Creamy Cashew Tomato Sauce with Lentil Meatballs
Look no further if you want to impress a crowd, this recipe is absolutely incredible. I don’t know about you, but I love making vegan meatballs. Playing around with different ingredients and trying to create different forms is my idea of fun! It’s the last day of March and I just created a great recipe worth making and sharing.
Vegan, Dairy and Gluten-Free !
The inspiration for these vegan lentil meatballs came from my job at abcV. We have a family meal each day at work and one of the sous chefs made an incredible lentil meatballs with marinara sauce that was out of this world, so I decided to create my very own version of the lentil meatballs.
This sauce is absolutely amazing, combining simplicity and deliciousness. It’s definitely an essential part of the dish. I garnish with cilantro and red pickled onions, but feel free to use any toppings you have on hand.
Embark on a culinary journey that promises to tantalize taste buds and leave your guests utterly impressed. If you're on the hunt for an extraordinary dish, and a great meal, search no further, because this recipe is an absolute gem! As an avid enthusiast of culinary experimentation, crafting meatballs is not just a task but a delightful adventure for me!
This Creamy Cashew Tomato Sauce with Lentil Meatballs has a lot of nutritional benefits.
Cashew- Protein provides a significant amount of plant-based protein, while cashew gravy is full of heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Increased levels of magnesium, copper, and manganese in minerals and vitamins are antioxidant molecules that support the body's fight against oxidative damage.
Tomato - Rich in potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, and folate, the creamy tomato sauce is packed with vitamins. Rich in lycopene, an antioxidant linked to a host of health benefits, including a decreased risk of heart disease and cancer.
Lentil Balls - Lentil meatballs are packed with high plant-based protein. It is an excellent source of dietary fiber, aiding in digestion and promoting fullness, also a good source of iron, important for energy level, high in folate, and essential for DNA synthesis and repair.
Here are some variations and suggestions you can add according to your dietary requirements and taste preferences, adding even more flavor and nutrients.
You can add red pepper flakes or spicy sauce to amp up the heat, or you can add nutritional yeast for a cheese flavor. The flavor and aroma of the main dish can be improved by adding fresh herbs towards the end of cooking, such as fresh basil and fresh parsley. For extra crunch and nutrition, sprinkle roasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds on top.
Nutrient-dense ingredients are blended in this vegan gravy which brings out the best results to create a well-balanced meal that is beneficial for your heart, digestive system, and overall health. The best thing about this recipe is that it's really simple to prepare ahead of time for the next day. These vegetarian meatballs with a simple gravy will satisfy your hunger on days when you're too busy at work or too lazy to cook at no additional cost. It's a perfect comfort food!
These vegetarian meatballs can easily be prepared with simple ingredients in a large skillet or a prepared baking sheet pan. If you are here for the first time I have more vegan recipes in my recipe index, so make sure to take a peak before you leave!
If you make our Creamy Cashew Tomato Sauce with Lentil Meatballs, please let us know by leaving a rating below!
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Creamy Cashew Tomato Sauce with Lentil Meatballs
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet or baking pan with parchment paper.
- Get the lentils ready by rinsing them and then combining with water and a bay leaf in a pot. Boil the water, then lower the heat and simmer with the lid on until the liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender around 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf and set the lentils aside to cool. This step can be done in advance.
- Toast walnuts in a pan with olive oil until they become aromatic, making sure to toss continuously to avoid scorching.
- In the meantime, add cashews to a pot of boiling water and let cook on medium flame for about 20 minutes until softened. Sautee onion until translucent then add to a food processor along with softened cashews and water. Blend until smooth.
- While the walnuts are toasting and lentils are cooking, sauté onions, mushrooms, and garlic in olive oil until soft and fragrant. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
- Add lentils, cooked veggies, toasted walnuts, panko, cumin, oregano, and salt to the food processor. Blend until mixture has a semi-smooth texture, without over-pulverizing it.
- Create a ball shape and place meatballs into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, flip and bake for another 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat a medium-sized pan with olive oil and add garlic, ginger and cook for 1 minute, then add the spices and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Add the pureed onion nut mixture and water, salt. Bring to a simmer, then decrease the heat to medium and cook until reduced to your liking.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover and heat for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and red onion and enjoy!
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