Lentil and Mushroom Meatballs
This hearty vegetarian "meatballs" recipe is so delicious, even meat eaters love it. Serve with marinara sauce or pesto, on their own or with pasta.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
It began with a bang—the aforementioned explosion that rattled my place like an earthquake. Then came ten inches of snow, hushing the city save for some eerily low, rumbling snow thunder. The roads cleared; we went out on Friday night for dinner and a show. On the way home, we pulled forward at a green light while another driver ran a red light. She hit us hard, and she hit us head on. I didn’t see her coming. I looked over at him, utterly bewildered, after being punched in the nose by an airbag.
We’re ok, and so is the other driver, thankfully. The days since the smoking air bags and glittering glass have been a blur, with my work deadline, more snow, delayed-onset whiplash, an appointment with an ENT. There have been long laughs and lots of food, my first symphony experience and drinks at my friends’ backyard speakeasy. Life is good and we’re no worse for the wear. Speaking of which, do you ever stretch out your limbs and look them over, wondering what kinds of stories they will later have to tell? I do.
With the cold weather and the trauma, I’ve been craving comfort foods. Pasta with marinara sauce has been a favorite since childhood, though in adult years I’ve added loads of veggies and, oddly enough, lentils to the mix. I have never been a traditional meatball eater and probably never will, but this lentil “meatballs” recipe appeals to me as a hearty vegetarian alternative.
Whenever I take a hiatus from blogging, I tend to over-think the recipe that announces my return. I take that back, I over-think every recipe (from the accessibility of the ingredients, to the practicality of the steps, all while struggling with my compulsive drive to try every possible variation), but this one was particularly fueled by perfectionism and procrastination. I liked the idea of lentil meatballs with lots of mushrooms, and a relatively small proportion of gluten-free oats instead of the standard bread crumbs. I almost gave up on the concept after my first try, but my handsome [and alive] fellow’s enthusiasm for the second batch kept me going.
I’ve made three batches of these meatballs so far; the first was a little bland and fell apart too easily on the plate for my liking. The second batch stuck together much better thanks to the addition of eggs, which act as a binder. I also added more lentils (because if you’re going to go to the effort of making these, you might as well end up with leftovers) and spice. The third batch further amplifies the flavor and simplifies the steps. Believe me, if I’m going to suggest a recipe that requires the food processor, the stove and the oven, it has to be great. I think this one is a winner.
These meatballs are great with marinara sauce (jarred organic marinara with fresh tomato flavor is good) or homemade pesto (arugula-walnut pesto is perfect this time of year), with pasta or without. They are plenty hearty on their own. I think I’ll finish off the leftovers on a bed of arugula with lots of parmesan and a light vinaigrette for lunch.
Vegetarian Lentil and Mushroom Meatballs
Hearty vegetarian “meatballs” with just the right amount of spice. Serve with ample marinara sauce or pesto, on their own or on a bed of pasta. These make great leftovers (they taste even better a few hours later).
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms (or white mushrooms), sliced
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried terragon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce (optional)
- 2 eggs
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine lentils, bay leaf, and vegetable broth/water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. (Don’t worry, you want the lentils to be a little undercooked.) Remove from heat, drain and let cool for a few minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
- In a food processor, combine the mushrooms, oats, lentils, parsley and spices (oregano, red pepper flakes, thyme and tarragon). Pulse/blend until the mixture is pretty well pulverized but not mush (see photos).
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil, then add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent and turning golden at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Stir in lentil-mushroom mixture and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add red wine and soy sauce to skillet. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and, if you’re using a pan that retains heat like cast iron, transfer the mixture to a heat-safe bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to cool until it is comfortable to handle.
- In a small bowl, whisk together two eggs, then thoroughly mix the eggs into the lentil and mushroom mixture. Use your hands to scoop up one small handful of the mixture at a time, shaping it into a golf-ball sized ball (about 1 ½-inch diameter). Place each “meatball” onto the baking sheet, leaving an inch of space around each one (you should end up with 15 or more meatballs). Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes
- Adapted from Oh My Veggies and The Meatball Shop, via The New York Times.
- Vegans: You can omit the eggs here, but they act as a binder, so the meatballs will fall apart once you break them with a fork.
- Gluten-free eaters: Make sure your oats are certified gluten free. Tamari is typically wheat/gluten free; other soy sauces are not.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
You’ve done it again, Kate :) I’m pregnant and have been craving “meatballs” for a week now. Naturally I came to your site first since your recipes here and in the cookbook are all staples, and sure enough, you had me covered! These turned out even better than I could have hoped- such great flavor in every bite! My husband was super-impressed with the result, too. Thank you so much for all of your thoroughly-tested, delicious recipes!
