The Best Lentil Meatball Subs
Italian meatball subs made with homemade lentil meatballs, zesty marinara and melty vegan cheese!
Ingredients
Italian Lentil Meatballs
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1/2 large yellow onion
- 3 medium carrots
- 6 medium button or cremini mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
- 2 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 tsp dried fennel seeds
- ½ tsp kosher salt I use Morton's
- ¼ tsp black pepper and/or red pepper flakes
- ⅔ cup cooked lentils black or brown
- 1.5 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 5 fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup chickpea flour I use Bob's Red Mill
- ½ tsp baking soda
For Serving
- 4 hoagie rolls
- 1.5 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees then add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large frying pan and set to medium heat.
- Add the onions and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Then add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add the garlic, walnuts, Italian herbs and dried fennel cook for 3 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the cooked lentils and Worcestershire sauce and mix well to combine. Then transfer 1/3 of the mixture into a food processor with the basil leaves and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Blend until the mixture resembles a chunky hummus consistency and then transfer back to the pan.
- Add chickpea flour + baking soda to the pan, mix well and then form into 12 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a lined cookie sheet and brush each meatball with the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, then remove the oven and allow to cool slightly for 5-10 minutes.
- In the meantime, warm up the marinara sauce and coat each meatball in a thin layer of sauce.
Assemble
- Assemble each sub by spooning some warm marinara sauce onto each roll. Add 3 meatballs and a generous sprinkle of vegan mozzarella. Bake for 3-5 minutes to melt the cheese and enjoy!