Delicious Lentil Veggie Nuggets. A healthier alternative to chicken nuggets, these bite sized nuggets make brilliant finger food for kids and toddlers!
Does anyone else have chicken nugget obsessed kids? My children love chicken nuggets and would pretty much eat them every day of the week given a chance.
So in an attempt to get them eating a healthier and more vegetable-packed alternative, I’ve been working on my own recipe for these Lentil & Veggie Nuggets.
Lots of veggie nugget recipes out there are made with mashed potato but I decided to use red lentils instead as the base as they provide a lot more nutrition.
Red lentils are an excellent source of dietary fibre and are also a really good source of iron, protein and some B Vitamins.
To the lentils and vegetables, I also added some breadcrumbs to help bind everything together (bread can be gluten free if you like) and also some grated cheddar cheese for extra flavour.
The mixture makes about 15 largish nuggets (or more if you make them smaller). If you don’t want to cook them all at once you can freeze them on a plate or tray in a single layer and then transfer to a sealed freezer bag. Then cook them from frozen, adding an extra 5 minutes or so to the cooking time.
I now always have a batch of these nuggets in the freezer on hand for busy days. They make a great lunch served with some chopped carrot, cucumber and peppers on the side.
Or for dinner they taste delicious with some homemade potato wedges and peas. Yum!
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Lentil Veggie Nuggets
Prep Time: 10 mins- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 15 1x
Category: Main Meal
Cuisine: European
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Delicious veggie nuggets packed with lentils. These bite sized nuggets make brilliant finger food for kids and toddlers!
Ingredients
- 150g (1 cup) dried red lentils
- 2 slices wholemeal bread
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1 small courgette, grated
- 75g (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese
- 50g (½ cup) frozen peas and corn
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
Instructions
- Soak the lentils in cold water for 3-4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 200c / 400f and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Blitz the bread in a food processor until it reaches a breadcrumb consistency. Tip the breadcrumbs into a bowl and put to one side.
- Drain the lentils well and add them to the food processor with the grated carrot and courgette. Blitz until all the lentils have broken down and the ingredients are well combined.
- Add in the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, frozen peas and corn and dried herbs and mix by hand.
- Form the mixture into approximately 15 golf ball sized balls. Place on the baking tray and flatten with a spoon.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.
- Allow the nuggets to cool for 10 minutes on the tray before serving (this helps them to firm up).
- Serve straight away or keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 48 hours.
- The nuggets can also be frozen before cooking. Freeze in a single layer on a plate or tray and then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen adding an extra 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Jess says
So good! I went rogue and added onion and garlic powder, a heap of nutritional yeast, and really free poured the cheese. They’re really tasty! We’re egg free for our allergy toddler so a recipe that I didn’t have to try and change was a big win! I’ll probably adapt In future to add tuna or salmon to them too. Thank you!
★★★★★
Vicky says
Sounds fab Jess, thank you for sharing and taking the time to come back to us. Happy cooking.
Rebecca says
Loved this recipe, thank you! Can’t wait for my daughter to try them. She’s 18 months and so far has a great appetite.
★★★★★
Vicky says
That’s fab! really hope she enjoys them. We would love to hear from you if you decide to try anymore of our recipes. You can find us on Facebook and Instagram. Enjoy.
Matty says
Could you freeze these after baking?
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Vicky says
Hi, the nuggets can be frozen before cooking. Freeze in a single layer on a plate or tray and then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen adding an extra 5 minutes to the cooking time. We hope this helps.
Leah says
Yes, they freeze really well! To heat them up, put them on a cookie sheet or aluminum foil and pop them in a preheated 400F oven. I’ve heated them up both dethawed and still frozen.
Leah says
I made these yesterday for myself (I’m not a toddler) and they turned out really good! I forgot to soak the red lentils so I just cooked them in a pan and added plenty of extra breadcrumbs to fix the wetness. I used frozen peas and carrots instead of the corn mix and 1/2 cup vegan parmesan. I think when I make them again, I’ll either add more parmesan, double or triple the seasoning, or add some onion powder to amp up the flavor a bit. Delicious recipe!
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Leah says
What kind of dried herbs do you recommend using?
Bianca Carey Spencer says
Hi Leah, typically dried mixed herbs would consist of Thyme, Marjoram, Parsley, Oregano, Sage, and Basil but you could use any herbs you like to suit your tastes.
Leah says
Thanks so much!
