Lentils Balls in Sweet and Sour Sauce
Ginny says, "There are so many tasty ingredients wrapped up in these little balls. You may find yourself eating them without a sauce and that’s okay, too."
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 115kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (plus more for baking sheet)
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup white onion (finely diced)
- ¼ cup red bell pepper (finely diced)
- 1 carrot (grated) (about ½ cup)
- 8 ounces button mushrooms (wiped clean with a clean, damp cloth)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup dry white wine (such as chardonnay)
- ½ cup vegan vegetable stock
- ¾ cup vegan bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup of your favorite sweet and sour sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet with coconut oil and set aside.
- Pick through the lentils to make sure there are no pebbles. Rinse.
- Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the lentils. Bring back to a boil and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
- Drain the lentils when done.
- Place the coconut oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the grated carrot and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Place the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse a couple of times until coarsely chopped.
- Add the cooked lentils and pulse again until chopped a little bit more but still coarse.
- Add this mixture to the vegetables in the skillet. Add the garlic powder and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook for 1 more minute. Add the vegetable stock, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Stir and let cool so that you can handle the mixture with your hands.
- Roll the mixture into 48 balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- You can refrigerate or freeze the balls at this point.
- If serving immediately, toss lightly with sweet-and-sour sauce.
- Serve with toothpicks.
Notes
Storing in the refrigerator:
Will keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Freezing:
Freeze in a hard-sided freezer container for up to 4 months.
This will better protect the balls. To defrost, put in your refrigerator overnight. Reheating:
To serve, heat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Lightly toss with heated sweet and sour sauce and serve with toothpicks. *Recipe reprinted with permission from The Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook by Ginny McMeans. Nutrition facts calculated based on 4 Lentil Balls per person.
Will keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Freezing:
Freeze in a hard-sided freezer container for up to 4 months.
This will better protect the balls. To defrost, put in your refrigerator overnight. Reheating:
To serve, heat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Lightly toss with heated sweet and sour sauce and serve with toothpicks. *Recipe reprinted with permission from The Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook by Ginny McMeans. Nutrition facts calculated based on 4 Lentil Balls per person.
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 415mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1250IU | Vitamin C: 23.9mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.4mg