Yesterday I was browsing through my pins on Pinterest and I came upon a corn recipe.
Corn. It looked so good. So fresh. Yellow. Delicious. I wanted to cry a little. I could almost taste it, but the almost part made it even worse--almost, but not really.
We're on the cusp of winter, which means that summer is six months away. It is not going to be corn season anytime soon. No, it's winter--winter, the time to eat… well, I guess the same things we've been eating since fall? More sweet potatoes? More winter squash? Mushrooms and broccoli and all those things that might have a season, but don't really have a season because we buy them year-round?
Lentil Mushroom Meatballs have been on my recipe to-do list since last spring, but somehow they seem appropriate for winter. If a big bowl of spaghetti topped with marinara sauce and meatballs could have a season, it would be winter, right?
These meatballs took a lot of trial and error. The first time I made them, I used French lentils. The meatballs were almost perfect, but needed a little adjustment in the seasoning department. So the second time, I used brown lentils. Disaster! The meatballs were mushy in the center, although the seasoning was right this time.
Lesson? The lentils need to be undercooked. I didn't want to call for French lentils in the recipe since they're not available at all supermarkets. So in order to use brown lentils, I cooked them for a shorter amount of time than you normally would. After cooking, they get pulsed with mushrooms in the food processor until the mixture is coarsely chopped. This mixture is then browned in a skillet before forming the meatballs. (Does this sound complicated? I swear, it's not!)
I also baked the meatballs instead of frying them, so in order to help them keep their shape, I put them in mini muffin tins. Oh sure, they get a little flat on the bottom, but don't they look like perfect little meatballs on top?
Chris loves the frozen soy meatballs and I think I've finally come up with a good alternative--well, at least, according to him, I have. They're savory and delicious and made with real, whole ingredients like lentils, mushrooms, and oats. Although they are perfect in a big bowl of spaghetti, they'd also make fantastic meatball subs or sliders.
I guess winter isn't so bad, huh? Maybe I can wait that six months for corn...
Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ c. dried brown lentils rinsed and picked over
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 c. water
- 8 oz. white mushrooms
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp. red wine
- ½ c. vegetable or mushroom broth
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce or liquid aminos
- ½ c. old-fashioned oats
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- salt + pepper to taste
- oil mister or cooking spray
Instructions
- Combine lentils, bay leaf, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. (Yes, the lentils will be undercooked--don't cook them for the time indicated on the package!) Remove from heat, drain, and cool slightly. Discard bay leaf.
- Add mushrooms and lentils to food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), stirring constantly. Stir in mushroom-lentil mixture. Cook for about 4 minutes or until browned, stirring constantly.
- Add red wine to skillet and cook until evaporated. Stir in broth, soy sauce, oats, and Italian seasoning. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and allow to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Once mixture is cool enough to work with, shape it into 12 uniformly-sized meatballs. Place each in a mini-muffin tin that's been coated in oil or cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
Liz says
Was looking for a recipe for 'meatless Monday' nite and found this. We are not vegetarian but looking to eat healthier. I made the balls and they were very good but I'm not sure I baked them long enough. Should the insides be completely firm inside or somewhat crumbly when cut in half?
Kiersten Frase says
They're not as firm inside as a meatball made with meat--the texture is definitely different!
Nicole says
Pinned these and can't wait to try them! I tried to make a version, and I failed miserably :/ However, I did come up with a great healthy bbq sauce to accompany them if served as an app... http://www.dancetothebeet.com/healthy-bourbon-bbq-sauce/
I'll have to try out that combo. Love the site and the recipes!
Kiersten Frase says
Well hey, at least you got a BBQ sauce out of it! 🙂 It took me a while to perfect the whole meatless meatball thing. They are a beast.
Emily says
Any advice for keeping these at a meatball consistency? Mine refused to hold a shape, even after baking. I ended up tossing them with some jarred spaghetti sauce to make more of a bolognese, but how did you get yours to look like meatballs?
Kiersten Frase says
I'm sorry they didn't stay together for you! Was the meatball mixture wet enough? It sounds like maybe it was a little too dry if they didn't hold their shape even before baking. If you're not a vegan, you could add a beaten egg.
maya says
I'm thinking about making this recipe but I don't have any soy sauce or liquid aminos. What can I use instead?
maya says
And i don't use wine in my food either
Kiersten Frase says
You can substitute tamari for the soy sauce, but if you don't use that either and you don't use the wine, it's really going to impact the flavor of the recipe.
Aparna says
Have missed spaghetti and meatballs since I became a vegetarian 7 years ago and these were really awesome! Look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Kiersten Frase says
7 years is definitely too long to go without meatballs! 🙂 I'm happy to hear you enjoyed them!
christine says
hello, im just wondering if i make this a day before ,then refrigerate them so that the next day i can just heat it up then bring it for lunch, will it still be nice? thank you (:
Kiersten Frase says
The leftovers do hold up well! You can also make a big batch and freeze them. 🙂
ASHLEY says
These are delicious and EASY!!!! Way better than some of the vegetarian grocery brands who sell vegetarian meatballs. Definitely hit the spot I made small meatballs and made my husband a meatball sub!!!
