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Pesto Lentil Balls

June 20, 2019 by Lindsay 6 Comments

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These Pesto Lentil Balls are a great food prep option for an easy, vegetarian lunch or dinner. Make them ahead of time and serve with dipping sauce, over spaghetti noodles or on a salad!

Pesto Lentil Balls over spaghetti with broccoli

Hi friends!

I’ve had these Pesto Lentil Balls up my sleeve for a while now and am excited to share them! My husband is not a huge lentil fan so after testing them myself, I had to wait for my parents to come into town so they could give the recipe a nod of approval as well. 

They got the a-ok from my lentil-loving dad and from my mom as well! I’m still working on getting my kids to try them, but they do like pesto so I’ve started with pesto meatballs and will eventually try serving these to them with their spaghetti!

I love these because they’re quick and easy to make but also packed with flavor. I love making them ahead of time and using them in different dishes during the week. I use them like meatballs in spaghetti, but also throw them on my salads fairly often. 

To make your life even easier, grab some pre-cooked lentils (Trader Joe’s has some in their refrigerated section) or make lentils ahead of time and freeze in one cup portions. I do this often so I have them cooked and ready to make these balls and my Lentil Banana Muffins. 

Here’s how you make them:

Print

Pesto Lentil Balls

Pesto Lentil Balls over spaghetti with tomato sauce and roasted broccoli
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

These Pesto Lentil Balls are hearty enough to hold up in your next spaghetti dinner and packed with protein and flavor.

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Yield: 12-15 balls 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1/3 cup green/brown lentils dry (approx 1 cup cooked)
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3 Tbsp pesto
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

  1. Cook lentils according to package directions.
  2. Put carrots and garlic in a food processor and process until well chopped.
  3. Add remaining ingredients until well combined.
  4. Form into 12-15 balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes, flipping once.

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Feel free to add more pesto if you like a stronger flavor. You could also sub something like red peppers for carrots if you wanted to!

These Pesto Lentil Balls are a great food prep option for an easy, vegetarian lunch or dinner. Make them ahead of time and serve with dipping sauce, over spaghetti noodles or on a salad!

If you like these, you might also enjoy my Asian Black Bean Burgers!
Enjoy! 
–Lindsay–

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Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: Breadcrumbs, Carrot, Egg, Garlic, Lentils, Pesto

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. Caroline says

    June 24, 2019 at 6:17 PM

    Tried these to use up some extra lentils. The whole family approved! Another Lean green bean win

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      June 24, 2019 at 9:34 PM

      yay! so happy to hear it!

      Reply
  2. Valerie says

    June 29, 2019 at 1:35 PM

    I can’t wait To try these! Would I be able to sub oats for the breadcrumbs?

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      July 6, 2019 at 3:44 PM

      it should work fine!

      Reply
  3. Valerie says

    July 3, 2019 at 11:38 PM

    I made this for my family and my two year old daughter helped form the meatballs. The entire family loved them especially my teenage daughter and son. Honestly my two year old took two bites but I think she will warm up to them the more she’s exposed. Thank you for the recipe

    Reply
  4. Hillary says

    May 12, 2020 at 5:09 PM

    Have you tried to freeze these?

    Reply

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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!

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