• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Ascension Kitchen
  • About
    • Philosophy
    • About Lauren
    • Media & Events
    • Contact
    • Terms + Conditions
  • Naturopathy Consults
  • Blog
    • Plant-Based Recipes
      • Healthy Dessert Recipes
      • Mains
      • Snacks + Sides
      • Drinks
      • Kitchen Staples
      • Breakfasts
      • Salads
      • Healthy Dressings + Condiments
      • Ayurvedic Recipes
    • Natural Health
      • Natural Remedies
      • Plant-Based Nutrition
      • Functional Foods
    • Natural Living
      • Natural beauty
      • Natural cleaning recipes
      • Essential Oils
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Blog
  • Plant-Based Recipes
  • Natural Health
  • Natural Living
  • Naturopathy Consults
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Plant-Based Recipes » Easy Lentil Meatballs

Easy Lentil Meatballs

Published: Sep 1, 2017 · Modified: May 27, 2018 by Lauren Glucina • Naturopath, Nutritionist

1.1K shares
  • Facebook304
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Healthy, easy Lentil Meatballs with buckwheat, fresh herbs and spices. Soft and flavoursome, perfect on a bed of spiralised zucchini.

A plate of vegan lentil meatballs in sauce on a chopping board

We’re heading into spring now so I’ll be saying farewell to some of these hearty winter comfort meals soon, but not before enjoying this delicious plant-based take on the classic meatball. 

So what makes a good plant-powered meatball? I feel it’s all in the spices, but you want to start with a nice mix of lentils with something to add a slight bit of texture. Red lentils were my pick for this because they are quick to cook and don’t really need to soak prior.

I literally threw them in the pot with an equal portion of rice, and the second time I made them, buckwheat. Turns out my partner prefers the rice version while I dig the buckwheat.

[bctt tweet="Healthy, easy Lentil Meatballs: a low GI meal that tastes great the next day. Find it here!" username="laurenglucina"]

Two dinner plates filled with lentil meatballs, marinara sauce and greens, on a large wooden chopping board

Once the lentil/grain combo has cooked, you drain and rinse under cool water, and add to a food processor with all other herbs and spices. Roll into balls, bake for 15 minutes, and voila.

To complete the meal, you’ll need a good sauce. To save time, I opted for a pre-made organic pasta sauce, but you may like to try this recipe here. I also folded a good 100g or so of baby kale leaves throughout the sauce as it cooked, to get a serving of leafy greens in there.

Finally, you can make it hearty by cooking some spaghetti up (I have a gluten free amaranth, quinoa & rice number in the cupboards), or make it light by serving on a bed of freshly spiralised zucchini noodles, tossed in quality extra virgin olive oil, chilli flakes, pepper and sea salt.

Close up of vegan lentil meatballs on a plate garnished with fresh basil ready to eat

This is another healthy meal that tastes fab the next day for lunch – you’ll get two dozen ‘meatballs’ out of the recipe – enough for two dinner servings + leftovers.


Nutrition Highlights:

  • Lentils and rice or buckwheat combine to provide a great source of quality plant-protein
  • Lentils provide prebiotic fibre, feeding the good bacteria in the gut
  • Chia and sunflower seeds add further protein and fibre
  • Parsley is a nutrition powerhouse and a great source of iron
  • A low GI, high fibre, mineral rich meal

If you make and enjoy this recipe, please leave a rating below. And better yet – leave me a comment to tell me how you got on, or just say hi – I LOVE hearing from you. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest to see more of my everyday recipes and wellness tips.

📖Recipe

White plate filled with lentil meatballs and marinara sauce, basil leaves on top.

