Veggie Balls (Vegetarian Meatballs)
Baked veggie balls made with vegetables, herbs, and breadcrumbs. A simple vegetarian meatball alternative perfect for pasta, bowls, or appetizers.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked red lentils (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 onion, minced
- 1 zucchini, shredded
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustart
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Soak raw lentils in water for 20 min. Properly rinse and throw them in a large pot filled with water. Boil for 20 min. Drain and set aside.
- Here’s a fun trick to quickly cook sweet potatoes . With a fork, pierce the sweet potatoes evenly and microwave them (in a microwave safe dish) for 5 min. The little holes will help the steam escape and cook! If your are on the larger side, they may need an extra minute or two.
- When the sweet taters are done, take 2 forks and carefully remove and discard the skin without getting burned. You’ll see, the skin will easily come off . Cut them into little cubes.
- Shred the zucchini and remove excess water by placing the shredded zucchini in a paper towel sheet, fold the paper towel over and squeeze the water out.
- In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix well.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with some breadcrumbs. With a spoon, scoop out the mixture and shape your veggie balls to the size of golf balls. Place on baking sheet.
- When done shaping all the veggie balls, sprinkle them with some more breadcrumbs.
- Drizzle with some olive oil and bake for 45 min. After 25 min, I check up on them and drizzle some more EVOO Enjoy!