These vegan lentil meatballs are a Turkish classic. Made with red lentils and bulgur, these meatballs are usually served with lettuce and herbs.

Turkish recipes are very versatile and use fresh and healthy ingredients. Many Turkish recipes such as Turkish yogurt soup, gozleme, borek, and zucchini fritters are naturally vegetarian. These red lentil meatballs are another delicious Turkish recipe that happens to be naturally vegan. They are quick to make and absolutely tasty!
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What is mercimek koftesi?
Mercimek köftesi, also known as vegan lentil meatballs, is a common Turkish dish that's a staple in many Turkish households. These are considered a cold mezze dish which can be served alongside other appetizers such as labneh, hummus, muhammara and baba ganoush. They are served cold and they're perfect for a tasty appetizer or even a quick lunch.
What's interesting is that these vegan meatballs are not commonly served at restaurants so unless you've had a nice Turkish neighbor or friend, chances are that you've never tried these tasty treats until now.
Why this recipe works
- Perfect choice for vegans and vegetarians: These lentil balls are a great vegan option when you're hosting a party and know you're going to have vegetarian or vegan friends over. Packed with red lentils and bulgur and flavored with herbs and spices, this healthy lentil recipe will become a staple in your home.
- Easy meal-prep: Turkish lentil meatballs also make a good light lunch for days in which you want a quick pick-me-up. If you're looking for an easy vegetarian meal that comes together in no time and is packed with nutrients, then these will be your go-to, especially because you can easily make them ahead of time and enjoy them through the week.
- Good for you: Lentils are a good source of protein and are easy to cook and work with. Red lentils are a bit different from green or brown lentils (like the ones we use to make mujadara) because they lose their shape when cooked and become very soft. Other recipes using red lentils include Turkish red lentil soup and Turmeric ginger red lentil soup.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
- Red lentils - You can find red lentils at any supermarket. They are more delicate than green lentils and will turn yellow and mushy once cooked.
- Bulgur - Bulgur can be coarse or fine. For recipes such as bulgur pilaf we use coarse bulgur. However, for this recipe we are going to use fine bulgur. Check out The Spruce Eats to read more about bulgur wheat and its use.
- Olive oil - Like many other Mediterranean recipes, olive oil is an important part of this recipe. In addition to its health benefits, olive oil enhances flavor.
- Onion and garlic - Sautéed onion and garlic are combined with cooked bulgur and red lentils.
- Tomato paste - The dense color of tomato paste gives the nice orange color to the lentil balls and also adds delicious flavor without the juiciness of the tomatoes.
- Parsley and green onions - Both are common staples of Turkish cuisine and used in almost every savory recipe. They add freshness and flavor to the vegan meatballs. Don't discard the parsley stems - they're full of flavor!
- Spices - You need salt, pepper, cumin and pul biber which is similar to Aleppo pepper.
Instructions
Cook the lentils and bulgur
Cook the lentils with water until all the water is absorbed and the lentils are mushy. Turn the heat off, add the bulgur to the lentils and mix. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes. The bulgur will cook with the steam and moisture coming from the lentils.
Prepare onion and garlic
Sauté the onion and garlic in some olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste for color and flavor.
Mix and shape
Add the onion mixture to the lentil and bulgur mixture. Mix well using a spoon or a spatula. To the lentil mixture, add the spices, olive oil, chopped parsley and green onions.
Take a piece of the mixture the size of a large walnut and shape it into a long cylinder and place it on a platter with some lettuce leaves. Cool in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
Serving suggestions
This is a simple lentil meatball recipe that's best when served cold. As I mentioned above, mercimek koftesi can be a part of a mezze platter alongside dips such as spicy hummus and muhammara. These vegan lentil meatballs are usually served with lettuce leaves and parsley with a squeeze of fresh lemon for more flavor. You can also turn it into a complete vegetarian meal with a side of sauteed spinach or Turkish style leeks.
However, if you're interested in vegan Mediterranean wraps like falafel sandwich, you can make a sandwich or a wrap with these Turkish lentil balls, parsley, lettuce and some tahini sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! It's best to make these vegan lentil meatballs and refrigerate them for a few hours before serving. However, they stay so well in the fridge so you can even make them a couple of days in advance. Squeeze some fresh lemon on them right before serving and make sure to use fresh lettuce leaves for serving.
These are supposed to be served cold therefore I don't suggest you bake them. Baking them may also cause them to be super dry since there is no egg or binder in the recipe.
They do! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the lentil balls on the baking sheet. Freeze for about one hour until they're hard and then put them in a plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, thaw them in the fridge overnight.
Notes and tips
- This recipe yields 25-30 lentil balls and is enough for 5-6 people. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Red lentils get very soft when they're cooked and will lose their shape. It's important to make sure the lentils don't have too much excess water since you want the vegan meatball mixture be sticky enough so you can shape it into balls.
