Description
A flavorful vegetarian twist on traditional meatballs, using lentils as the main ingredient. These lentil albondigas are hearty, protein-packed, and perfect for a healthy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup dried green or brown lentils
- 3 cups water
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse lentils and cook in 3 cups water until tender (about 20-25 minutes). Drain and let cool.
- Mix cooled lentils with onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Form mixture into small balls (about 1.5 inches in diameter).
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Cook albondigas for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Serve hot with your favorite sauce or in a broth.
Notes
- For gluten-free version, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- If mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
- Can be baked at 375°F for 20 minutes instead of frying.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 albondigas
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