Easy Lentil Meatballs

Naturopath Lauren Glucina
Healthy, easy lentil meatballs with buckwheat, fresh herbs and spices. Soft and flavoursome, perfect on a bed of spiralised zucchini. Yields 24 meatballs.
4.50 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Main
Cuisine Plant-based
Servings 24 meatballs
Calories 80 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup red lentils
  • ¾ cup buckwheat groats
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 1 large shallot
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • 4 tablespoons ground chia
  • 1 extremely packed cup parsley curly, chopped
  • 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup semi or sundried tomatoes drained if oily
  • 2 spring onions/scallions green parts, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon thyme dried
  • Sprinkle of chilli flakes
  • ½ teaspoon fine Himalayan salt
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven at 180˚C (355˚F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • Cook the lentils and buckwheat: Place lentils and buckwheat in a sieve and rinse very well under running water. Transfer to a large pot, fill it ¾ full of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat a little, and cook for about 15 minutes or till just done. Drain and rinse with cool water.
  • Fry shallots and garlic: While the lentils/buckwheat cook, heat a little olive oil in a pan and lightly fry finely chopped shallot. Add roughly chopped garlic cloves and cook a little longer. Transfer to a food processor.
  • Pulse ingredients in food processor: Add ground chia, parsley, tomato paste, spring onions, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and spices to the food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cooled lentils/buckwheat and blitz to combine. Add the sunflower seeds last for one final pulse.
  • Roll and bake: Roll mixture into balls using a tablespoon of mixture per. Place on baking tray and bake for 15 minutes max (you want them to be a bit soft), turning half way through.
  • Serve: Serve with marinara sauce and pasta/spiralised zucchini. I love to fold about 100g fresh baby spinach or kale through the sauce to get some greens in there.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSodium: 40mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gCalcium: 20mgIron: 1.4mg
Keyword Lentil meatballs
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Nutrition Facts
Easy Lentil Meatballs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 80 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Sodium 40mg2%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Quick and easy vegan lentil meatballs. #lentilmeatballsvegan #lentilmeatballsvegetarian #lentilmeatballseasy #lentilmeatballstomato #lentilmeatballsred #lentilmeatballsbaked #lentilmeatballshealthy #lentilmeatballsglutenfree #lentilmeatballsitalian #lentilmeatballssimple #veganmeatballs #AscensionKitchen // Pin to your own inspiration board! //

 

Related

Raw, Vegan Ginkgo Pesto
Homemade Kimchi for Chilli Wimps
Matcha, Mint and Aloe Smoothie

About the Author

I’m Lauren, practising Naturopath, Medical Herbalist, Nutritionist, and essential oils educator in Auckland, New Zealand. I’m incredibly passionate about food as medicine, and helping connect people with the healing power of Nature.

BNatMed, AdDip NutMed, BCS, Certified FitGenes Practitioner.

Reader Interactions

4.50 from 10 votes (10 ratings without comment)

Ask me anything Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

ABOUT

I'm Lauren Glucina, a New Zealand based Naturopath, Medical Herbalist and Nutritionist. My main goal is to empower you to connect with the healing power of Nature. I've been sharing plant-based recipes, natural remedies and health articles here since 2012.

If you're here, you're not here by mistake. You're ready to put your physical, emotional and spiritual health first. Welcome!

BNatMed, AdDip NutMed, BCS.

READ MORE

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Search

Features

Graphic displaying logos of websites, publications and shows Lauren has been featured on

POPULAR POSTS

Chocolate Caramel Slice

BEST chocolate caramel slice (vegan)

Close up of zucchini and corn fritters with cream and dill on top

Vegan Zucchini and Corn Fritters

Close up of a herbal facial steam for dry skin

Herbal Facial Steam with Essential Oils for Dry & Oily Skin

3 essential oils for kids sleep

Essential Oils for Kid's Sleep Support

No-bake Snickers Cake on a white cake stand by the kitchen window

Raw Snickers Cake with Vegan Caramel

Ashwagandha Sleep Tonic

Ashwagandha Sleep Tonic

Two bowls of hot Tuscan soup on a marble counter.

Lemon White Bean Kale Soup

Two bowls of kitchari surrounded by fresh herbs and dried spices

How to make kitchari – an Ayurvedic healing meal

LATEST POSTS

  • Fall crockpot potpourri
    Fall crockpot potpourri
  • How to make dandelion tea (from flower, leaf and root)
    How to make dandelion tea (from flower, leaf and root)
  • How to make mugwort tea for lucid dreaming
    How to make mugwort tea for lucid dreaming
  • Amazing kawakawa – all about this versatile native plant!
    Amazing kawakawa – all about this versatile native plant!
  • BEST chocolate caramel slice (vegan)
    BEST chocolate caramel slice (vegan)
  • Easy feijoa loaf recipe
    Easy feijoa loaf recipe
  • Summer cherry tomato confit
    Summer cherry tomato confit
  • Heavenly spiced feijoa chutney
    Heavenly spiced feijoa chutney
  • Easy Moroccan matbucha salad recipe
    Easy Moroccan matbucha salad recipe
  • Hazelnut granola
    Hazelnut granola

CATEGORIES

  • Ayurvedic Recipes
  • Breakfasts
  • Drinks
  • Essential Oils
  • Featured
  • Ferments
  • Functional Foods
  • Healthy Baking
  • Healthy Dessert Recipes
  • Healthy Dressings + Condiments
  • Kitchen Staples
  • Mains
  • Natural beauty
  • Natural cleaning recipes
  • Natural Health
  • Natural Living
  • Natural Remedies
  • Plant-Based Nutrition
  • Plant-Based Recipes
  • Salads
  • Snacks + Sides
  • Uncategorized
  • Workshops

Footer


PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT
© LAUREN GLUCINA 2012 - 2021, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Copyright © 2025 Ascension Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
1.1K shares
  • 304

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.