Delicious vegan lentil meatballs with a tomato sauce and toasted pine nuts. Add some fresh parsley and you have a substantial meal or side dish. You could serve this with some couscous or flat bread. I used brown lentils (organic, tinned) to save time.
“If you have a family that loves you, a few good friends, food on the table and a roof over your head, you are richer than you think.” Unknown…
Lentil “Meatballs”
Serves 4
Ingredients
“Meatballs”
1 x 400g tin of organic brown lentils (drain and rinse)
1 brown onion (diced)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 carrot (peeled and diced)
1/2 cup sweet potato (diced and roasted)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (roasted)
1/3 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Tomato sauce
3 tomatoes (diced)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 brown onion (diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
(or you could just add a tin of organic crushed tomatoes if you are pressed for time)
Large bunch parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)
What do I do now?
For the meatballs – put your sweet potato and cherry tomato into the oven (200 degrees celsius) with a little olive oil to roast for about 20 minutes. In the mean time fry the onion, garlic and carrot on low heat for about 5 minutes.
When the sweet potato and tomato is cooked blend to a smooth paste in a food processor with the walnuts and olive oil. Add this paste to the pan and fry for a further 5 minutes with the onion mix. Mix your lentils through, cook for another minute or two and then remove from the heat to cool.
When cool form into small balls and bake for 30 minutes in the oven (200 degrees celsius).
Pour your tomato sauce around the meatballs. Add toasted pine nuts and parsley. Serve. Enjoy.
Anything else I should know?
You could substitute the sweet potato for mushrooms and add semi-dried tomato to this. This is one of those dishes that is better the day after you make it. If you like it hot, add some chilli to the tomato sauce.
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe but I have a question. Are Are the lentils precooked?
Thanks
Hi Yvette, I used pre-cooked lentils for this one (organic, tinned) but you could soak dried lentils, cook and then use those if you prefer.