Bread and Lentil Balls

Here’s a simple and tasty recipe for Italian-style bread and lentil balls:

Ingredients

• 200 g of cooked lentils
• 150 g of stale bread
• 1 egg
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 sprig of rosemary (or a teaspoon of chopped rosemary)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Bread crumbs as needed
• Extra virgin olive oil (for frying or baking)

Preparation

1. Start by soaking the stale bread in water for a few minutes until it softens. Squeeze out the excess water.
2. In a food processor, chop the cooked lentils with garlic and rosemary until you have a homogeneous mixture, but not too fine.
3. Transfer the lentil mixture into a bowl and add the squeezed bread. Mix well with your hands.
4. Add the egg and season with salt and pepper. Mix again until the compound is homogeneous.
5. If the mixture is too moist, add some breadcrumbs to make the dough more manageable.
6. Form the mixture into balls with your hands. You might need to dust your hands with some breadcrumbs to prevent the mixture from sticking.
7. At this point, you have two options: fry them or bake them. For frying, heat plenty of oil in a pan and fry the balls until golden brown on all sides. For baking, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 200 °C for about 20 minutes or until golden.
8. Drain them on paper towels if fried, or remove from the oven if baked, and serve hot.

Curiosity

The meatball is a very versatile dish that lends itself to endless variations; the lentil version is perfect for those looking for a vegetarian or vegan alternative (excluding the egg or replacing it with a plant-based binder). Lentils, in addition to being an excellent source of protein, give the balls a rustic flavor and a particularly pleasant texture.