Delicious veggie nuggets packed with red lentils. 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!
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 (1/2 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.
Erin says
September 29, 2019 at 9:15 pmHas anyone tried freezing them cooked? How did it go?
Jane Tomlinson says
May 2, 2019 at 5:17 pmHave 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
January 10, 2019 at 10:59 amYummy 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
November 29, 2018 at 8:07 pmOh. My. God. These are delicious! Followed recipe exactly other than sub zucchini for broccoli that i pulsed in the processor. Delish delish! Thanks!
★★★★★
Michelle says
September 3, 2018 at 2:30 pmThese 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!
Robyn says
August 24, 2018 at 4:00 pmThank 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
July 10, 2018 at 8:56 pmI 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!
★★★★★
Soula says
July 9, 2018 at 1:20 amWhen you say red lentils are they split lentils or whole. Also would green or other kinds work? Thanks
Soula says
July 9, 2018 at 1:18 amWhen you say red lentils are they split lentils or whole lentils. Could green lentils or other kinds work?. Thanks
Lisa says
June 20, 2018 at 7:42 pmHi, have you ever used canned lentils, would those work instead of soaking? Thank you!!
Ciara Attwell says
June 30, 2018 at 9:24 amYou could use them, just be sure to drain them really well or the mixture will be too wet
Hannah says
June 14, 2018 at 2:45 amMine ended up very crumbly. I don’t know what’s went wrong or how to fix it, any ideas?
Ciara Attwell says
June 14, 2018 at 8:25 pmSounds like they might have been too dry. Did you measure the ingredients exactly?
Macy says
March 19, 2018 at 12:44 pmLovely and super healthy too. We have these for meat free Mondays a lot now!
★★★★★
WorkingMom says
March 13, 2018 at 11:51 pmThis 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
March 14, 2018 at 8:52 amYay! So glad you liked them! Your version sounds delicious!
Teresa says
April 8, 2018 at 10:45 amHi
I really want to make this. Please do you have any suggestions for an alternative to the bread eg flour?
★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
April 8, 2018 at 1:12 pmHi 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
April 20, 2018 at 6:56 amYou 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 ?
★★★★★
Anonymous says
March 8, 2019 at 9:45 pmCan I cook & drain the lentils first? bit worried about using raw lentils …
Fiona says
February 28, 2018 at 12:24 pmSo 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
February 28, 2018 at 8:15 pmYay!!! That’s brilliant news Fiona! Just goes to show that it’s worth trying everything once!
Sonya says
February 22, 2018 at 7:05 pmCan 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
February 23, 2018 at 1:04 pmYes 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
January 13, 2019 at 1:49 amDid 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
January 14, 2019 at 10:50 amI haven’t tried them without cheese!
Jo says
February 12, 2018 at 2:03 pmHi, would it work to boil the lentils first if no time to soak? Or would the consistency be wrong? Thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
February 15, 2018 at 8:55 pmI 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
February 9, 2018 at 11:51 pmThese 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
January 17, 2018 at 10:49 amI loved them, but the kid spit it out:( hope he’ll change his mind eventually
★★★★
Christine says
January 3, 2018 at 8:30 pmLove this idea, we are making these tomorrow. Thanks for sharing!
Pebbles says
December 14, 2017 at 8:09 pmI 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
October 23, 2017 at 11:15 pmWhat temperature should one bake these? Your response is much appreciated.
Nora says
October 23, 2017 at 11:13 pmHello – can you say exactly which herbs are in your herb packet? New cook here and need more specific guidance. Thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
October 29, 2017 at 11:56 amIts a mix of dried herbs. Dried oregano works well too
Allison says
October 4, 2017 at 3:45 amWow 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
September 7, 2017 at 2:37 pmThese 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
September 9, 2017 at 7:48 pmHi Lisa, yes you might have to add more lentils and breadcrumbs!
Pushpinder says
August 16, 2017 at 4:36 pmAt what temperature should I bake them
Vyk says
August 14, 2017 at 11:34 pmThese 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
August 15, 2017 at 6:39 amThat should be fine!
Barbara says
August 14, 2017 at 8:06 amHello – if using store bought bread crumbs, how much is needed?
sunshine says
August 1, 2017 at 2:31 pmcan i replace the corgette with something else?
Jami says
July 26, 2017 at 8:59 pmThe 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
July 28, 2017 at 10:33 amLol! So glad your husband enjoyed them at least!!!
Jami says
July 31, 2017 at 3:44 pmMe 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
November 17, 2017 at 3:15 amHm, 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
June 8, 2017 at 8:32 pmHi,
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
June 10, 2017 at 8:17 amHi 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
May 23, 2017 at 6:03 pmCan you cook these and then freeze? If so, how would you reheat, in microwave?
Ciara Attwell says
May 23, 2017 at 7:34 pmI explain how to freeze and cook these in the recipe above.
Anna says
June 1, 2017 at 7:49 pmThank you so they can only be frozen before being cooked rather than after?
