Easy vegan meatballs are perfect for a plant-based meal under $5

Plant-based dinners are a great healthy and affordable option for a delicious, nutritious weeknight meal.

Gabrielle Reyes, creator of One Great Vegan, started a recipe series called "soul food savings" recreating easy dishes with ingredients that don't break the bank.

Reyes recently shared her recipe for vegan meatballs with "Good Morning America" -- and the best part, according to Reyes, is that it costs around $5 (about $1.87 per serving) to make.

Scroll below to check out the full recipe.

$5 Vegan Meatballs

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Ingredients
2 cups cooked lentils
1/2 cup oat flour or ground oats
1 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons steak seasoning
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/4-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
2 tablespoons liquid aminos or soy sauce
1/4 cup oil of choice
1 cup white onion
4 tablespoons minced garlic (4 Tbs)

Use as needed
Hearty red marinara sauce
Hummus or plant-based mozzarella cheese
Toasted bread, pasta noodles, pizza crust, quinoa or lettuce cups
Chopped fresh herbs or greens

Instructions

In a medium-sized pot, boil 4 cups of water with 2 cups of lentils and season with freshly 1/4 cup chopped herbs and a splash of steak seasoning. Mix together, cover the pot and let them cook for 18 to 28 minutes or until the lentils are tender and soft enough to chew.

While the lentils are cooking: In a hot pan, saute sliced white onions and minced garlic in oil until they are translucent and slightly golden brown.

Once the lentils are done cooking, add into a big bowl or food processor: the cooked lentils, sauteed onion, sauteed garlic, additional oil from the sauteed onions, steak seasoning, tomato paste, oat flour, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, maple syrup, and liquid aminos.

Lightly mash the ingredients together in the large bowl or food processor until a thick batter forms. Make sure to not to pulse it too much or it will become more of a Hummus and less of a Meatball. Add a small amount more of the oat flour if the batter becomes too loose.

Using an ice cream, scoop, or spoon, portion out equal sizes of the meatball batter and one at a time, roll the lentil batter into round balls, using the palms of your hands.

Place the rolled out meatballs on a lined baking sheet and bake them at 380 F for 18 to 25 minutes, periodically flipping them, so that they bake on all sides and let them cook until they are firm and golden browned.

Toast your bread to your liking, and then add on a healthy helping of hearty marinara sauce, topped with thinly sliced vegan mozzarella or hummus. Bake the bread again until the vegan cheese is melted and hot.

Add the vegan meatballs to your toasted cheesy bread and add on another layer of hearty marinara sauce on top of the lentil meatballs. Sprinkle on basil or chopped fresh greens and slice your sandwich for serving.

If you are making spaghetti, cook your noodles until al dente, or still slightly a little bit firm, pile on some hearty marinara sauce with the meatballs, plant-based mozzarella cheese, and fresh herbs sprinkled on top.

Recipe reprinted with permission courtesy of One Great Vegan.