If been vegetarian for a longer time in my life than I hadn’t. Never missed meat, never went for like-meat convenience food. Needless to say, that when I went vegan, I didn’t need any of v-meat, vöner kebap, vausage and whatever it’s called.

Although we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Germany. No turkey. No centerpieces. No fights with your family about politics and you being a vegan. Therefore, no chance to go to the forest, hunt a basket full of mushrooms and walnuts and make these mushroom walnut lentil balls and impress your entire family with these delightful balls at the Thanksgiving Dinner Table.

Nonetheless, you can make these lentil mushroom walnut balls the centerpiece of your daily cuisine. Mushrooms of your choice, walnut meal, psyllium husk to combine, herbs and kale are the main ingredients to make this little balls of happiness.

This Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls recipe requires very little equipment:

• Measuring cups such as Klee Utensils 10-Piece Colorful Stainless Steel Measuring Cups (affiliate link)
• Food processor such as KitchenAid KFP0718CU 7-Cup Food Processor (affiliate link)
• Ice cream spoon such as Ice Cream Scoops
• My favorite food container Prep Naturals Glass Meal Prep Containers (affiliate link) or
• Freezer-friendly bags such as Glad Food Storage and Freezer 2 in 1 Zipper Bags (affiliate link)

Depending on where you live, you might not find the following ingredients readily available at your local store. I recommend Amazon for the following ingredients:

• Psyllium husk fiber such as Psyllium Husk Powder by Dr.Herbalist (affiliate link)

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #theveganprepper. I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

Print Recipe

Mushroom Walnut Lentil Balls

These protein-packed, bite-sized, vegan and gluten-free balls will make lunch or dinner feel like it's Thanksgiving everyday but without the family disputes. Perfect for meal prepping as they are freezer-friendly. They are filling and pair well with sweet or savoury gravy and go into salads just as well. The only difficulty it to (very) finely chop all the vegetables and walnuts so everything sticks together.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time23 mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, gluten-free, Vegan

Keyword: bread-free stuffing balls, gluten-free, how to make vegan burgers stick together, lentil mushroom walnut balls, mushroom balls, soy-free, Thanksgiving vegan option, walnut balls

Ingredients

For the balls

• 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• 1 package white mushrooms (8 onces/225g) or any other mushroom of your choice
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups kale leaves stemmed
• 1/2 cup rolled oats use gluten-free if necessary
• 1 can lentils (14 ounce/400g) drained and rinsed
• 1 cup walnut halves toasted until fragrant
• 1 tbsp psyllium husk fibre sub: ground flaxseed
• 2 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the sauce

• 1/2 tsp olive oil extra virgin
• 2 cups chopped sweet onion
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 4 cups white mushrooms sub: mushrooms of your choice; sliced
• 1 ½ tbsp dried rosemary
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ tbsp tamari sauce sub: soy sauce
• ½ tbsp cornstarch
• 1¼ cup vegetable broth

Instructions

For the balls

• Add the oil to a large pot and turn heat to medium. Finely chop the mushrooms until they’re roughly the size of peas. (I use a food processor with the respective blade to do so). Add chopped mushrooms to the pot along with minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir until combined. Sauté for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the water from the mushrooms cooks off, reducing heat to low if necessary to prevent burning.
• Meanwhile, tear the kale into large pieces and place into a food processor. Pulse (do not process) the kale until finely chopped (pieces roughly the size of almonds), being careful not to overprocess it. Remove and place into a bowl for later.
• To the processor (no need to clean it out!), add the rolled oats. Process the oats until they’re finely chopped and resemble coarse flour, about 30 seconds.
• Add the drained lentils and walnuts to the processor bowl with the oat flour. Pulse the mixture, stopping to check on it every few pulses, until it’s coarsely chopped. Be sure not to overprocess it into a paste as you still want a lot of texture and crunchy walnut pieces. Set aside.
• To the pot with the mushrooms and garlic, add the herbs and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the kale, then turn off the heat.
• Stir the psyllium husk fibre and water together in a small cup (no need to let it sit).
• Now add all of the food processor contents, vinegar, and psyllium husk fibre mixture to the pot. Stir until thoroughly combined. The dough should be heavy and dense. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• With lightly wet hands, shape and roll about 14 to 15 balls, roughly 3 to 4 tablespoons of dough each (I use a big ice cream spoon to do so). Freeze if you want to use it for later or continue with the next step if you want to eat right away.
• Place them on the prepared baking sheet about two inches apart. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, until golden on the bottom and firm to touch. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.

For the mushroom gravy

• While the Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls are baking, make the Mushroom Gravy. Grab a large skillet and heat oil over medium heat. Add in chopped onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about 12 minutes longer, stirring as necessary. Now stir in the rosemary, nutritional yeast, and tamari. Cook for a few minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and cornstarch until clumps are gone, and then stir into the mushroom mixture. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or so, until slightly thickened.