Our Best Vegan Meatballs
- PREP 20min
- COOK 30min
- TOTAL 50min
These vegan meatballs are tender and flavorful, thanks to a mixture of lentils, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. See our article for tips on making them in advance. You can cook the lentils up to three days in advance and keep the meatball mixture in the fridge overnight.
You Will Need
1 cup uncooked green lentils, also called French Lentils or Lentilles du Puy
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces mushroom, 1 portobello mushroom cap
4 ounces onion, 1/2 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons mushroom powder, optional, see our notes
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup breadcrumbs, we love panko breadcrumbs
Fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Prepare Lentils
Rinse 1 cup of lentils, and then place in a medium pot and cover with two to three inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, but before they become mushy, about 20 minutes.
Drain, and then spread onto a baking sheet to air dry before using. If you are making these in advance, transfer lentils to an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
Prepare Mushroom and Onions
Cut mushroom and onion into large chunks, and then add to the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic cloves. Pulse until finely chopped.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the mushroom-onion mixture and cook, occasionally stirring, until starting to soften; about 2 minutes.
Stir in 1/2-teaspoon of fine sea salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, mushroom powder (optional), and 1/2-teaspoon of pepper. Cook until the mushrooms give off their liquid and it boils away; another 5 minutes.
Prepare Meatballs
Wipe out the bowl of the food processor, and then scatter the flaxseed meal, three tablespoons of water, nutritional yeast, and breadcrumbs over the bottom of the bowl and leave it alone for 5 minutes.
Pulse a few times to blend. Next, add the onion-mushroom mix and cooked lentils, and pulse until the mixture is well blended — see our photos in the article for reference. The mixture should look mostly blended together and almost smooth.
Form the mixture into balls, about 1 ounce each—cook as desired.
Cooking the Meatballs
Stovetop method: Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Gently place the meatballs into the oil and cook, occasionally turning them until well browned and heated through on the inside. Serve with warmed marinara sauce.
Baking method: Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Arrange meatballs on the baking sheet and spray or lightly drizzle with oil. Bake until browned and heated through; 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with warmed marinara sauce.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Mushroom powder can be purchased in specialty stores on online. You can also make it yourself. Here’s our mushroom powder recipe!
- Nutritional yeast is a dairy-free, flaky ingredient that tastes nutty, savory, and cheesy. It’s a nutrient powerhouse and we love the added flavor it provides the meatballs. You can leave it out or if you are not vegan, can substitute with 1/4 cup finely grated cheese.
- To make these gluten-free, use GF certified ingredients and substitute rolled oats for the breadcrumbs. Use 1/3 cup of rolled oats and then add more if needed.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. We did not include any oil required for cooking them since you can choose to cook on the stove or in the oven.