These vegan Turkish lentil balls (Mercimek Köfte) are packed with plant-based protein and made with budget-friendly, healthy, and flavorful ingredients. They're easy to make, oil-free, and with a gluten-free option. Serve with chutney for a burst of extra flavor.
These lentil balls can be made with quinoa or flaxseed meal for a gluten-free option. However, wheat germ is my top choice because it's the richest dietary source of spermidine, the longevity elixir. Plus, just one tablespoon daily has been shown to enhance gut health by boosting bifidobacteria. In addition, wheat germ has been shown to reduce blood glucose and lower cholesterol. This is a diabetic-friendly recipe!
This recipe for vegan Turkish lentil balls was inspired by my 6-ingredient Vegan Air Fryer Falafel, as well as these delicious Tempeh Burgers.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Red lentils
- Quinoa, wheat germ, flaxseed meal, or fine bulgur
- Tomato paste
- Cilantro or parsley
- Spring onion
- Onion
- Lemon
- Spices
See the recipe card for quantities.
🌾 Substitutions
- Gluten-free - Instead of wheat germ, add cooked quinoa or flaxseed meal for gluten-free.
- More wheat germ substitutions - Or add 1 ½ cups uncooked fine bulgur with the lentils and cook them together. Alternatively, add previously cooked fine bulgur, or wholegrain couscous, to the cooked lentils.
- Cilantro - substitute with parsley as desired
- Tomato paste - substitute one-half of the tomato paste with harissa paste to enhance the smoky flavor
For another high-protein patty recipe, try these easy Tofu Vegan Patties on my site, or these trending Lentil Burgers.
📖 How to Make vegan Turkish lentil balls (Mercimek Köfte)
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
Step 1. Bring the water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the lentils.
Step 2. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils change from red to yellow. The lentils should be mostly dry.
Step 3: Add the onion, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, curry powder, red chili powder (if using), and garam masala. Add more water (up to 3 tablespoons) as needed, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked, stirring constantly. The mixture should be thick and hold together.
Step 4. Transfer the lentil mixture to a large bowl.
Step 5. Add the lemon juice, cilantro, and spring onion. Mix well and season with more lemon juice, and salt to taste. Add the quinoa, wheat germ, or flaxseed meal and mix to incorporate.
Step 6. Add more until the mixture holds together well when pressed.
Step 7. Use your hands to form the balls. For larger lentil balls, use ¼ cup measurement, and for smaller balls, about 2 tablespoons.
Optional for crispy: Transfer the lentil balls to a non-stick or lined baking sheet. Brush them lightly with olive oil (optional). Bake at 375ºF for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes to firm up.
Step 8. Vegan Turkish lentil balls taste incredible with this healthy capsicum chutney.
Transfer the dates and raisins to a small bowl. Add boiled water cover, about ¾ cup. Soak for about 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain and reserve the soaking water. (See the recipe card below for measurements.)
✔️ Expert Tips
- Gluten-free - Instead of wheat germ, add cooked quinoa or flaxseed meal for gluten-free.
- For crispy lentil balls, bake or air fry.
- Air frying or baking is optional. They are delicious without further cooking.
- For serving: Vegan Turkish lentil balls taste incredible mashed with rice, or farro, and topped with chutney, falafel sauce, lemon herb tahini, and this oil-free Avocado Dressing.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover vegan Turkish lentil balls (Mercimek Köfte) in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Wheat germ binds the lentil balls, holding them together. Cooked quinoa or ground flaxseed would also work well.
Green and brown lentils will also work in this recipe. Cook them until tender, adding more broth or water as needed until tender. Add the water or broth gradually as they should be mostly dry once cooked.
These vegan high-protein lentil balls are very versatile. Serve them with a healthy vegan salad, or lettuce, in grain bowls, as a sandwich filling, mashed with farro and sauce, or as a crispy side with a healthy vegan dressing.
🍽 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Turkish Lentil Balls Recipe (Mercimek Köfte)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup dried red lentils rinsed
- 1 ¾ cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 2 ½ tablespoons tomato paste or harissa paste, or a mixture
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ medium lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
- 1 cup chopped spring onion (about 2 onions, green and light green parts only)
- ½ cup wheat germ or cooked quinoa, or flaxseed meal, plus more as needed (see notes)
Capsicum chutney (optional):
- 2 Medjool dates
- 5 raisins
- 2 medium green bell peppers seeds and ribs removed
- 1 medium lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon kala namak or salt to taste
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds plus more as desired (optional)
Instructions
- Cook lentils: Bring the water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the lentils. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils change from red to yellow. The lentils should be mostly dry.