Kiersten Frase says
Thank you! I'm happy to hear they were a hit. 🙂
MGM says
I tried this recipe, and I was eating the "meat" balls even before I put them in the oven. They are so good!! I used two tablespoons of arrowroot powder to keep the shape of the balls. Thank you for sharing!
Kiersten Frase says
I always do that when I make them too. 🙂 You can't do that with regular meatballs, can you?!
mel says
These are excellent! I'm new at cooking without meat, so the transition has been quite a challenge; however, this was a pleasant surprise. Thanks so much!
Kiersten Frase says
Thanks for your comment - I'm glad to hear they were a hit! 🙂
Shannon says
Is red cooking wine okay to use or do you use drinking wine?
Kiersten Frase says
Either one is okay. I usually use a cheap drinking wine.
Kristina says
Hello there! Do you think I could forgo the mushrooms and just use lentils… or does the mushroom have a significant impact on the texture and holding it together?
Amy says
Made these tonight. Oh my! So, so good!! Thanks for such a yummy recipe! I"m on Weight Watchers-I do the Simply Filling plan, and everything (except the red wine) is on program. This was soon good! Thanks!
Anne says
This was fantastic- I have a four year old who doesn't eat meat, so we are on the look out for vegetarian recipes that keep us all interested! I didn't have a bottle of red open and subbed some sherry I had in fridge, it was delicious. I also added freshly grated Parm and an egg to the mixture, which helped it stay together better and added to making it feel more like a traditional meatball. I put in 6 garlic cloves, instead of 2, and it was not overwhelmingly garlicky. If you taste as you go along making this it's just ok...but the finished product all together, it's perfect!
Johanna says
These look amazing! My boyfriend and I had a major facepalm moment when I came across this recipe though. We have pretty much all the ingredients on hand for these meatballs, but we just made spaghetti (with chickpeas) last night. We'll definitely be trying this sometime in the next couple of weeks.
I do have a question though. What would be the best substitution (flavor wise) for the red wine in this recipe? We don't drink enough to warrant buying a bottle.
Kiersten Frase says
There's not really a perfect substitute, but sometimes when I'm cooking with mushrooms and don't have wine on hand, I'll use a small amount of red wine vinegar or even balsamic vinegar instead. I just think mushrooms need a little oomph and red wine does that so well. 🙂
Nina at focusedonfit.com says
These look fantastic - can't wait to try them!!!! Maybe on the menu for this weekend?! Looks delicious and healthy!
Marion says
Just put mine in the oven but the family has tasted the mixture and looking forward to eating the meatballs. My granddaughter grabbed some to spread on toast! Getting the spaghetti and sauce ready while the meatballs are cooking. I added some chopped chipotles in adobe sauce for some spice.
gayle says
Would putting the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes before making the meatballs help with holding them together?
Jana says
These look soooo good! Yum! And they've been featured on the Facebook page of the Vegetarian Society New Zealand! 🙂
Keep up the great work!
Lots of love from NZ,
Jana
gayle says
I made them today and were amazing. Held together well, just make sure you pulse enough and let the moisture absorb in the cooking. I have made veggie meatballs numerous times, but they have eggs and cheese and nuts. These are a nice alternative to have and when people eat vegan, these are perfect. I doubled the recipe, but used red wine vinegar and did not double that, rolled into meatballs and just placed on a stoneware cookie sheet (any cookie sheet would work though). They held their shape during cooking, no flat bottoms. This made 30 meatballs. I did give them a turn in the last 10 min. of cooking, only cause I forgot to do it sooner. If the mixture would not have held together in the beginning, I would have put in fridge for 20-30 min, but it was not necessary. Thanks for recipe!
Sorrel says
Just tried these. They were delicious, and 100% approved by both the 4 yr old and the 18 month old - no mean feat! I will definitely try it as a Bolognese too. Thank you very much!
Sue Kern says
Since I had tried your salisbury steak with outstanding results, I went straight for a double batch of these meatless balls (made 26). We were not disappointed! The only change I made was to add a binder made with ground flax seed and water which I added after cooking everything down, while the dough was cooling. I used a cookie scoop for shaping, just baked them on a sheet pan with a silpat. Like yours, these balls were flat on one side, but that helped keep them from rolling off the plate. Thanks for an excellent recipe.
Kiersten Frase says
I'm glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
laura says
These look delicious but I just can't find brown lentils, will any other do? :)x
Dina says
Thank you for a wonderful recipe! Served this with brown pasta and tomato sauce - absolutely delicious!
Jacque says
These were a BUST--here's why, I think: I made them the night before and didn't have time to form the balls so the mixture was cold when I did so. (Also I may not have blended the lentils enough. Many were still whole.) I formed about 3/4 of them, most of which were falling apart, before I beat and egg and added that. (I'm meat-free but I do eat egg. However I was glad to see the tip to use Arrowroot above, for my egg-allergy friend.) So anyway those balls held together great; the rest completely fell apart during baking and definitely didn't last in the sauce. Bottom line: tasty, but I would form while still warm, and the mini muffin tin idea would definitely help.
Mimi B says
I'm trying these today! At what point do you add in the oats?
Kiersten says
The oats are added in the 4th step.
Kirsty says
Hi! I just made these and they were sooo good! Do you know if you can make a big batch and freeze them?
Kiersten says
Yes, these freeze really well! Bake them first, then freeze them.