Natalie says
Fantastic recipe. My daughter aged 3 doesn’t like eating meat at the moment (I think it’s the texture) so these are great to make sure she is getting enough protein. My 8 month old tried a little too and he loved them. My mum also tried one and I think she loved them even more than the kids, so great for the whole family. ❤
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Anonymous says
It was delicious
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Simone Booth says
These were a big hit in my house! I added 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, an egg, and 21 Seasoning Salute, plus a little extra bread crumbs. My vegetarian daughter likes them with pizza sauce. I am always on the look out for recipes with protein for her.
Peter says
Simple and Tasty. Mix may seem too wet at first but after baking, nuggets have a great, smooth consistency.
★★★★★
Emily says
Yum!!!
I didn’t have any zucchini or lentils. So I used an apple and a 125g can of mixed beans.
I also just chopped up some cheese slices, and added a bit of salt and pepper, and some hemp and flax seed.
also didn’t used a food processor but blender was ok for the bread and I just fork mashed the beans.
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Erin says
Has anyone tried freezing them cooked? How did it go?
Heather says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was easy to make and they were delicious. My 17 month old twins ate them up! I used a cookie dough scoop to measure the nuggets and it made the perfect size.
★★★★★
Marielle says
I am trying to get my family to eat less meat and this recipe was a real hit, even with my fussy eaters. I added an egg to the mix as it seemed crumbly and the nuggets turned out nice and firm.
★★★★
Jane Tomlinson says
Have a fussy 2 year old who will dodge many types of veg but these were scoffed down! I used carrot and sweede blended up and a pinch of salt, left out the peas as he detects them even when hidden! Amazing, finally got him to eat a meal that isn’t a cheese sandwich 👍
Supriya Kutty says
Yummy so delicious recipe looks so nice and tasty delicious very well ingredients and instruction given, really appreciated i liked it a lot m so excited to make and taste, thanks for sharing with us.
Patrycia says
Oh. My. God. These are delicious! Followed recipe exactly other than sub zucchini for broccoli that i pulsed in the processor. Delish delish! Thanks!
★★★★★
Anonymous says
I forgot to mention that I added a small onion and 3 cloves of garlic.
Michelle says
These turned out pretty well but mine don’t have a lot of flavor …I’m wondering if I didn’t have the appropriate herbs in there bc I wasn’t sure what exactly you used. Any suggestions on how I can make it less bland? Thank you for the recipe!
Karen says
Hi Michelle, yes I had the same problem they didn’t really taste of much and were quite dry and i did stick to the recipie.
Robyn says
Thank you – really enjoying trying a few new recipes with kids at the moment. Weidly, the fussy one ate these and the normally easy one didn’t. Oh well. They were too crumbly so I added an egg, but I didn’t have time to pre soak the lentils as instructed so that might have had something to do with it!!
Kristine Bowie says
I just made these for the first time and they were fantastic! I had to make a few modifications, as I was just working with what I had at home already. I didn’t have a zucchini so I used an extra carrot instead. I also used canned brown lentils, as that is what I happened to have. I drained the lentils well and poured them onto a plate with some paper towels to soak up the excess moisture. I also only had frozen rye bread, and the slices are smaller so I defrosted 4 slices instead of 2. My food processor is packed, as my family is in the middle of moving, so I used my magic bullet instead. It worked, but it was a challenge. My final adaptation was adding a lot of extra spices, after reading in some of the comments that they weren’t very flavorful. My kids are used to a lot of flavour, so I used a pinch each of garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano, basil, and black pepper. They were delicious! My 15 year old son, who is afraid of the word “vegetarian” said that he would definitely eat them again. My 4 year old son also liked them. I’ll double the recipe next time. Thanks for posting this recipe!
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Soula says
When you say red lentils are they split lentils or whole. Also would green or other kinds work? Thanks
Soula says
When you say red lentils are they split lentils or whole lentils. Could green lentils or other kinds work?. Thanks
Lisa says
Hi, have you ever used canned lentils, would those work instead of soaking? Thank you!!
Ciara Attwell says
You could use them, just be sure to drain them really well or the mixture will be too wet
Hannah says
Mine ended up very crumbly. I don’t know what’s went wrong or how to fix it, any ideas?
Ciara Attwell says
Sounds like they might have been too dry. Did you measure the ingredients exactly?
Macy says
Lovely and super healthy too. We have these for meat free Mondays a lot now!
