Sweet & Sour Lentil Meatballs

April 2026 - Lunch & Dinner

Sweet & Sour Lentil Meatballs

These are the lentil meatballs that will make you forget you are eating lentil meatballs. They hold together properly, they brown in the pan with a real crust, and then they go into a sweet and sour sauce that is sticky and glossy and exactly what you want over a bowl of jasmine rice. The sauce is the thing — that combination of pineapple, vinegar, soy, and the slight caramel of the brown sugar coats everything and makes the whole dish feel like something you would genuinely order. This is the recipe for anyone who thinks plant-based eating means compromising on dinner. It does not.

Directions

  1. Cook lentils according to package
  2. Mash lentils well with a fork or pulse briefly in a food processor — you want them mostly broken down but with some texture, not a smooth paste. Mix with breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper until the mixture holds together when pressed. Form into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball — you should get about 16-18 meatballs. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Cook the meatballs in batches, turning every 2 minutes, until browned all over and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes total. Set aside. In the same pan, combine ketchup, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar over medium heat. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Add the meatballs back to the pan and toss to coat completely. Serve over jasmine rice with diced red pepper, green onion, and a finish of Parmesan or sesame seeds.

 

Recipe and images: Speak Healthy To Me

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