- Season: Add the onion, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, curry powder, red chili powder (if using), and garam masala. Add more water (up to 3 tablespoons) as needed, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked, stirring constantly. The mixture should be thick and hold together.
- Combine: Transfer the lentil mixture to a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, cilantro, and spring onion. Mix well and season with more lemon juice, and salt to taste. Add the wheat germ or quinoa and mix to incorporate. Add more until the mixture holds together well.
- Shape: Use your hands to form the balls. For larger lentil balls, use ¼ cup measurement, and for smaller balls, about 2 tablespoons.
- Optional for crispy balls: Transfer the lentil balls to a non-stick or lined baking sheet. Brush them lightly with olive oil (optional). Bake at 375ºF for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes to firm up.
- For the chutney (optional): Transfer the dates and raisins to a small bowl. Add boiled water cover, about ¾ cup. Soak for about 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain and reserve the soaking water. Remove the pits from the dates. Transfer the dates, raisins, chopped peppers, lime juice, and kala namak to a blender. Add 1 tablespoon of the date-soaking water. Blend until smooth. For a creamier chutney, add the sunflower seeds and blend, adding more date-soaking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency.
Notes
-
- Gluten-free: Add cooked quinoa or ground flax seeds to the cooked lentil mixture instead of wheat germ. Use ½ cup quinoa, or ⅓ cup flaxseed meal, adding more as needed.
- More wheat germ substitutes: ½ cup cooked fine bulgur, plus more as needed.
- For crispy lentil balls, bake or air fry.
- Air frying or baking is optional. They are delicious without further cooking.
- For serving: Vegan Turkish lentil balls taste incredible mashed with rice or farro and topped with chutney, falafel sauce, lemon herb tahini, and this oil-free Avocado Dressing.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Elizabeth says
I was looking for a nice recipe that my 1 year old could also try. He loved it! They were the perfect texture for him too. Flavor was great but best paired with rice, tzatziki or hummus :).
*I cooked the lentil + spices together longer than 5 min and added some kosher salt which I thought advanced the flavors! Will make again.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to read that your 1 year old enjoyed these too! Thank you.
Klara says
Hello! I’m from Sweden and I struggle a bit with understanding how much 1 cup is in deciliter. It seems like Australia, America and UK all define 1 cup differently. Would you mind telling me which measurement standard you are using so I can make this delicious looking meal?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. I am using the American standard. It is 1 US cup which is about 2.36 deciliters.
Sandra says
Love this. So enjoy lentils and especially these flavours. Any chance of providing ingredients as metric too. Thank you
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad to hear you enjoyed these lentil balls. Thank you. Metric conversions are hard to do accurately when automated but I will look into it.
Heather Rex says
I made this for my vegetarian husband and we both loved it! We baked the balls with a bit of olive oil brush on them and served them with the chutney. The chutney was so very good and added an extra layer of flavor, with a hint of sweet from the dates and raisins. We both like big flavor and I'm always worried when trying new recipes if they will be flavorful enough. This was! We will definitely do this again along with many more of your recipes we can't wait to try. Thank you so very much!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you so much for your comment. I am a big of flavor too! I'm thrilled found these flavorful. Have a great week.
June says
I have made the 1/4 cup size balls three times now. It is great for a quick lunch and has become a regular menu item. Going to try the smaller size and am thinking that a1/2 cup of the mixture would make great lentil burgers. Thanks!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yay! I'm so glad you are enjoying these. Hope the burgers are a hit too!
Sam says
Hello! I made this recipe today and absolutely loved it! Could you post some instructions for the chutney? Mine tasted great but I don’t think it turned out quite right
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Sure! I will do this now!
Malin pegenius says
It does not say how to make the sauce?mix all the ingridients in a blender?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Sorry! I just added the instructions.
Mary Ann says
Can you please post the directions for making the chutney? You have written up to draining the soaked dates and raisins saving the water, then that’s it. This recipe looks really easy and probably good tasting, I would like to try it but I don’t know what to do with the saved soaking water. Thank you.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Oops so sorry. I just added it.
Nicole says
Is there a full recipe for the chutney? Thanks!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes! Just added it. Sorry.
Christine says
Hello,
The chutneys directions aren’t complete! What happens after soaking the dares and raisins?
Thank you
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Sorry! I just updated this.
Debbie Dormand says
Im sorryouldn't find directions for chutney .ty
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Just added.
margaret donoghue says
Do these freeze well?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes you can absolutely freeze them.
Denise says
The ingredients do not show how much onion to add to the lentils (not the green onion, that shows the amount)
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So sorry! Just added it.