Easy Lentil Meatballs with Fresh Tomato Sauce
This easy lentil meatballs recipe with fresh tomato sauce is perfect for a quick summer lunch in the garden or serve it with spaghetti for an easy family supper.
Servings 16
Calories 62kcal
Ingredients
For the Lentil Meatballs
- 100 g red lentils rinsed
- 375 ml water
- 1 generous tsp Marmite
- 1 small onion peeled and diced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- a little olive oil for brushing
For the Fresh Tomato and Hidden Veg Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion peeled and diced
- 1 stick celery diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 400 g can of chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 can of water
- 1 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
To Make Vegan Lentil Meatballs
- Place lentils and water in a pan and bring to the boil.
- Stir in the Marmite, reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes until lentils are cooked to a lumpy puree and water has been absorbed. Stir regularly. Add a little more water if needed during cooking. Remove from heat.
- Transfer cooked lentils to a bowl and add remaining ingredients apart from the olive oil. Stir until well combined. Add more breadcrumbs if needed. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F, line a baking tray with baking parchment.
- Take a spoonful of lentil mixture and roll in your hands to make a walnut sized ball (slightly wet hands help here), place on your prepared baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- Brush with a little olive oil (omit if you want to make these oil free) and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until browned. Serve with fresh tomato sauce.
To Make Fresh Tomato Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a gentle heat.
- Gently fry the onion, celery and carrots for 10 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
- Add the oregano and paprika and stir to combine.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, rinse the tin with half a cup of water and add the resulting tomatoey water to the pan.
- Simmer with a lid on for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about a third and the sauce is thick.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an approximate guideline. Calculations will vary according to the ingredients you use and your cooking methods.
Nutrition
Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 813IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg