• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Learn how food affects your body. Get Free Nutrition Info Today

the-lean-green-bean-logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Kids
  • Resources
    • Ebooks
    • Food Prep
    • Videos
    • Snack Round-Ups
    • Gift Guides
  • About
    • Become An RD
    • Work With Me
  • Search
the-lean-green-bean-logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Kids
  • Resources
    • Ebooks
    • Food Prep
    • Videos
    • Snack Round-Ups
    • Gift Guides
  • About
    • Become An RD
    • Work With Me
  • Search

Meatless Meatballs

November 22, 2011 by Lindsay 29 Comments

205 shares
  • Facebook6
  • Twitter
  • Email

Hi Friends!

I’m pretty sure all of you are probably familiar with the kind of night I had last night. You know the kind where, after working so hard the week before you go out of town to clear out your fridge, you come home from vacation exhausted and haven’t made it to the grocery store yet? But also the kind where you’re so tired of eating out that you can’t possibly stomach another night of eating something you didn’t cook yourself?

You know those nights. And on those nights, you have to get a little bit creative. One of my goals over winter break is to cook a few meals that freeze well so i’ll be better prepared for nights like these….but I think I did pretty well last night, all things considered.

meatlessmeatball4

Since we started our vegetarian experiment, I’ve made spaghetti with a lentil bolognese sauce a few times. I usually load up my spaghetti sauce with extra veggies anyways so it really wasn’t all that much of a change. Last night, however, I wanted to change it up a bit and decided to attempt some meatless meatballs. I’ve been thinking about them ever since Lindsay posted these Cheesy Meatless Meatballs a while ago. After googling a bit more, I also found these Lentil-Ricotta “Meatballs” from In Jennie’s Kitchen. It just so happened that I had a container of ricotta in my otherwise barren fridge so I based my recipe off Jennie’s, with several additions. I had some leftover rice that I threw in, along with some onion for texture. I also had some homemade pesto in the freezer that I thawed out and added. I’m not always crazy about traditional Italian seasonings so I wanted something to boost the flavor.

meatlessmeatballs1

 

 

meatlessmeatballs2

Meatless Meatballs

 

by Lindsay L

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Keywords: bake entree healthy vegetarian lentils ricotta pesto rice Italian

Ingredients (Serves 4)

  • 2 c lentils, cooked
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 c breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 c part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 2 Tbsp pesto
  • 1/2 c brown rice, cooked
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 c onion, chopped

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine the lentils and rice and pulse several times.

2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients.

3. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients, then form into balls using your hands.

4. Place balls on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, flip/rotate balls and bake another 10 minutes.

Powered by Recipage

 

Notes:
-These balls held together really well, they were firm and they browned up nicely in the oven!
-After I baked them, I added them to a pot with marinara sauce and let them simmer together while I cooked some spaghetti.
-Hubby asked me multiple times if I was sure there was no meat in these.
-I put half of these in the freezer for a future easy dinner 🙂
-If you don’t have pesto, you could use basil/parsley/italian seasoning.
-You could also add some frozen spinach to these!

meatlessmeatballs3

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

table talk series
LEARN HOW FOOD AFFECTS YOUR BODY.

Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!

Enter your email here ...

Filed Under: Dinner

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MEAT ME says

    November 22, 2011 at 6:55 AM

    This is great, does it actually taste like meat or is it a totally different flavor all together? Cause I am actually looking for receipts that taste like meat but don’t actually have any meat in them. I am trying to please myself along with my unmeat friends.
    Thanks, MEAT ME

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 12:33 PM

      do me it tasted pretty similar to meat, especially if you just pulse the lentils and rice only a few times to leave some chunks for texture. you could also add some toasted walnuts. i think the spices and serving them with sauce also helps them seem more like meat. They weren’t crumbly at all like a lot of veggie burgers and stuff can be.

      Reply
  2. Lindsay @ Pinch of Yum says

    November 22, 2011 at 7:15 AM

    Yum! THose look awesome – actually they look like they turned out even better than mine! I’ll have to give them a try!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 12:33 PM

      haha i dont know about better, just a little different spin 🙂

      Reply
  3. Lindsay @ biking before bed says

    November 22, 2011 at 8:38 AM

    If your husband asked if there was no meat in there… I am sold. My boyfriend is very pro-meat at every meal. And I just bought a bunch of lentils with no game plan… Thanks for the idea! Whenever I hear meatless meatballs I think of that rent song where they order “meatless balls.” Sorry for the tangent:)

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 12:34 PM

      🙂 i love tangents! let me know what you think if you try them

      Reply
  4. surlykitchen says

    November 22, 2011 at 9:01 AM

    love these. i hate ground beef, so this is perfect for me.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 12:34 PM

      meee too!

      Reply
  5. Brittany @ GOtheXtraMile says

    November 22, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    These look awesome!! I love trying new veg recipes, yum:D

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 12:34 PM

      thanks girl!

      Reply
  6. CountryCleaver says

    November 22, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    Ben is a huge Lentil-guy. He would be totally be down for these! And I know what to use my extra ricotta for! Brilliant.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 12:34 PM

      hope he likes them 🙂

      Reply
  7. Rachel @ The Avid Appetite says

    November 22, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    Yum! I am definitely a meat eater…but I’d definitely eat these too 🙂 You could also probably cook them in sauce rather than bake… (that’s how I do them with ground beef meatballs).

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 12:35 PM

      brilliant idea! i’ve never cooked meatballs in the sauce from the beginning so i just might have to try this method!

      Reply
  8. Caitlin says

    November 22, 2011 at 12:31 PM

    Those look super delicious and just like meat meatballs! Good job!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 12:35 PM

      thanks! i was pretty proud of how they turned out 🙂

      Reply
  9. Mandy@OrangeAutumn says

    November 22, 2011 at 12:38 PM

    These look really yummy!! I’ll have to give them a try!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 8:10 PM

      thank you! let me know what you think 🙂

      Reply
  10. sarah k @ the pajama chef says

    November 22, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    these sound super great!

    Reply
  11. Kaitlyn@TheTieDyeFiles says

    November 22, 2011 at 2:36 PM

    Another great recipe for a veganization attempt! Well done on hubby approval 🙂

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 8:09 PM

      veganize away my friend 🙂

      Reply
  12. Chris @ TheKeenanCookBook says

    November 22, 2011 at 5:01 PM

    Oh man – that finished shot with the sauce and cheese on pasta just looks great. I’ve never tried a meatless meatball but I’d give these a shot, they just look too tasty to pass up!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 8:09 PM

      thank you! they’re a pretty good substitute i’d say

      Reply
  13. Matt @ The Athlete's Plate says

    November 22, 2011 at 7:52 PM

    Can I come over for some of your balls? 😉

    (that was meant to be a joke)

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      November 22, 2011 at 8:09 PM

      bahahaha ANYTIME 🙂 just think of what a feast we could cook up together! i envision it involving a lot of sweet potatoes and cheese!

      Reply
  14. Kristen @ notsodomesticated says

    November 22, 2011 at 8:40 PM

    I love meals that I can freeze!! And your pictures look delicious!

    Reply
  15. Tessa @ Amazing Asset says

    November 22, 2011 at 8:41 PM

    Being able to freeze meals is key! These look glorious 🙂

    Reply
  16. Susan (Oliepants) says

    November 22, 2011 at 11:09 PM

    I have been looking for meatless freezer meals lately to prepare for when the baby comes – this is perfect!! And I have to say your husband’s comments makes me want to make them more! 🙂

    Reply
  17. Charise says

    November 23, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    I am intrigued by a lentil-based “meat”ball and am kind of surprised they turned out so firm and held together well. Will definitely be trying these!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Lindsay Livingston The Lean Green Bean Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

I'm a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

Learn More →

Questions? Comments? Email me: [email protected]

The Lean Green Bean Facebook The Lean Green Bean Instagram The Lean Green Bean Pinterest The Lean Green Bean Twitter The Lean Green Bean Feed
footer-logo
The Lean Green Bean Facebook The Lean Green Bean Instagram The Lean Green Bean Pinterest The Lean Green Bean Twitter The Lean Green Bean Feed
Recipes

Breakfast
Dinner
Snack
Slow Cooker

Kids

Cooking With Kids
Favorite Gifts
Toddler Meals
Indoor Activities

Resources

Easy Packed Lunches for Kids
Dinner Spark
Snack Spark
Ultimate Guide to Food Prep

About

Meet Lindsay
Become an RD
Work with Me

The Lean Green Bean is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Read the full privacy and disclosure policy here.

Copyright © 2022 · The Lean Green Bean

table talk series

Learn how food affects your body.

Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!

[email protected]