I know this recipe is several years old but I’m dying to try it! Any suggestions for what I could use instead of the red wine (due to pregnancy). I know a lot of the alcohol will burn off but I prefer to stay away altogether if possible. Thanks!
Hi! I’m late to the Lentil party but pantry had me trying lots of recipes..Hurray! This recipe is great. Question for my second go.. Red vs Brown lentils. I see that Red tend to get more a mushy texture..would that be better for a meatball ? …FYI.. on our first go around our family enjoyed them with pasta.. the next night we put them in a calzone with buffalo sauce. The teenagers loved loved them so will be making again. Thank you!
Hi Melissa! Great question. Honestly, I find that the more firm lentil holds up well in this recipe. Red lentils can be rather touchy. I’m happy you tried them a few different ways!
My husband and I absolutely loved these meatballs! I made a few alterations to the recipe though. I didn’t have red wine, so I substituted vinegar (both balsamic and white). Also, I added grated mozzarella cheese and pine nuts to it which made them even tastier. Just amazing
Hello, what can I sub the oats for? Or can I omit? Thank you in advance!
Hi! I found oats really really work best here.
Hello Kate,
What can I substitute the red one for in the meatball recipe?
Hi Misha, I’m not sure I understand what you want to replace. The red pepper?
This was amazing thank you thank you!
You’re welcome, Lounette! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Hi Kate,
I make these often, they are fab! Wondering if I mix the balls with pasta and marinara sauce, would they freeze ok?
Hi! I personally don’t find noodles freeze well. The meatballs and marinara should freeze ok!
my mom made them!excellent!!really taste like meat
hola,
we did experiment this recipe with beck and bulow buffalo meat the out put was delicious! must try dish
This recipe was a little buried and it should be front and center. These are delicious! Hearty, tasty, with tons of umami. Bonus: they’re gluten free, which a lot of commercial veg meatballs aren’t!
Delicious!
Can I use white wine?
Hi, I haven’t tried it with this recipe so I can’t say if it will work or not.
Love this recipe! I used white wine tonight with great success. I have made this several times – it is a ‘go to’ in our home
Great to hear, Barbara!
Hi! Is there a good substitute for the red wine?
Hi, I *think* you could just omit it.
Just made them tonight. Put them on cauliflower puree topped with mushroom gravy. Num! They were fabulous!
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Juanita.
Made these and these are seriously one of the most exceptional vegetarian meals I have ever tasted. I served with a slightly spicy marinara sauce and a little boiled orzo (rice shaped) pasta. My husband, a meat eater, was beside himself and insisted on seconds. this one is a keeper. It’s going in our regular weekly cycle until we get sick of it (if we ever do).
hello there,
I am really looking forward to making this. Just wondering if I can sub canned lentils? Thank you.
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure.
I’m searching for a healthy vegan meatball recipe that’ll hold up for subs and I think this is the one! Have you tried these with the precooked lentils from Trader Joe’s? Would you recommend flax egg?
I haven’t, sorry!
These are great! A lot of work for a mom of 4 but totally worth it!
I use flax eggs every time but (1.5x the amount of regular eggs), and it works!
Great to hear, Janelle!
These are so good and satisfying! Quite a few dirty dishes but so worth it as I can eat 3-4 times out of the portion, so perfect for meal prep! The consistency is perfect and they hold together really well. Thank you for such a great recipe (once again)!
I love this recipe! I make these a lot, they are so good. Wondering if you think they would freeze well?
Hi Jenna, I haven’t tried freezing the ‘meatballs’ but they should hold up ok. Let me know if you try it!
Do you think these would freeze well?
They should freeze ok, but I haven’t tried it. Let me know what you think!
Hi Kate. I’m about to try making your lentil and mushroom meatballs for the first time. The recipe says ‘Yield: 4’…. does that mean 4 meatballs or 4 servings? Many thanks. Karen
Hi Karen! You should end up with 15 or more meatballs, but it serves 4 if that makes sense?
Thanks for your reply Kate. After messaging you I printed out the recipe and saw that it was 4 servings! I made them last week and we all enjoyed them. Yummy!
I have been loving your recipes for 6 moths- everything i try is delicious! I came across these lentil meatballs while looking for a lentil meatloaf recipe. Could it be used as a meatloaf? thanks!
