These delicious and hearty Lentil and Eggplant meatballs are the perfect addition to your meal rotation. They're packed with fibre and protein from the lentils, yet are tender and flavorsome from the eggplant. They also happen to be delicious on top of pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce, as well as to serve as a snack or appetizer with your favourite dipping sauce.
QUICK LOOK: TL:DR
Lentil Eggplant Meatballs
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Servings: 6 portions or 24 small meatballs
- Calories: 228 cals per portion
- Key Ingredients: Puy or Brown lentils, Eggplant
- Dietary Info: Vegan, Gluten Free, High Fibre
- Tasting Notes: Tender yet meaty, these are a hearty snack or great on spaghetti with a rich tomato sauce.
Why you'll love this recipe!
- Flavorful : meaty yet meat-free! Rich lentils and eggplant are a delicous meat-free option.
- Gluten Free: made without wheat or breadcrumbs.
- Make Ahead: Make ahead of time, and reheat to serve as needed.
- Freeze: Freezes well after cooking, just reheat and eat.
Jump To
Lentils and Aubergine (aka Eggplant) are a classic combination. They're both hearty and flavorful, and when put together in a meatball situation are a really delicious way to get a great meaty (but meatless) taste that pairs gorgeously with pasta and roasted tomatoes, or is perfect for using as an appetizer or canape at a party. Why not try them with my delicous Tomato and Onion Chutney to pass around at a Thanksgiving or Christmas party?!
🍆 Key Ingredients
Here's what you need to make these yummy vegan lentil meatballs.
- Puy Lentils: or brown or green lentils. These are more flavorful and robust than red or yellow lentils, so are perfect for making meatballs. Make sure to cook well or buy canned or pre-cooked lentils.
- Eggplants: aka aubergine. you will need two medium eggplants. Make sure to roast them well in a bit of oil so they are tender. If you have extra eggplant to use up, make a batch of my Air Fryer Babaganoush!
- Chickpea Flour: using chickpea flour keeps these meatballs gluten free, while adding protein and a boost of fibre. It also has good binding properties so avoids needing to use an egg.
- Potato or Corn Starch: (aka corn flour to my UK and Aussie friends) This helps to bind the meatballs, and also gives them a lovely crispy outer yet keeps the interior texture tender.
- Fresh Garlic: I love to use minced fresh garlic cloves in these vegan meatballs for maximum flavor!
- Herbs: I chose to use oregano and thyme, however other fresh herbs such as fresh parsley or rosemary are also delicious to add.
See recipe card for quantities.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
Here are some easy ways you can switch up these vegan meatballs.
- Bake - instead of pan frying these meatballs, simply spritz with a bit of olive oil and oven bake on a baking sheet (use parchment paper ) at 180c/360f for 25 mins (or until crispy outside)
- Other Seasonings: omit the fresh garlic and add onion powder or garlic powder. You can also add some nutritional yeast for a parmesan cheese style flavor.
- Spicy -amp up the heat by adding chipotle or extra red pepper flakes.
- Middle Eastern Vibes - take these in a different direction by adding cumin, ground coriander powder and pairing with a tahini based sauce, such as my Herb and Tahini sauce.
👩🍳Instructions for making Lentil Meatballs.
Follow along with these steps for the perfect meatballs!
- Step 1: Chop the eggplant into 2-3 cm pieces and put onto a baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil and a little sea salt and bake at 180c/360f for around 20 mins until softened and caramelised on the edges.
- Step 2: to the mixing bowl of a food processor add the lentils, chickpea flour, corn starch, seasonings, herbs and the roasted eggplant.
- Step 3: Blitz the eggplant mixture until thick. Leave to cool in the fridge for up to 15 minutes to firm up.
- Step 4: Scoop out balls of the mixture (about the size of a large unshelled walnut). Roll in your hand to get a nice shape.
- Step 5: Continue rolling into balls with all the mixture
- Step 6: Gently heat some olive oil or other vegetable oil and pan fry the meatballs in batches until crispy.
Drain on paper towel or use a cookie cooling rack to allow any oil to drip off so the meatballs stay crispy on the outside.
Hint: If you put a little water in your hands, it makes the vegan meatballs easier to roll and less sticky!
Serving Ideas for Lentil Meatballs
Why not try making a batch of these meatballs and use instead of the Beyond Meatballs in Spicy Spaghetti Sauce? They would also be delicious when paired with some other antipasto style canapes in Fall or late summer, to really celebrate eggplant, such as these Walnut and Eggplant Rolls.
If you love using lentils as a meat substitute, definitely need to try my Vegan Lentil Bolognese. It's a great base recipe, plus can be used to make this cozy Vegan Shepherd's pie too!
Louise's Top Tip!
Make a big batch of these and freeze in portions so you can have a quick dinner, just add your favourite marinara sauce, spaghetti and reheat as many lentil meatballs as needed!
❓Lentil and Eggplent Meatballs FAQ
Lentils, especially puy lentils, brown lentils or green lentils are great to use in meatballs. They have a robust flavor that is a good substitute for ground beef.
Chickpea flour makes a great binder for both vegan and gluten-free meatballs. It binds without needing eggs, plus is higher in fibre and protein than regular flour or breadcrumbs.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven or in a frying pan.
Delicious pairing ideas:
Fun ideas to share with these lentil aubergine meatballs:
📖 Recipe
Lentil Eggplant Meatballs : Gluten Free and Vegan
Equipment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 500 g eggplant (about 2 medium eggplants/aubergine)
- 250 g cooked brown lentils
- 3 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- 90 g chickpea flour
- 90 g potato starch
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 2 teaspoon thyme (dried or fresh)
- 2 teaspoon oregano (dried or fresh)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (to roast the eggplant)
- salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- 4 tbps vegetable oil (to cook the meatblls)
Instructions
- Chop the eggplant into 2-3 cm pieces. Sprinkle with a little salt and olive oil.
- Bake the eggplant on a baking sheet in the oven at 180℃/360℉ until tender and slightly golden.
- Once cooked, add to the bowl of your food processor: lentils, chickpea flour, potato starch, herbs, optional chili powder, salt and pepper to taste and the cooked eggplant.
- Pulse the food processor until you have a cohesive mixture that can be scooped up. Allow to chill for 10-15 minutes.
- Use a cookie scoop, scoop out even amounts of the eggplant lentil mixture and roll in your hands. Repeat with all the mixture.
- Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Pan fry in batches (3-4 at a time) to avoid crowding the pan. Turn the balls around in the hot pan until evenly crispy and golden.
- Repeat with the rest of the meatballs.
- Use a cookie cooling rack or a plate with paper towel to drain the meatballs and keep them crispy.
- Serve with your favourite marinara sauce and spaghetti or as a canape or appetizer with a dipping sauce.
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
These lentil and eggplant meatballs are so good the next day with a dipping sauce! They also make a great sandwich filling!