Easy Vegan Meatballs

These Easy Vegan Meatballs are one of my favorite dishes to make because they are so versatile. You can serve them as an appetizer, main course, or even a side dish. Plus, they're a great way to get some extra protein and fiber into your diet.

I'm using lentils and walnuts as the main ingredients in this recipe. The results are veggie meatballs that are perfect for any occasion!

These veggie meatballs with lentils, walnuts, and fennel seed are comforting and satisfying when you want something hearty and substantial. They are perfect with pasta or zoodles and marinara sauce!

I am excited to share this recipe for easy vegan meatballs with you! What led me to make this recipe was a friend reminiscing about some delicious vegan lentil walnut meatballs she had in the past. When I heard her talk about how much she enjoyed them and missed having this comfort food, I knew I wanted to create a recipe.

These are the best vegan meatballs! They take a little over an hour to make, including cooking the lentils, assembling, and baking. Most of the time is inactive. This is an excellent recipe for cooking during the week or meal prep over the weekends. It's sure to become a favorite!

Equipment

All you need to make these Mediterranean style easy vegan meatballs are:

• small saucepan for cooking the lentils
• wooden spoon
• food processor
• spatula
• 2 baking sheets
• medium-large mixing bowl
• spiralizer for zucchini, if serving

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Substitutions are further below.

• fresh parsley, do not use dried parsley
• psyllium husk, a binding agent common in gluten-free baking/cooking
• fennel seed - we like fennel seed, and this recipe reflects that. You can start with ½ teaspoon if you prefer. See Substitutions below.
• walnut halves - you will chop these in the food processor unless you prefer to do it by hand.

How to make Easy Vegan Meatballs

First, you will cook the lentils on the stovetop, unless you have some that you previously prepared. While the lentils are cooking, measure and assemble the rest of the ingredients, and turn on the oven. Set aside a baking sheet for cooling the lentils.

Set aside another baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper liner for the meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Chop the walnuts in the food processor until no large pieces remain. Add the rest of the ingredients, saving the cooled lentils for last. Pulse several times for a couple of seconds each time, until the mixture comes together.

Place the mixture in a bowl and start assembling the meatballs. Roll them up to the size of a golf ball, 12 portions for hearty meatballs, or make 16 slightly smaller meatballs. Place in the oven to bake.

After 30 to 35 minutes, the meatballs will be golden brown on the outside. Time to take them out of the oven! Let them cool briefly before adding them to zoodles or pasta. Then top with a healthy serving of marinara!

These meatballs stay together well; they do not fall apart, and they are very tender on the inside. They are delicious by themselves, but I enjoy them the most with chunky marinara sauce.

If you are going to serve them with zoodles, prepare the zucchini noodles, one zucchini per person. This can be done while the meatballs are baking. I use this spiralizer; the green attachment is perfect for zucchini.

How to serve

Enjoy these easy vegan meatballs with your favorite pasta and my Vegan Marinara Sauce!

For a gluten-free alternative that is perfect for summer, serve them on top of zoodles (zucchini noodles) shown in the photo below with my Vegan Marinara Sauce. This sauce is hearty, flavorful, and slightly chunky, making it the perfect accompaniment to these meatballs.

Variations

Kid-friendly - Instead of fennel, use ½ teaspoon of oregano.

Spicy - Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Deluxe - Add a sprinkling of vegan Parmesan on top. I like Violife.

Substitutions

Lentils - you can use rice instead

Walnuts - you can try sunflower seeds, almonds, or peans instead

Fennel - this recipe is fennel forward. You can use oregano instead, I'd start with ½ teaspoon dried oregano or an Italian seasoning mix.

How to store

Let the meatballs cool and then place them in a glass container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.

To freeze them (without sauce), let them cool first, place it in a glass container, and then in the freezer for up to 1 to 2 months. To thaw them, put them in the fridge several hours before you plan to eat them. Reheat them in the oven at 350F for approximately 20 minutes.

Why call these meatballs?

You may be wondering if this recipe doesn't contain meat, why call it meatballs? Everyone knows what veggie burgers are, but does anyone question why they are called burgers? I have several reasons for naming my recipe; read on if you are curious.

• The edible part of walnut is called meat. The word meat originates from the Old English word mete, which meant food in general.

• The term meat does not refer to animal flesh exclusively, nor does butter refer to dairy-based butter exclusively. If we can have almond milk and peanut butter, why not meat-free meatballs or vegan meatballs?  

• This recipe can be referred to as vegan "meatballs," lentil balls, or lentil walnut balls (doesn't that sound funny?). People search for various terms. I could have called this recipe veggie meatballs, but I went with vegan meatballs instead for online search purposes.

Related recipes

If you love lentils and walnuts, take a look at my Vegan Meatloaf Recipe!

I'd love to hear from you! If you make these Easy Vegan Meatballs, let me know what you think by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes, so I don't miss it.

Easy Vegan Meatballs

Emily Miller

These Easy Vegan Meatballs with lentils and walnuts are comforting and satisfying when you want something hearty and substantial, yet not heavy. They are perfect with pasta or zoodles and marinara sauce!

5 from 18 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Meatballs 35 mins

Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 people

Calories 366 kcal

Equipment

• small saucepan
• food processor
• 2 baking sheets
• non-stick silicone baking mats
• Spatula
• wooden spoon
• cookie scoop
• medium-large bowl
• spiralizer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup dry green lentils rinsed until water runs clear
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt divided
• ▢ 2 cups walnut halves
• ▢ 4 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
• ▢ 1 tablespoon psyllium husk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seed (leave whole)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ▢ 1 Medjool date pitted
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 large shallot minced approx. ⅓ cup
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper fresh ground

Instructions

 

• Place lentils in a medium pot and cover with 2 cups of water, add ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover loosely. Simmer until lentils around 20 minutes, until lentils are soft but not falling apart. If they are not done at this point, check every 5 minutes until done. Strain any liquid. Let cool on a baking sheet.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
• Place 2 cups walnuts in the food processor. Briefly pulse a couple of times until small pieces remain with no large chunks. Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt, parsley, coconut oil, flaxseed meal, psyllium husk, fennel seed, poultry seasoning, date, black pepper, garlic, shallot, and black pepper in the food processor. Add 2 cups of the cooked lentils, Process in bursts until the mixture holds together. Place the mixture into a bowl and stir the ingredients briefly to make sure they are combined.
• With a cookie scoop, make balls that are approximately 2 inches in size. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they start browning. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

• This recipe makes 12 to 16 balls. If you would like the meatballs to be less calorie-dense, make smaller meatballs than the ones pictured. I have made 16 slightly smaller meatballs and they are just as delicious!
• If you are serving these with zucchini noodles, spiralize one zucchini per person.
• Refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days or freeze for 1 to 2 months
• The calorie count is for the meatballs only; the marinara and zucchini are not included.

Nutrition

Serving: 2meatballsCalories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 23.4gProtein: 10.8gFat: 27.2gSaturated Fat: 5.8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.4gSodium: 262.6mgPotassium: 233.4mgFiber: 8.8gSugar: 4.6gVitamin A: 275.2IUVitamin C: 4.8mgCalcium: 63.2mgIron: 4.2mg

Keyword comfort, easy, Gluten-free, healthy, lentil, walnut

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Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.