I haven’t tried this as a loaf so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
I made this and added rather finely chopped up walnuts in the mix, smashed it all with a potato masher tool, and put it all in a Sloppy Joe concoction (brown sugar, pasta sauce and ketchup), everyone thought it was actually meat!! Seriously!
I doubled the recipe and had a hard time getting the texture right, even in my large food processor. By the time the mushrooms were incorporated, the lentils and everything else were complete mush. If I did it again, I’d do the following:
1) use food processor to chop onions (or leeks, which I used). Empty into a bowl or saute pan.
2) use food processor to chop mushrooms, empty into bowl.
3) use food processor to chop/mix oats and herbs, leave in food processor.
4) add mushrooms to food processor and pulse to combine.
5) add lentils to food processor and pulse to combine. If anything is getting too mushy, turn out into a bowl and mix with a spoon, because everything is already chopped.
Made this recipe, I will make again but use less red pepper flakes.
Thanks
Thank you for your feedback, Kathy! I appreciate your review.
These look tasty! Could you make these as an appetizer? Want to take something like these to our small group Christmas party. Would you put them in a crockpot with a sauce? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Sure! You could try it. Let me know what you think, Angie.
Wow! These are GREAT! I’m so glad you persevered Kate, because the world now has a delicious vegetarian (non) meatball. As another said, the spices are spot on. Forming them was a messy job, but mine all held up right out of the oven. Thank-you!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed them, Joyce.
As an addendum to my previous comment, I am sorry to hear about your car accident! I’m glad you both are OK. <3
My non-vegetarian husband and 5-year old ate this up – thank you!
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Tatyana.
Hi Kate, I am going to try your Lentil Mushroom meatballs. You recommend to serve them with a tomato based sauce or pesto sauce. I want to switch things up a bit since we tend to eat a lot of tomato sauce and pesto. I checked your site for a mushroom sauce but couldn’t find one. Do you have a recommendation for a mushroom sauce that does not use a beef broth? I guess I could substitute a veggie broth (or even chicken), but I thought you might have a recommendation for a healthy recipe (i.e., not loaded with butter) that would provide the richness that a beef broth would without the beef broth.
Thank you!
I don’t have one, sorry! I hope you try this recipe, Bonnie.
This is one of my (right…numerous…) favorite recipes on the site. I love them right off the oven, when they have some crunch around (particularly good with a simple salad), or reheated in your marinara sauce (another fabulous recipe – I skip all others). And they freeze very well: I try to always have one bag of these meatballs handy, for 1, 2 or a whole family meal!
I love to hear you are enjoying so many of my recipes, Nathalie! I appreciate your review.
Hi Nathalie, You mentioned in your review that you freeze batches of these. Do you freeze these before or after baking? TYA. Bonnie
Bonnie, I freeze the remaining baked meatballs (if I am courageous, I double the recipe in order to freeze a whole batch).
First time trying this oldie but goodie recipe. While the steps do take considerable time and effort, it really pays off in flavor! These smelled so good while baking and tasted even better. The only thing I changed was that I added some panko bread crumbs as the first batch came out too wet for my liking.
I’m glad you loved it, Pat! I appreciate your review.
I made these as written. They’re terrific! My meat-eating husband loved them and wants me to make them again. We ate them over zucchini noodles and Cookie & Kate’s Marinara sauce. Wonderful meal. Thank you.
Kate is the best vegetarian food blogger out there. Every time I need a recipe for my daughter who is a vegetarian, I look here first. This recipe like all her other recipes I’ve tried is great. Thanks!
You’re kind, TJ! Thank you for your review.
Yum! I want to share with my baby and just wondered if I could omit the red wine or substitute with something else? I’ll also leave out the soy sauce
Hi, is it possible to use the Trader Joes steamed lentils in this recipe rather than dry lentils? I couldn’t find dry lentils at my local grocery store so I bought the steamed ones to use. Thanks.
I haven’t tried it. If you do, let me know how it turns out for you!
It worked out great! Not sure how different the taste would be if I used the dry but either way they were delicious. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Resh!
Hi, can these be frozen? If so, at what point…before being baked or after? Many thanks
Once baked, they should be ok frozen. Let me know if you try it and how they turn out for you!
Can someone recommend what kind of red wine has worked best in this recipe? Just a table red or a specific grape?
Hi. Does Yield 4 mean feeds 4 or only makes 4 meatballs?
Would these work to substitute quinoa for the oats? I am looking to add a little more protein.
Hi Rachel, I haven’t tested that, and the oats do help with the binding so the texture would be slightly different. I would love to hear how they turn out if you try it!