After various experiments to make vegan lentil meatballs, I finally managed to find the right combination of ingredients! Yes, because here at home, as my most loyal readers know, I have the Dutchman as a judge, and when it comes to meatballs he cares about the flavor and texture, and I focus on ease of preparation, nutrition, and of course the Weight Watchers points.
And after some experiments that weren’t bad but still not satisfying, I finally managed to prepare these delicious meatballs that can be made in the desired size. And especially, they turn out delicious even when cooked in the air fryer, so you can prepare them even in the summer. The ingredients are easy to find and very nutritious, which is good to choose especially if, like me, you follow a vegan diet.
I have only tried with lentils but I am sure they can also be made with other types of legumes. Also, keep in mind that these vegan lentil meatballs contain legumes, nuts, and breadcrumbs: so you can consider them a complete meal, and you just need to add a nice plate of vegetables to complete it. Without further ado, let’s see the procedure…
Other meatballs you might like can be found here:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12 meatballs
- Cooking methods: Oven, Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
In this recipe, you will also find nutritional yeast. If you don’t know what it is, read here: Nutritional Yeast: what it is, how to use it, and why!
- 8.8 oz canned lentils (drained)
- 1.8 oz almonds (also unpeeled)
- 1.4 oz breadcrumbs (preferably whole grain)
- 4 tsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp flax seeds
- 2 tbsps water
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsps soy sauce
- 0.5 oz nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp thyme (dried)
- 1 tsp rosemary (dried)
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- as needed salt
- as needed pepper
- Total Points = 26 WW points
- Points per meatball = 2 WW points (If you divide the mixture into 12 meatballs)
Tools
- Liquid Measuring Spoons teaspoons
- Chopper
- Pan
- Air Fryer
Preparation
Prepare the fake egg, also known as a flax egg, which helps bind the mixture better. Just put 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds in a small cup, I use the grinder of my hand blender. Add 2 tablespoons of water and set aside. After about 15 minutes, it will become a gelatinous substance that replaces the egg. It works very well for meatballs, but don’t try to make an omelet with it!
Grind the almonds in the chopper to powder them or leave just a few small pieces.
In a small non-stick pan, sauté the sliced shallot in 1 teaspoon of oil, add the minced garlic and dried spices after a couple of minutes, and a splash of water. The shallot and garlic should soften and dry well. Let them cool.
Put the rinsed and well-drained lentils, powdered almonds, breadcrumbs, shallot sauté, garlic and spices, vinegar, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, flax egg, some pepper, and the other 3 teaspoons of oil in the mixer. Blend so that the mixture is well combined. Taste and depending on your taste, add salt. This also depends a lot on the soy sauce used and how salty it already is.
Start forming the meatballs. My mixture weighed about 500 grams, so I made 12 meatballs of about 42g each. But of course, you can make them smaller!
ps: in the picture, you see 11 because I cooked the first one alone as a test 😀
I placed the meatballs directly in the basket and cooked them at 320°F for 20 minutes, shaking the basket occasionally. Once golden, they are ready.
Of course, temperature and time depend on the various models of air fryers; I have the Philips XXL Airfryer.
Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F-400°F for 25-30 minutes, turning them at least once. Once golden, they are ready.
Again, temperature and time depend on your oven.
Here is the same mixture divided into many small meatballs. In this picture, I didn’t powder the almonds completely, and they turn out crunchier inside!
For the larger meatballs, I obtained a finer almond flour, and they remain softer inside, as you can see in the photo!
Anyway, small or large, hot or cold… these vegan lentil meatballs are delicious! The Dutchman even requested them for his birthday, which is in a few days, do I need to add more?
Try making them yourself and let me know if you liked them in the comments below or on Facebook. See you soon for the next recipe and:
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
You can freeze these already cooked meatballs for 3 months. You can defrost them and then reheat in the air fryer or oven at high temperature for a few minutes.
What is nutritional yeast?
This recipe also includes nutritional yeast, which is a deactivated yeast rich in vitamin B12. It is widely used in vegan cuisine as it gives dishes a cheesy flavor. For more, read here: Nutritional Yeast: what it is, how to use it, and why! You can omit it, but in that case, add some spices to taste to give the meatballs more flavor.
Can I omit the soy sauce?
In my opinion, soy sauce is the real secret of this recipe. Don’t omit it, please! And if you really can’t find or consume it, try substituting it with balsamic vinegar.