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WorkingMom says
This recipe was a fantastic inspiration. I am a grown woman that is a very fussy eater, so these looked like a great idea. I modified the recipe, building on your initial idea, adding brown basmati rice and a bit of falafel mix, then stick blending it. I left out the zucchini, but spiced it up with some chaat masala mix, salt and black pepper. We baked them off and made a sour cream dip with dill and other herbs and it was so good! My 6 year old also chomped them down. Next time, we’ll add in some heavy veggies, like chopped kale and mustard greens and some hot chilis, too. We’d also like to try them as patties for veggie burgers as they seem to hold together really well. Thanks again for the inspiration, or it would have been another night of me complaining and/or ordering a pizza!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Yay! So glad you liked them! Your version sounds delicious!
Teresa says
Hi
I really want to make this. Please do you have any suggestions for an alternative to the bread eg flour?
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Ciara Attwell says
Hi Teresa, I havent tried it with anything other than bread so I couldn’t tell you for sure if it would work with flour.
Madhu says
You can use mashed potatoes instead of bread or all purpose flour with a pinch of salt, I have made them a lot. I am sure that they will work really well. Happy cooking ?
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Anonymous says
Can I cook & drain the lentils first? bit worried about using raw lentils …
Fiona says
So glad I came across this receipe! My 2 year old son is going through a stage where he is refusing EVERYTHING at meal times. It’s utterly frustrating and disappointing. I was a bit skeptical about these but literally willing to try anything that will get some nutrition into him and to my surprise HE LOVED THEM!!!!
They are incredibly nutritious as well. Thanks for the great receipe. 🙂
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Yay!!! That’s brilliant news Fiona! Just goes to show that it’s worth trying everything once!
Sonya says
Can you just substitute brown lentils for red lentils or do you have to change the soaking time? Also, can you omit the cheese (we’re vegan and I don’t want to buy fake cheese)?
Ciara Attwell says
Yes you can use brown lentils. You could leave out the cheese but I cant comment on what the flavour would be like without it
Veronica says
Did you make these without cheese? I would like to make these without cheese as well and just wondering how they turned out for you?
Ciara Attwell says
I haven’t tried them without cheese!
Jo says
Hi, would it work to boil the lentils first if no time to soak? Or would the consistency be wrong? Thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
I haven’t tried parboiling myself. They might be a little mushy but it’s worth a try. Could always add more breadcrumbs to balance out the extra moisture
Lisa says
These were very good. I only used 1/4 c of cheese. I added nutritional yeast for more cheese flavor. Next time I will add the corn and peas to the processor.
★★★★
Ela says
I loved them, but the kid spit it out:( hope he’ll change his mind eventually
★★★★
Christine says
Love this idea, we are making these tomorrow. Thanks for sharing!
Pebbles says
I made these a few days ago using chopped up steamed broccoli and cauliflower instead of peas and corn. I was looking for a veggie dish for my 2 year old granddaughters as well as my husband, who also thinks eating veggies is a chore. These came together nicely. I was afraid they would not hold together well but they were just fine; cooling to firmness was not even needed. We did not really care too much for the taste of the red lentils. The nuggets had a vaguely ‘grassy’ taste. I do not know if it is because of the age of my lentils or because they aren’t really cooked. The taste sort of grew on me after eating a few of them and a drizzle of blue cheese or ranch dressing enhanced the flavor. I also thought they were OK the next day cold.
I will probably make this again and experiment with different lentils, perhaps cooking them a little.
★★★
Nora says
What temperature should one bake these? Your response is much appreciated.
Nora says
Hello – can you say exactly which herbs are in your herb packet? New cook here and need more specific guidance. Thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
Its a mix of dried herbs. Dried oregano works well too
Karen says
I made these veggie nuggets exact to the recipe and I was really looking forward to tasting them, but unfortunately I found them very tasteless apart from a slight cheese taste but they were also quite dry so I was very disappointed 🙁
Allison says
Wow tried these today and they were great. Very little flavour, but that’s good when it comes to kids (who will be trying them later tonight). Texture was surprising considering they were oven baked- crisped up really nicely on the outside and moist on the inside. I had them with tomato sauce, but partner preferred a sriracha mayo. If I hadn’t have cooked them I never would have known what was in them – no taste or texture of lentils or veges. I was worried at first that my mixture seemed grainy (thought maybe I hadn’t soaked my lentils properly) but all worked out fine once cooked. Thanks for the recipe. Fingers crossed they are a hit with the kids
★★★★★
Lisa says
These look yummy! I’m going to try them today. I want my son to eat more egg, and I thought I could add one to this recipe. What do you think, would that turn out ok? Would I need to add more bulk like lentils and/or breadcrumbs to prevent them being sloppy? Thanks so much!