- Make sure you purchase fine bulgur and not coarse bulgur. The finer the bulgur, the smoother the meatball mixture is going to be. Coarse bulgur will make the mixture crumbly and hard to shape.
- Aleppo pepper is not hot and is used to add depth and flavor to this recipe. If you would like the vegan meatballs to be spicy, you can add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the mixture.
- If the mixture is not sticky enough, add more olive oil to it, one tablespoon at a time.
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!
Step-by-Step Recipe
Turkish Vegan Lentil Balls (Mercimek Köftesi)
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 ½ cup fine bulgur
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup green onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a sauce pan cook the lentils with 3 cups of water until they have absorbed the water and are cooked.
- Turn the heat off, add in the bulgur and cover with the lid. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan and saute onion and garlic until golden. Add in tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Turn the heat off.
- Place the red lentil and bulgur mixture in a large bowl. Add in the onion mixture and mix.
- Add in the parsley, green onions, cumin, salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper.
- Add in the olive oil and mix well.
- Start shaping the vegan lentil meatballs into long cylinders and place them on a platter.
- Chill for an hour in the fridge and serve with fresh lemon and lettuce.
Video
Notes
- This recipe yields 25-30 lentil balls and is enough for 5-6 people. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Red lentils get very soft when they're cooked and will lose their shape. It's important to make sure the lentils don't have too much excess water since you want the vegan meatball mixture be sticky enough so you can shape it into balls.
- Make sure you purchase fine bulgur and not coarse bulgur. The finer the bulgur, the smoother the meatball mixture is going to be. Coarse bulgur will make the mixture crumbly and hard to shape.
- Aleppo pepper is not hot and is used to add depth and flavor to this recipe. If you would like the vegan meatballs to be spicy, you can add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the mixture.
- If the mixture is not sticky enough, add more olive oil to it, one tablespoon at a time.
Carla
These "meatballs" were absolutely delicious, but way too FRAGILE. i made them with fine bulghur as directed, and added extra olive oil as suggested, but nothing really made them hold together. I also found that a sauce of some sort was essential to enjoying the plate of crumbs that resulted. I made a yogurt sauce so the dish wasn't vegan after all. Tahini sauce would probably be good, but I did not have the ingredients on hand. If anyone has tips for making these "meatballs" hold together, I'd really like to hear them. Great taste, but not a great dining experience.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Carla,
Glad you enjoyed the flavors and sorry to hear they didn't hold together. What I would suggest is to "knead" the mixture for longer until all comes together. Kneading and squeezing the mix could definitely improve the texture. Hope this helps.
Jill
I agree with one of the other reviewers. I'm a meat eater as well, but I loved these vegan meatballs! Thanks for a terrific recipe!
Justine
These were delicious! I made them Sunday night so the kids could have something to snack on throughout the week and it was great!
Beth
You mentioned in your post that this is a great meal for vegans, but I want to point out to everyone that this meal is just plain great for anyone. I am by no means a vegetarian. I actually LOVE meat, but I made this for the flavors listed. It's a new favorite!
Andrea
These Turkish meatballs look and sound fantastic. I've never had anything like them and am very much looking forward to trying them.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
These came out perfectly and were so tasty. A great make ahead dish for summer. Thanks for this.
Michael Cain
The balls are too soft; used freekah(buzzed in the grinder) instead of bulgur,, but these balls are basically mush; nothing is binding or drying them; I'm confused.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Michael, I'm sorry to hear these lentil balls didn't come out the way you expected. Did you cook the lentils with enough water, you can see in the video and pictures that the lentils are very moist. Another reason could be that you used freekeh which has a different texture than bulgur even when ground.
Carmela
I'm making them now, and just wondering what is the portion size . How many of these have the 350 calories? Is it, 2 , or 3?
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Yes, about 3.
Howard Delaney-Brownlow
Very good. We all loved them. Firm enough to dip into a sauce.
Alica
Can the bulgur wheat replaced by something gluten free?
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
You can leave it out and only use red lentils.
Lucy
I might try quinoa instead! You might use gluten free oats too? Might not work though, I am not a chef lol so if anyone does know or has tried, please reply? 🙂
Suzie
This is an Armenian dish called Vospov Kofte. It is eaten during the Lenten period when fasting. During the 40 days of Lent before Easter, only vegan dishes are eaten.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Hi Suzie, so interesting to see how some dishes are common in different countries!
Wilhelmina
Delicious! I made these for a small get together and they were gone in a flash!
Sandi Gaertner
This was absolutely delicious!
Catherine
These look fantastic and I love that they are vegan too! Delicious flavors...cannot wait to make this for my family!
Carrie Robinson
These look absolutely delicious! I need to make this recipe asap. 🙂