20-Minute Turkish Vegetarian Meatballs

Name: 20-Minute Turkish Vegetarian Meatballs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 cup red lentils; 5 cups water; 1 1/2 cups fine bulgur; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 tablespoons sweet red pepper paste; 3 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 pinch sugar; 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, to taste; 1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped; 1 large bunch Italian parsley, leaves only, thick stems removed, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Tender and spicy vegetarian meatballs, made with red lentils and bulgur, are a popular Turkish finger food.

⭐ 4.6 (55 reviews) Prep: 30 minCook: 15 minTotal: 45 minYields: 10 servings

Category Tags:

Entree Appetizer Dinner

Cuisine Tags:

Middle Eastern

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Instructions

Wash red lentils, then transfer them to a large saucepan, add water, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer the lentils until very tender, maintaining about 1/2 inch of water; adjust water level as needed.
While the mixture is hot, stir in tomato and pepper paste with seasonings, then add fine bulgur and mix thoroughly. Cover the pan and let it cool for the bulgur to soften.
Once cooled, knead in olive oil, lemon juice, green onions, and chopped parsley until well combined. Taste and adjust salt or hot pepper.
Line a serving platter with lettuce leaves. Form large walnut-sized portions of the mixture into long cylinders with tapered ends.
Place the formed meatballs on the platter, then optionally sprinkle with additional chopped parsley for garnish.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories: 73 kcal

Carbohydrate: 13 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 3 g

Saturated Fat: 0 g

Sodium: 869 mg

Sugar: 3 g

Fat: 2 g

Unsaturated Fat: 0 g