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Lisa, yes you might have to add more lentils and breadcrumbs!
Pushpinder says
At what temperature should I bake them
Vyk says
These look awesome! I would like to make these
Tonight…do you think if I soak the lentils
For 7-8 hours would that be ok? It’s morning here and would love to make these for dinner.
Thanks so much 🙂
Ciara Attwell says
That should be fine!
Barbara says
Hello – if using store bought bread crumbs, how much is needed?
sunshine says
can i replace the corgette with something else?
Jami says
The only substitution I made for this recipe was to omit the corn and peas and replace them with grated cauliflower, adding it to the food processor with the other veggies. I really enjoyed them, my kids weren’t fond of them this time, but (shockingly!) my husband LOVED them…so it looks like the kiddos will have many, many opportunities to try them in the future! Thanks for this tasty and simple recipe!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Lol! So glad your husband enjoyed them at least!!!
Jami says
Me too! I made a double batch the day after my last comment and froze half. Love these and I will be making them lots; the kids will come around eventually! 😉
Jen says
Hm, you are on a site for fussy eaters – is your husband the fussy eater? I mean, since you prioritise him in this respect.
Rajesh says
Hi,
These turned out to be really good….
First time I baked something and it was edible ????
A small question though, if I want to cook the lentils how can I avoid the mixture from turning mushy??
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Rajesh, using cooked lentils will definitely make the mixture more mushy. Maybe start with using less and you might need more breadcrumbs to soak up the moisture. Let me know if it works for you!
Anna says
Can you cook these and then freeze? If so, how would you reheat, in microwave?
Ciara Attwell says
I explain how to freeze and cook these in the recipe above.
Anna says
Thank you so they can only be frozen before being cooked rather than after?
Anonymous says
That’s what I want to know but that’s not being answered
Vicky says
Hi, we suggest that they are Served straight away or kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 48 hours. We have always frozen the nuggets before cooking for the best results. We hope this helps. happy cooking.
Leah says
They freeze well after being cooked! You can put them on aluminum at like 400F in the oven to heat them up. I have baked them both thawed and frozen, straight out of the freezer. Only minor difference is that the frozen take about 10 minutes or so longer to heat up.
Ashley Fillippa says
My little half vegan loved these!!! Highly recommend, the flavor is amazing and so easy to make. Thank you! Our little 16 month old is allergic to dairy, nuts, eggs & tree nuts. We just used dairy free cheese. Question what happens if you over blend? I definitely over blended they still came out OK just a little bit more like bricks and I’m wondering if that’s why?
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Ashley, if they still came out ok then thats fine. Sometimes if you over-blend things in the food processor they become too mushy and won’t hold their shape but if they still worked then thats fine!
Jen says
Sorry, but these did not go over well. One word from my 2 year old – yuck 🙁
★★
Ciara Attwell says
Oh well, you can’t please everyone.
Becky says
These are awesome!!! I can’t tell you how excited I am to have found a veggie nugget recipe my whole family loved (I have tried several others with less than stellar reviews)…I made them for dinner tonight and my husband and kids adored them and said I am making these at least once a week 🙂 I am delighted to do so, especially knowing I can make them ahead and freeze. Thanks so much for sharing these!!!!!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Wow thank you so much for your comments. Really chuffed you enjoyed these!
becky says
Can I use Green lentils? and you don’t cook the lentils first you just soak them right?
Ciara Attwell says
Im not sure if green lentils will work the same. Let me know if you try it though.
Melissa H says
I just tried it with green lentils. Turned out well. My son ate them! Will try with red next time.
Lisa says
Could I leave out the cheese for my lactose intolerant baby or does it help bind the nuggets. Thanks
Ciara Attwell says
You could definitely leave it out!
Lisa says
Could I leave out the cheese for my lactose intolerant baby or does this help bind the nuggets? Thanks
Geneva says
I made these today and my family LOVED them! We’re big on flavour so I added green onion and 3 cloves of garlic. My 3 and 4 year old devoured them, and my husband was still sneaking them off the tray hours after dinner! Thank you so much, this recipe is a keeper!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Oh wow! Sounds like you guys absolutely loved them! So pleased to hear that!
