it, the vegan lentil and potato balls are ready! Beautiful and delicious, they contain carbohydrates and proteins, add a side of vegetables, and dinner is ready!
We tasted them hot, warm, and cold. They are better warm, but we also enjoyed them straight out of the air fryer and later cold! They are truly tasty, crispy on the outside and soft inside…
I got the approval from my Dutch partner, my number one blog taster, and if a recipe pleases him, I am confident you’ll like it too. I just have to ask you: Did you like them? Let me know below or in my Facebook Club!
Enjoy!
By Giovanna Buono
Suggestions
As mentioned before, these balls are good at any temperature, but we preferred them warm, not hot, so eat them 10 minutes after taking them out of the oven.
I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure they would also be delicious when later seasoned in a simple tomato sauce!
I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure they would also be delicious when later seasoned in a simple tomato sauce!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is nutritional yeast?
In this recipe, you also find nutritional yeast, which is a deactivated yeast rich in vitamin B12. It is widely used in vegan cooking as it gives dishes a cheesy flavor. For more information, read here: Nutritional Yeast: What it is, how to use it, and why! You can omit it, but in that case, add spices to taste to give more flavor to the balls.