Ashley Fillippa says
May 21, 2017 at 5:07 pmMy 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
May 22, 2017 at 7:52 amHi 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
May 10, 2017 at 7:26 pmSorry, but these did not go over well. One word from my 2 year old – yuck 🙁
★★
Ciara Attwell says
May 10, 2017 at 8:18 pmOh well, you can’t please everyone.
Becky says
May 4, 2017 at 12:34 amThese 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
May 4, 2017 at 9:46 amWow thank you so much for your comments. Really chuffed you enjoyed these!
becky says
April 20, 2017 at 6:11 pmCan I use Green lentils? and you don’t cook the lentils first you just soak them right?
Ciara Attwell says
April 20, 2017 at 8:21 pmIm not sure if green lentils will work the same. Let me know if you try it though.
Melissa H says
July 26, 2017 at 1:12 amI just tried it with green lentils. Turned out well. My son ate them! Will try with red next time.
Lisa says
April 17, 2017 at 10:33 amCould I leave out the cheese for my lactose intolerant baby or does it help bind the nuggets. Thanks
Ciara Attwell says
April 17, 2017 at 8:22 pmYou could definitely leave it out!
Lisa says
April 17, 2017 at 10:29 amCould I leave out the cheese for my lactose intolerant baby or does this help bind the nuggets? Thanks
Geneva says
March 28, 2017 at 12:25 amI 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
March 28, 2017 at 10:57 amOh wow! Sounds like you guys absolutely loved them! So pleased to hear that!
Rhiannon says
March 10, 2017 at 12:14 amI 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
March 29, 2017 at 5:20 amcourgette is also called zucchini or marrows (google for a picture)
Annalisa says
March 8, 2017 at 11:41 pmLentils 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
February 21, 2017 at 8:19 pmI 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
February 22, 2017 at 9:38 amHi, you can skip the cheese is you like!
Ana says
February 13, 2017 at 3:24 amI 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
February 13, 2017 at 3:20 pmHi Ana, so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Yes my food processor is quite strong so it really pulverises the lentils!!
Lyns says
January 21, 2017 at 12:28 pmWould 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
January 21, 2017 at 9:54 pmExtra carrots would be fine!
Jess says
January 17, 2017 at 10:17 pmI know fresh breadcrumbs are best, but can you sub panko or other breadcrumbs? If so, how much does the 2 slices make?
Nici says
January 15, 2017 at 3:30 amMy little boy loved these! So healthy! Thank you!
Ciara Attwell says
January 15, 2017 at 2:39 pmThat’s great to hear. So glad you liked them!
Preet says
January 12, 2017 at 10:29 pmDid you put salt in them?
Ciara Attwell says
January 13, 2017 at 11:56 amI didn’t but you can if you like!
Avril adam says
January 4, 2017 at 6:24 pmMy 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
January 4, 2017 at 6:35 pmHi Avril, I’m really pleased she enjoyed them. They are perfect for making in batch and then freezing!
Ellie says
December 31, 2016 at 8:04 pmHi
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?
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
January 2, 2017 at 7:28 pmIf they say no need to soak then don’t bother. Sounds like they have already been soaked!
Trika says
December 15, 2016 at 6:21 amThis 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
December 15, 2016 at 10:56 amHi Trika, yes you can!
Trika says
December 19, 2016 at 1:17 pmThanks Ciara!
★★★★★
Quiana says
December 14, 2016 at 10:11 pmWhat is the brand of pan liner used in the video? It’s black. I’ve never seen that in stores.
★★★
Ciara Attwell says
December 15, 2016 at 10:56 amHello! It’s a silicone liner that I got on amazon!
S says
November 27, 2016 at 8:09 pmSoaking 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
December 1, 2016 at 12:49 pmEither is fine!
Ashley says
November 27, 2016 at 5:55 pmJust wondering if you use actual bread or dried out bread??
Ciara Attwell says
December 1, 2016 at 12:50 pmI use fresh bread that’s then blitzed into breadcrumbs. It can be a little dry though.
Mandy says
November 12, 2016 at 2:14 pmDo 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
November 14, 2016 at 1:36 pmThe 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
November 14, 2016 at 10:22 pmThank you so much for the quick response! I’ll be putting these on the menu this week. 🙂
Lana says
October 28, 2016 at 8:14 amI have green lentils in my pantry, can I use those?
Ciara Attwell says
October 28, 2016 at 9:12 amYes so long as they are cooked or you cook them first!
Diana says
October 17, 2016 at 11:34 pmThanks! What are the herbs?
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
October 18, 2016 at 12:01 pmThey are just standard dried mixed herbs, a packet mix. But you can use oregano or italian herbs too.
Feedingtwolulus says
October 7, 2016 at 8:23 amReally 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
October 7, 2016 at 11:41 amThat’s brilliant to hear!
Charlie @ The Kitchen Shed says
September 2, 2016 at 9:22 amThese look so good! I LOVE lentils and I am always looking for protein packed veggies meals for my kiddos, thank you for the inspiration!
Elizabeth says
June 5, 2018 at 12:37 amHelp! Mine won’t stick into a ball! What did I do wrong?
Ciara Attwell says
June 5, 2018 at 9:11 pmAdd some more breadcrumbs