We created this recipe to celebrate our Cookbook launch. This easy recipe creates a magnificent dish in both taste and presentation. Best yet, you can cook these meatless lentil meatballs in either their vegetarian or vegan preparations without losing any of their incredibly rich flavor.
Quinoa Lentil Meatballs in Tahini Turmeric Sauce
We love to adapt childhood recipes, whose combination of elements and flavors can live up to a variety of ingredient substitutions and cooking methods. Our recipe for Quinoa Lentil Meatballs in Tahini-Turmeric Sauce is a great example of a Middle Eastern dish that offers endless possibilities (try our Cauliflower Quinoa Meatless Meatballs with Coconut Turmeric Sauce!) to incorporate into your mealtime.
These Quinoa Lentil Meatballs are made with lentils, quinoa and a delicious sofrito of red pepper, onions, garlic, and spices including Aleppo pepper, cumin, grilling seasoning, and cilantro. Preparation of our quinoa lentil meatballs can be made according to any of the preparations below:
- Gluten-free – Our Quinoa Lentil Meatballs use vital wheat gluten to bind the quinoa and lentils together. Create gluten-free meatballs by substituting garbanzo bean flour, rice flour, or other non-gluten flour in place of the wheat gluten.
- Vegan – While you may use egg in the lentil quinoa mixture, you can make these meatless meatballs completely vegan by using a “Flax Egg” (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water.). We tested the recipe both ways!
- Fried – The meatballs take on a beautiful glazed crust when pan-fried in olive oil.
- Baked – You can save time by preparing the Tahini and Tumeric Sauce while baking the meatballs in the oven. Roll into the lentil-quinoa mixture into small balls and bake on a cookie sheet or create mini-patties by baking in a greased mini-muffin pan.
- Make and Freeze - This recipe makes 32 lentil meatballs, use half to add to the Tahini and Turmeric sauce, freeze the rest for an even quicker dinner.
Our delicious Tahini and Turmeric Sauce is not only a mouthwatering combination of tahini, lemon, water, and turmeric, it is also the name of our new cookbook TAHINI & TUMERIC: 101 Middle Eastern Classics, Made Irresistibly Vegan which is being released today. Have your order the cookbook yet? The recipes in Tahini and Turmeric, are easy-to-prepare, heart-healthy, and include 62 gluten-free dishes. You’ll love our time-saving short-cuts and tips for showcasing these sophisticated flavor profiles in beautiful, crowd-pleasing presentations.
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PrintQuinoa Lentil Meatballs in Tahini-Turmeric Sauce
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: Makes 32 meatballs 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
We created this recipes to celebrate our Cookbook launch. This easy recipe creates a magnificent dish in both taste and presentation. Best yet, you can cook these meatless lentil meatballs in either their vegetarian or vegan preparations without losing any of their incredibly rich flavor.
Ingredients
For the sofrito
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small
- 1 medium onion, diced small
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
For the lentil meatballs
- 1 cup uncooked black lentils (also called beluga lentils) or any other type of lentils (See note 1)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (check out how to cook quinoa)
- 1 tsp grilling seasoning or hamburger seasoning (See note 2)
- ½ tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt (See note 3)
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 flax egg ( 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water) or one regular large egg
- ½ cup vital wheat gluten (See Note 4)
- ¼ cup garbanzo bean flour (or any other flour you may have in hand)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ avocado oil if frying OR Cooking Spray if baking
For the tahini turmeric sauce
- 1 cup tahini
- ⅓ freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 cup of water
Garnish (optional)
- Diced red bell pepper
- Chopped parsley or cilantro
- Toasted or raw pine nuts
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan place lentils and 5 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until the lentils are tender but not mushy 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- If you don't have cooked quinoa, start cooking it now. How to cook quinoa.
- While the lentils and the quinoa are cooking start with the sofrito. To prepare the sofrito, heat the olive oil in a large skillet (Use a large one, so you only have to use one pan for this recipe). Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the pepper is cooked and tender. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Take 2 cups of cooked lentils ( save the remaining lentils to add to a salad) and add them to the sofrito. Add the remaining ingredients for the lentil meatless meatballs (EXCEPT the avocado oil for frying) to the sofrito bowl, and mix well until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Using your hands mash the mixture together until it forms a chunky dough. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes
- Working with 1 ½ tablespoons of mixture at a time, form balls (we like using a 1 ½ tablespoon ice cream scoop to form even size meatballs and to save time). Make sure to press firmly to create a compact ball. You should get about 32 meatless meatballs.
- If Frying: Heat the olive oil in the large skillet. Add the meatless meatballs in two batches, cooking them for 6-8 minutes, making sure to turn them on all sides. Wipe the skillet clean using a paper towel after they are cooked.
- If baking: Heat the oven to 400ºF. Generously spray a mini muffin tin. Place one lentil meatless meatball in each of the muffin tin cavities and spray the top of the meatless meatballs. Alternatively, you can just place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes.
- To prepare the tahini turmeric sauce, place all the sauce ingredients in the large skillet. Whisk them together for 3 minutes over medium heat (the sauce will thicken the longer it cooks, see note 5).
- Arrange half of the meatless meatballs in the sauce and heat until everything is hot, 3-4 minutes. Store the other half in the freezer, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- Garnish with diced bell pepper, cilantro or parsley and pine nuts (optional)
Notes
- We like using black lentils because they hold their shape better. However, you can use any type of lentil for this recipe.
- Grilling seasoning is mainly made with onion, garlic, black pepper and salt with added herbs and spices that vary from brand to brand. Use any grilling or everything seasoning you have in hand.
- Depending on which seasoning you choose, it may contain more or less salt. Adjust the salt accordingly to your taste. Taste the mixture before adding
- If you would like to make the lentil meatless meatballs gluten-free, skip the vital wheat gluten and add as much gluten-free flour or garbanzo bean flour as you need for the meatballs to hold together. Start with ¼ cup and keep adding one tablespoon at a time for up to ½ cup. Take into consideration that the flour will absorb the moisture of the meatball mixture as it sits.
- If the sauce thickens too much, add some water to loosen it
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 BAKED Vegan meatballs with tahini turmeric sauce
- Calories: 530 Baked / 650 Pan Fried
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 27 baked / 41 pan fried
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 22
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 12
- Protein: 20
- Cholesterol: 0
Cindy says
Congratulations on your book launch - all the best with Tahini and Turmeric!!! So excited for you. Love your blog. Have been a long-time fan.
Cindy
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much Cindy! We really appreciate the support!
Raquel says
Congrats on your book! I just got it and it looks beautiful!! I also made this dish last night for dinner with some rice and it was super delicious and easy to make. I love the turmeric tahini sauce 🙂
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much. Enjoy!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much! Enjoy!
Stephanie von Hirschberg says
HELLO,
I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING THE TURMERIC TAHINI SAUCE, AND IT HAS BECOME A VERY THICK, DRY PASTE EVEN BEFORE COOKING. I WENT BACK TO CHECK THE RECIPE, THINKING I MUST HAVE MISSED SOMETHING. THE RECIPE CALLS FOR "1/4 FRESH SQUEEZE LEMON JUICE" - WHICH MEANS WHAT? I USED 1/4 CUP. BUT SOMETHING ELSE IS MISSING. OR IS IT THE BRAND OF TAHINI I'M USING? I WILL HAVE TO ADD OLIVE OIL OR MAYBE WATER TO MAKE THE MIXTURE SAUCE-Y.
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Stephanie,
You can add water to the sauce to loosen it (check out note #5 on the recipe card). Hope this helps!!
Viviane says
This lentil meatball recipe is simply fabulous and your cookbook absolutely stunning!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much!
vivinenne says
I serve this recipe for my vegetarian guests and they loved them. The Tahini sauce does thicken=, but I just added some more water as the authors noted. I also bought their cookbook and is fabulous!
Anna Rayne Levi says
I am in the middle of making this recipe! It looks delicious!
I will probably need to add water to the sauce.
Wish I could get the cookbook but I am a retiree living in Ecuador & we do not have postal service.
Am going to New Mexico & Arizona in September & will (hopefully) order it then
Thanks so much!
Anna Rayne-Levi
Vicky and Ruth says
Thank you so much! Enjoy!
livro antiotario says
Congratulations on the content. Interesting. 21750346