Meatballs With Lentils and Greens
Updated December 8, 2025
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes, plus chilling
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes, plus chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS
4 slices firm white bread, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups cubes)
1 cup milk
1 ½ pounds ground beef, lamb or dark meat turkey
¼ cup grated onion (from 1 small onion)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pimentòn de la Vera or smoked paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 to 4 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste
2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
½ teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE LENTILS AND GREENS
1 cup small green lentils
½ small onion
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 parsley sprig, plus 3 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley leaves
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
2 medium leeks, trimmed, both pale and dark green parts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
2 teaspoons grated garlic
1 (12-ounce) bunch green chard, stems removed, leaves sliced into 1-inch ribbons (4 to 6 cups packed)
Pinch of crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons roughly chopped pale celery leaves
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
37 grams carbs; 85 milligrams cholesterol; 599 calories; 19 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 37 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 6 grams fiber; 740 milligrams sodium; 31 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the meatballs: Put bread cubes in 1 cup milk to soak for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, onion, olive oil, pimentón, crushed red pepper, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper and, when it’s soft, the soaked bread and any remaining milk. Mix very well with hands, kneading to incorporate ingredients evenly. Cover and refrigerate, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. (Longer yields better flavor.)
- Step 2
Prepare the lentils and greens: Rinse lentils and put them in a saucepan. Cover with water by 1 inch. Pin the bay leaf to the onion with the cloves and add to the pot along with the parsley sprig. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender, adding water as needed, about 30 minutes. Taste and correct for salt.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, cut leeks lengthwise, then crosswise into ½-inch pieces. Place in a bowl, cover with cold water and swish to dislodge any sand or dirt. Lift leeks from bowl and drain.
- Step 4
Heat olive oil in a large wide skillet over medium-high. Add leeks, season with salt to taste, and cook, stirring, until leeks are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes, lowering heat as necessary.
- Step 5
When leeks are soft, add garlic and cook for 1 minute without browning, then add about ½-inch water to the pan. Add chard, sprinkle lightly with salt, raise heat to high and cover the pan. When chard has wilted, about 2 minutes, stir together with leeks. Add crushed red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated. Taste, adjust seasoning and turn off heat. You may cook leeks and chard in advance and reheat.
- Step 6
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Divide mixture into 12 loosely packed balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Step 7
Roast until nicely browned, about 15 minutes.
- Step 8
To serve, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the lentils, straining them, and transfer to the center of a platter. Spoon the greens over the lentils and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Surround with roasted polpette and sprinkle with chopped parsley and celery leaves.
Private Notes
Comments
I made this pretty close to as written. I liked it overall, but I found the smoked paprika flavour a bit strong. I would use 2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons next time. Also, I forgot to add the olive oil to the meatballs, and it didn't seem to have a big effect. I used a beef/pork/veal mix and they were still plenty juicy.
Big hit with the family. Made exactly as written. Flavorful, tender meatballs; lentils and chard a lovely combination. Will be making again.
Terrific and complete meal, with a lovely contrast of textures and flavors. Nothing special about the lentils until you serve with greens: earthy lentils, sweet leeks, slightly bitter greens (I used turnip, since chard was unavailable). We loved the meatballs, although I can see that some might prefer less (maybe half) paprika. They would also be good made with ground lamb. Prep was easy. Mix the meatballs early in day; the rest can be finished off in 30-45 minutes.
We really enjoyed this. Used ground beef but lamb would be delicious too. Adjusted amounts for one pound of ground beef and 3/4 cups lentils. Reduced smoked paprika after reading comments but otherwise followed recipe. Roasted carrots were perfect on the side and added nice color to the plates. Will make again.
This recipe doesn’t use green lentils. The lentils pictured are brown lentils. The used green lentils and they were mush. Delicious but I’ll use brown lentils next time!
Delicious leek-chard, good lentils, disastrous meatballs. Made w/ turkey b/c any ground meat was supposed to work, accd'g to the story. With the too-wet bread, a soggy mess. At 15 minutes' cooking time, they looked raw, so I gave them 5 mins. more. Then, Insta therm. 165, but still not brown. 5 add'l. mins, barely better. Oven is exact. May try w/ lamb and half the panade, but otherwise, will sub a better meatball recipe. Disappointing.