Vegan Lentil Meatballs with Ras el Hanout

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Warm, spiced, and comforting, these vegan lentil meatballs with ras el hanout are a simple plant-based dinner everyone will love.

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Vegan Lentil Meatballs with Ras el Hanout is a brilliant way to use up cooked lentils and veggies. Warm spices, plenty of veg, and a satisfying texture make these lentil meatballs perfect for weeknight meals, meal prep, or sharing with friends.

Fancy trying other vegan dinners from around the world? Why not try our Sweet Paprika Spanish-Style Stuffed Eggplants, or perhaps Thai Jackfruit Curry, or even some crunchy Sweet Potato Chips with Tikka Masala.

The Ingredients

Here`s everything you need to make the lentils. You’ll find the recipe video and the full list of Ingredients and measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ingredient Notes and Swaps

Cooked lentils – I love the organic cooked lentils that come in a jar, vegan, gluten-free, with no added sugar. You open them, and they are ready to eat. They are Ideal as an accompaniment to any meal. You can substitute green soya beans as they are small too and blend well. Or if you prefer and have the time, you can cook lentils from scratch.

Vegetables used: mushrooms, onion, garlic, leek, zucchini, and carrot.

A slice of wholemeal bread (to blend into breadcrumbs) – substitute: gluten-free bread if needed.

Ras el Hanout spice – substitute: any other spice blend you like.

Whole corn flour – substitute: chickpea flour or plain/all-purpose flour.

Aquafaba – (liquid from the lentils)

For the Sauce:

Natural tomato sauce – substitute: your favorite sauce

1 tbsp nutritional yeast – substitute: a small amount of vegan cheese if preferred

What Spice is Ras el Hanout?

Embedded within the Mediterranean flavor is Ras el Hanout, which means “head of the shop.” The Moroccan spice may consist any where beween 20 and 100 different spices, ranging from clove, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cilantro, turmeric, paprika, nutmeg, cumin, etc.

The spice can be used to flavor soups and stews, roasted vegetables, rice, or couscous.

Let`s Make Vegan Lentil Meatballs

1. Start by chopping the vegetables. Add the chopped vegetables to a skillet with a small amount of olive oil and fry.

2. Lightly fry them in a small amount of olive oil until slightly browned.
Grate or press the garlic cloves into the pan.

3. Cook the vegetables on a medium heat for 5 minutes.

4. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

5. Drain the lentils and add them to the vegetables.

6.  Pop the bread into a blender with the aquafaba liquid that you drained from the cooked lentils. Blend it into a smooth, thick paste.

7. Place the prepared mixture into a fridge for one hour. This will set the mixture and make it more rollable. Using a small spoon, scoop out some mixture and roll it into a ball.

8. Paste the bottom of the cast-iron pan with oil. Lightly fry the lentil balls on medium heat. Toss them occasionally until they turn golden brown.

9. Add the tomato sauce with a couple of tablespoons of water, stir, and remove from the heat.

10. Serve hot with a yummy piece of Tomato on toast.

Recipe FAQs

Are you just starting on your plant-based journey? Here you will find all the answers to your questions about going vegan with our EASY Starter Guide to a Whole Food Plant-Based Vegan Diet

More Easy Vegan Dinners you might like

Poor Man’s Eggplant Recipe (Berenjenas a lo Pobre)

Read More Poor Man’s Eggplant Recipe (Berenjenas a lo Pobre)

Sweet Paprika Spanish-Style Stuffed Eggplants

Read More Sweet Paprika Spanish-Style Stuffed Eggplants

Creamy Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and Bamboo Shoots

Read More Creamy Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and Bamboo Shoots

Easy Thai Jackfruit Curry Recipe

Read More Easy Thai Jackfruit Curry Recipe

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Recipe Card and Notes

Did you make this recipe? I’d love for you to leave a comment and give it a 5-Star ★★★★★ Rating below, and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram,  YouTube,  Facebook,  Pinterest, and TikTok. Finally, why not join our community and get recipes straight to your inbox! Never miss a recipe– SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Vegan Lentil Meatballs

Warm, spiced, and comforting, these vegan lentil meatballs with ras el hanout are a simple plant-based dinner everyone will love

by Julie Anne

Print Pin Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Main Dinner, starter

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 3 servings(5 balls)

Calories 212 kcal

Equipment

1 Cast iron skillet

1 Food processor

1 Mixing Bowl

Ingredients   

1x2x3x

For the lentil meatballs

• ▢ 240 g cooked lentils
• ▢ 1 large mushroom or 2 small
• ▢ 1 onion
• ▢ 1 carrot
• ▢ 5 garlic cloves
• ▢ ½ Zucchini
• ▢ 1 leek
• ▢ 1 slice wholemeal bread to blend into breadcrumbs
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Ra's el hanout spice
• ▢ 60g whole corn flour
• ▢ 4 tablspoons Aquafaba liquid from the lentils
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Olive oil for cooking

For the sauce

• ▢ 300 g tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 table spoons of water
• ▢ 1 table spoons nutritional yeast

Watch me Make it (Video)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions  

• Chop the onion, garlic, zucchini, leek, carrot, and mushrooms into tiny pieces.
• Heat a pan with a small amount of oil and gently fry the onion, garlic, leek, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms for 5 minutes until the carrots and zucchini soften.
• Drain the liquid (aquafaba) from the lentils and set aside.
• Transfer the vegetables to a mixing bowl, then pour in the organic cooked lentils, salt, ras el hanout and mix well.
• Add the slice of bread and the aquafaba to a blender and blend until a smooth, thick paste. Add the paste to the lentils and vegetables. Fold in the flour and give it a final mix to combine all the ingredients.
• Pop the mixture in the fridge for approximately one hour so the mixture forms a dough kind of consistancy.
• Using a medium spoon, scoop out the mixture in your hand and roll it into a golf ball size, place them onto a plate ready to cook.
• Add a little oil to the skillet. Lightly fry them, tossing them occasionally until they are golden brow in n color.
• Add the tomato sauce and water, stir well for a couple of minutes.
• Remove from the heat and serve the meatballs while they are still hot. Enjoy!

Notes & Suggestions

• The meatballs can be made gluten-free by substituting the whole bread for gluten-free bread.
• If the mixture feels too wet, add a little more breadcrumbs or corn flour.
• If it feels too dry, add a small splash of aquafaba or water.
  These lentil meatballs can be pan-fried or baked, depending on your preference.
• The best way to freeze the meatballs is let the lentil balls cool fully, then place them on a tray in a single layer so they’re not touching. Freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. This stops them from sticking together and makes it easy to take out only what you need.

 

 

 

Nutrition Profile

Nutrition

Vegan Lentil Meatballs

Serving Size

 

1 serving (5 balls)

Amount per Serving

Calories

212

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

6

g

9

%

Carbohydrates

 

25

g

8

%

Fiber

 

8

g

33

%

Sugar

 

4

g

4

%

Protein

 

11

g

22

%

Vitamin A

 

4.1

IU

0

%

Vitamin C

 

12

mg

15

%

Calcium

 

85

mg

9

%

Iron

 

3.4

mg

19

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated automatically per serving. Values may vary depending on ingredients used and serving size. Adjust calculations accordingly if changes are made.

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