Meatballs With Lentils and Greens
Updated Dec. 9, 2025
- 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
- 4slices firm white bread, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups cubes)
- 1cup milk
- 1½pounds ground beef, lamb or dark meat turkey
- ¼cup grated onion (from 1 small onion)
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons pimentòn de la Vera or smoked paprika
- 1teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 to 4garlic cloves, smashed to a paste
- 2teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- ½teaspoon black pepper
- 1cup small green lentils
- ½small onion
- 1bay leaf
- 2cloves
- 1parsley sprig, plus 3 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley leaves
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 2medium leeks, trimmed, both pale and dark green parts
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
- 2teaspoons 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
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped pale celery leaves
- Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
For the Meatballs
For the Lentils and Greens
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
599 calories; 37 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 31 grams protein; 740 milligrams sodium
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.
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.
Excellent, unexpected flavor playoffs. Green lentils were mush at 15 minutes, though. Next time might try black. And would make more greens/less meat.
I made this dairy free and gluten free- used GF bread crumbs and used far less "milk". Did not let sit overnite. Wore latex gloves to mix meat and spices. Cooked meatballs in the toaster oven on a silpan mat on the bottom of the toaster tray. Served them with homemade marinara sauce. By not letting it sit overnite you can have dinner in about 40 minutes.