Lentil & vegetable kefta that are vegan, grain-free and nut-free! High in protein and low in calories (9 grams protein &156 calories per 3 generous kefta), they make a great meal, snack or appetizer.

Kefta. You may know all about them. If not, allow me to make the introduction.

Kefta is a popular street food from Morocco. Typically skewered and cooked over an open flame, it is made with minced meat (typically lamb, but also beef), a multitude of spices and fresh herbs. Think of it as a spicy, oblong, grilled meatball.

No one true recipe for kefta exists, which is why I feel perfectly justified in generating my own unique take:Lentil & Vegetable Kefta.

Why You Will Love These Lentil Kefta

Like myLentil and Mushroom Meatballsfrom earlier this week, these kefta are:

Vegan
Grain-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
High in protein (9 grams for 3 generously-sized kefta)
Very high in fiber
Baked
Low Calorie

Lunch, dinner, snacks, and appetizers…they can do it all!
Single vegan kefta on a skewer

Ingredients for the Vegan Kefta

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

Making these satisfying kefta requires familiar ingredients: uncooked lentils, carrots, onion, flaxseed meal, coconut flour, fresh herbs (I used mint and cilantro), and generous amounts of lots of garlic and ground spices.

overhead photo of ingredients for lentil kefta

Hww to Make Vegan Lentil Kefta

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Partially Cook the Lentils

To begin, cook the lentils in a saucepan with enough water to cover the lentils by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer for 10 minutes.

You’re aiming for mostly, but not entirely, cooked lentils. They should be soft, but still have a bit of bite, and definitely not falling apart.

Immediately rinse the cooked lentils under cold water (to stop further cooking) and drain. Place the lentils in a food processor, followed by all of the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the coconut flour. Pile it in!

Step Two: Chop Lentils & Vegetables

Pulse all until you are left with afinely choppedmixture. Stop well short of creating a paste, but aim for a relatively uniform consistency.

Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the food processor bowl several times so that the mixture is evenly chopped. Let no chunks go unchopped :).

Step Three: Add the Coconut Flour

All that remains to do, before shaping, is to stir in the coconut flour.

You can pulse in the flour, while the lentil mixture is still in the food processor, but I prefer to transfer everything for a bowl. I don’t like working out of the food processor bowl when I am trying to scoop out the lentil mixture to shape the kefta. It’s your call, though, so do what works for you!

Give the mixture a tiny taste. Based on the flavor, you can add more salt or pepper, or even more spices, according to your tastes.

Step Four: Shape the Kefta

Before you begin to shape, preheat the oven to 375F (190C) and lightly oil or spray a large rimmed baking sheet.

Gather approximately 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the lentil mixture into a ball and then begin shaping with your hands to form an oblong/oval. It should be about 2.5 inches/6.35 cm long. These are your kefta.

Place the kefta on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.

Step Five: Bake

Bake for 33 to 38 minutes until golden brown and the surface of the meatballs looks somewhat dry, like so

Step Six: Broil

I have one last step to give the kefta some extra crispness and color. Remove the kefta from the oven. Position an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the broiler heat source and preheat the broiler to HIGH.

Spray the kefta with oil (from an oil mister) or with nonstick cooking spray. Broil for 45 to 90 seconds until a deeper brown. Watch closely! I got distracted with one of my test batches and ruined them! Learn from my errors.

Nowtheseare some beautiful kefta!

Serve warm, room temperature, or cold with salads, flatbread, as part of a wrap, as a snack, or an appetizer.

Serving Suggestions

If desired, serve with some harissa and chopped mint or cilantro, as pictured. They are also great with plain yogurt (dairy-free, or dairy, if you eat dairy), or one of my go-to instant sauces: hummus sauce, which is simply hummus thinned with some cold water.

More Straightforward, Plant-Based Meat Recipes

Vegan Oat Mushroom Ground Beef
3-Ingredient Almond Flour Vegetable Nuggets
Mushroom Almond Flour Ground Beef (2 ingredients)
Vegan Lentil Taco Meat
Lentil & Mushroom Meatballs
Vegan Ground Beef
Grain-Free Lentil Loaf

Lentil and Vegetable Kefta

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 21 kefta

Ingredients

1 cup brown lentils rinsed
water
2 medium-large carrots about 150 g/5.3 oz, trimmed, peeled, cut into chunks
1 large onion ends trimmed, peeled, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
4 large cloves garlic peeled, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Optional: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt more or less to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper more or less to taste
2 tablespoons coconut flour

Method

In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils and enough water to cover by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes (the lentils will be slightly undercooked). Drain and rinse under cool water. Place lentils in a food processor .
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray (or lightly oil the sheet).
Add the carrots, onion, cilantro, mint, garlic, flaxseed meal , cumin, paprika, coriander, optional cinnamon, salt and pepper to food processor with lentils. Pulse, using on/off pules, until finely chopped, but not a paste (see photo), scraping sides and bottom of bowl several times so that the mixture is evenly chopped.
Scrape mixture into a bowl and and stir in the coconut flour until blended. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Shape 1/4-cupfuls of mixture into long ovals (about 2.5 in/6.35 cm long). This should yield 21 kefta. Place on prepared baking sheet , spacing 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
Bake for 33 to 38 minutes until golden brown and surface appears dry. Remove from oven.
Position oven 6 to 8 inches from broiler source. Preheat oven broiler to high. Spray kefta with oil (from oil mister) or nonstick spray. Broil for 45 to 90 seconds until a deeper brown (*watch closely! do not walk away or they can burn).
Serve warm, room temperature or cold with salads, flatbread, as part of a wrap, as a snack, or an appetizer. If desired, serve with some harissa and chopped mint or cilantro, as pictured.

Notes

Storage: Store the cooled kefta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months. Lentils: I used common brown lentils, but you can use any variety of lentils in this recipe. If using split lentils (e.g., red), you may only need to cook 1-2 minutes less.