Rhiannon says
I forgot to turn them…oops! And I don’t have a food processor so I had to use my blender. It took forever to blend! Used broccoli since I’ve never even heard of courgette. Haha! Oh yes and I cooked the lentils so after blending, the lentils turned to mush. After all of my mistakes, baby girl still loves them! Thanks for this vegan option. It’s perfect!
v says
courgette is also called zucchini or marrows (google for a picture)
Annalisa says
Lentils are also a great source of folate; so this seems like a great recipe for pregnant women who might not want to cook all the time (or need an easy midnight snack) when prepared and frozen ahead of time. Just a question about the “turning,” though. Do you mean to turn the tray in case our oven cooks unevenly? Or do you mean to turn over (flip) each nugget? Thanks for the recipe. Sounds delicious, and I’ll have to try it as soon as I get some zucchini
Becky K says
I know this is an older post but hope someone can help. Hoping to make this for my kiddos but one is lactose intolerant. Can I just miss out the cheese or would I have to substitute it with something else?
????
Ciara Attwell says
Hi, you can skip the cheese is you like!
Ana says
I tried them out today (I flavored them with Mrs. Dash seasoning) and made 28 smallish nuggets. I froze half of them and baked the rest.
They were really very delicious. The kids liked them so I’m looking forward to making them again, but I think they came out a bit dry.
I looked again and it would appear that your lentils were cut up in to much finer pieces than mine. I’ll run them in the food processor longer next time, and hopefully that will make the texture less… crunchy lol!
Thanks so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Ana, so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Yes my food processor is quite strong so it really pulverises the lentils!!
Lyns says
Would love to try these but not a fan of courgettes? Anything else you think would work or jus some extra carrot?
Thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
Extra carrots would be fine!
Jess says
I know fresh breadcrumbs are best, but can you sub panko or other breadcrumbs? If so, how much does the 2 slices make?
Nici says
My little boy loved these! So healthy! Thank you!
Ciara Attwell says
That’s great to hear. So glad you liked them!
Preet says
Did you put salt in them?
Ciara Attwell says
I didn’t but you can if you like!
Avril adam says
My 3.5 year old is really fussy about vegetables. I tried a creamy lentil curry but she wouldn’t go for it. These were a complete hit! Thank you Ciara! Very easy but Preparation time is much longer than 10mins though (excl soaking the lentils) but I will definitely do a big batch and freeze.
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Avril, I’m really pleased she enjoyed them. They are perfect for making in batch and then freezing!
Ellie says
Hi
I was planning on making these but I have split red lentils that say on the instructions no need to soak. Should I or not?
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Ciara Attwell says
If they say no need to soak then don’t bother. Sounds like they have already been soaked!
Trika says
This is a great dish for my son and I want to try it. But I don’t have oven, can I fry it? Thanks
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Trika, yes you can!
Trika says
Thanks Ciara!
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Quiana says
What is the brand of pan liner used in the video? It’s black. I’ve never seen that in stores.
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Ciara Attwell says
Hello! It’s a silicone liner that I got on amazon!
S says
Soaking the lentils overnight, do we leave them out or put them in the fridge. I noticed cold water…..let me know please
Ciara Attwell says
Either is fine!
Ashley says
Just wondering if you use actual bread or dried out bread??
Ciara Attwell says
I use fresh bread that’s then blitzed into breadcrumbs. It can be a little dry though.
Mandy says
Do we not cook the lentils first? I see where it says to soak them, and subsequently drain them, but I don’t see any instructions saying that they need to be cooked. Won’t they be hard?
Sorry if this seems like a stupid question, I’m new to working with lentils.
Thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
The lentils are soaked and then blitzed up in the food processor. So they cook very quickly when they are baked in the oven!
Mandy says
Thank you so much for the quick response! I’ll be putting these on the menu this week. 🙂
Lana says
I have green lentils in my pantry, can I use those?
Ciara Attwell says
Yes so long as they are cooked or you cook them first!
Diana says
Thanks! What are the herbs?
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
They are just standard dried mixed herbs, a packet mix. But you can use oregano or italian herbs too.
Feedingtwolulus says
Really tasty, easy to make, moreish little nuggets. Perfect if you’re looking for a break from using onion, garlic or tomatoe for flavouring. My son has taken one of of left overs to school in his lunch box today. Went down well with all the family. Great for snack food or in a main meal. Thank you.
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
That’s brilliant to hear!
Charlie @ The Kitchen Shed says
These look so good! I LOVE lentils and I am always looking for protein packed veggies meals for my kiddos, thank you for the inspiration!