Ingredients:

​

1 cup dry green lentils

3 cups water 

1 bay leaf

1 TBSP olive oil

1 pkg (~225g) cremini mushrooms or other brown mushroom, sliced
(you could substitute grated zucchini if you are allergic/don’t like mushrooms)

1/2 large red onion, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, loosely packed then chopped

2 TBSP fresh basil, chopped

2 TBSP vegan Worcestershire sauce  

1/4 tsp liquid smoke 

1 flax egg (1 TBSP flax meal + 3 TBSP water; whisk together and let set 10-15 min.)

1 cup panko bread crumbs 

2 TBSP nutritional yeast 

1/2 tsp dried oregano, ground between palms to remove any woody stems

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dash chili flakes (optional)

 

If frying:

1/4 cup all purpose flour for dredging 

Olive oil for frying 

​

Prepare the lentils:

 

1) Rinse and drain dried lentils. Add to a medium pot with the bay leaf, cover with 3 cups water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover tightly, lower heat, and simmer about 15 minutes. Check doneness and then strain any remaining water. Mash about 1/3 of the lentils and set aside to cool.

 

Prepare the mushroom-onion crumble and assemble mixture::

 

2) Add a drizzle of olive oil to a fry pan and heat over medium. Add onions, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until most of the water has cooked off. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. Add the mixture to a food processor and pulse a few times, just so it forms a choppy crumble but doesn’t turn to mush!

​

3) Mix all remaining meatlessball ingredients to a large bowl and mix together well. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

​

​

Make meatballs:

​

4) Remove from fridge and form balls (I take a heaping tablespoon of the mixture at a time). 

​

Pan-fried method (most delicious):

 

5) Roll each ball in flour to dredge, shaking off excess.

​

6) Pour enough olive oil in a large fry pan to coat. Heat to medium-high. Once hot, add the lentil balls. Roll around every few minutes until all sides are browned. Set on a paper towel-lined plate when finished to drain off any excess oil.

​

Oven baked method (drier but healthier):

 

7) Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Add lentil balls to a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and turn over, then bake for another 10-12 minutes or until cooked to desired crispiness.

​

8) Serve with your favourite pasta/orzo, pasta sauce, and lots of fresh herbs!

​

​

Yields 24 meatlessballs