These vegan meatballs with mushroom gravy are a great plant-based alternative to Thanksgiving turkey and way more tasty than any store-bought veggie loaf!
Add lentils and broth to a medium size sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and then cover. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender but not falling apart. Take off the lid and cook off any remaining broth if needed. Otherwise, remove from the heat and set aside.
Combine ground flax and water in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
Add the olive oil, celery, onion, carrot, and mushrooms to a non-stick skillet and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the red wine, garlic, soy sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Cook another 2-3 minutes or until liquid is cooked off. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, add walnuts to a food processor and pulse until ground into breadcrumb consistency. Add the cooked lentils, cooked vegetables, flax seed egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper to the food processor. Pulse until dough forms.
Spray a baking dish or cookie sheet with cooking oil and form 13 balls out of the lentil mixture using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until browned.
To Make the Mushroom Gravy
Melt butter in a small saucepan and add the mushrooms and onion. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms start to wilt and release their moisture.
Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. Add to the saucepan.
Stir continuously while you add in the soy sauce, miso, and oregano. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes or until gravy begins to thicken. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. (You can also transfer to a tradition blender to puree.) Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
To serve, portion meatballs onto a plate and cover with gravy. One serving is about 3-4 meatballs.