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Eggplant and Lentil Vegan Meatballs

These Eggplant and Lentil Vegan Meatballs are everything we could hope for in a non-meatball. They are full of flavour with a perfect meaty texture. They can charm even the vegan skeptics into reaching for another.
Course Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine Italian, vegan
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 25 meatballs
Calories 56kcal

Ingredients

Eggplant and Lentil Meatballs:

  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 eggplant (about 425g)
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free oats , plus more if needed
  • 1 cup cooked green lentils
  • 1/3 cup black olives , pits removed and chopped
  • 1/2 lemon zest and juice
  • 2 tsp tamari
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper flakes , plus more to taste
  • pinch sea salt and pepper

Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti

  • 3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 25 oz tomato sauce (700g)
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • splash red wine (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper flakes
  • more sea salt and pepper , to taste
  • 16 oz whole wheat spaghetti noodles (1 packet, or 450g)

Instructions

For the meatballs:

  • Finely chop garlic and onion and add to skillet with coconut oil. Bring to med-high heat and cook to soften (10 mins). Chop eggplant into bite sized pieces and add to the skillet. Cook until softened (15 mins).
  • Pulse oats in food processor until  flour substance, then transfer to a bowl. Transfer the eggplant mixture to food processor with lentils, olives, lemon juice, tamari and tahini. Pulse to combine.
  • Spice meatball mixture with cumin, nutritional yeast, cayenne, and pinch salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 cup of ground oats. Pulse to combine. (The oats will help to thicken the meatballs. Texture should be moist, but you want it dry enough to handle with your hands. I needed only 1/2 cup ground oats, but add more if needed).
  • Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Shape meatball mixture into little balls and place on tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are golden.
  • Make tomato sauce: add chopped garlic and coconut oil to saucepan. Bring to med-high heat and cook until softened (3 mins). Pour in tomato puree and cook on a gentle simmer. Add a generous pinch of salt, lemon juice, and splash red wine. Sprinkle with cayenne, more salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add meatballs to sauce and gently mix to combine. Keep meatballs on low heat while you cook spaghetti.
  • Cook spaghetti in large pot of water for 7-8 minutes, or until al-dente. Strain and divide into bowls. Top with saucy meatballs.

Notes

These meatballs are so delicious you can enjoy them on their own. Or, they can be stuffed into pita wrap with some lettuce and tahini to drizzle. But my favourite way to enjoy them is tossed into my classic tomato sauce and scooped over spaghetti noodles.
The ground oats in this recipe will help to thicken the meatball mix. The texture should be moist, but you want it dry enough to handle with your hands. I needed only 1/2 cup ground oats. If the texture is too wet add more oats, if the mixture is too dry add a bit of oil or tahini.
Tomato puree means that it's made up of 100% tomatoes. Often tomato sauces will have added sugar and other seasonings. Try to buy 100% organic tomatoes, either in a can or jar, and use the recipe above to season at home.
Nutrition facts is a rough estimate; for 1 meatball without spaghetti. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g