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This was supposed to be today’s post:
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The pie had other plans.
Easy as pie?
I really wanted to be mad when I opened the oven door, but I couldn’t stop laughing. Yesterday, was one of those days and I wasn’t surprised in the least. Why wouldn’t the pie explode?
![piefail-2921 piefail-2921](/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/piefail-2921.jpg)
Murphy’s Law – when you forget to put oven liners in a new oven, the sticky pie will erupt like a volcano! Luckily, it came off easily after the sugars cooled. I used the oven scraper tool like a champ. As for the pie dish, I think it will need to soak in acid for 6 years. No big deal.
Obviously, I had to Instagram this pie fail. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that other people love to laugh at fails on the internet. I know I do. Speaking of which, I clicked on the #piefail hashtag and laughed so hard I almost cried. Did you know pumpkin and apple pies can explode? I’m really happy to contribute to the collection. I’ll be checking in with it throughout pie season!
Anyway, tomorrow we leave on a much appreciated getaway and I really didn’t want to end on an epic pie fail, so I was up late last night and at it again all morning and afternoon until I nailed this lentil mushroom ball recipe. Who needs pie when you have this festive dish?
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![veganlentilballs veganlentilballs](/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/veganlentilballs.jpg)
These lentil balls couldn’t be more festive. They are packed with green lentils, cremini mushrooms, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and kale! Oh MY.
![veganlentilballs veganlentilballs](/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/veganlentilballs1.jpg)
Oh, and a tablespoon of sherry vinegar takes it over the top on the delicious scale. If you haven’t cooked with sherry vinegar before, I beg you to try some! It goes so well with anything mushroom. BFFs forever.
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I thought a fresh cranberry + pear sauce would go nicely too. The light sweetness of the sauce is a lovely compliment to the earthiness of the lentil mushroom balls. If cranberry sauce isn’t your thing, I suggest pairing it with my mushroom gravy. I haven’t tried this pairing yet, but I suspect it would be a nice option! Now all we need is a little holiday music pumping from the speakers and some Home Alone on the TV…
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![Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls with Cranberry-Pear Sauce](https://ohsheglows.com/gs_images/2013/11/lentilwalnutmeatballscranberrysaucevegansquare-3017-768x768.jpg)
Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls with Cranberry-Pear Sauce
![](https://ohsheglows.com/wp-content/plugins/osg-recipes/images/ornament_long_artichoke.png)
Yield
13-14 balls
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These lentil mushroom balls are festive, filling, and a great vegan protein option for your holiday feast! I paired it with a lightly sweet cranberry-pear sauce, but if you aren't a cranberry fan my vegan gravy would be a nice option too. You can most likely prepare the lentil balls in advance. Just shape the balls and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for no longer than 12-24 hours, bring to room temperature, and then bake as usual (of course, remove plastic wrap first). The cranberry sauce can be made a couple days in advance as well. I don't suggest skipping the sherry vinegar; it really makes this lentil mixture come to life and it pairs so well with the mushrooms. Lastly, it's important to (very) finely chop all the vegetables and walnuts so everything sticks together.
Ingredients
for the lentil balls:
- 1/2 cup uncooked green lentils
- 1 cup walnuts halves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping cups finely chopped cremini mushrooms (one 8-oz package)
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup finely chopped destemmed kale leaves
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ground flax + 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats, ground into a coarse flour
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cranberry sauce:
- 2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries
- 1 ripe pear, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- small pinch fine grain sea salt
Directions
- Add lentils into a medium pot along with 2 and 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for about 20 minutes, uncovered, adding more water if the lentils dry out. Once the lentils are fork tender, remove from heat and mash with a potato masher until it's a coarse paste with some lentil pieces still intact. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F. Toast the chopped walnuts for 9-12 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. After toasting, increase oven temp to 350°F.
- In a very large skillet or wok, add the oil along with the finely chopped mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt. Saute over medium-high heat for about 7-9 minutes, until most of the water cooks off. Now add the kale, toasted walnuts, cranberries, herbs, and sherry vinegar. Stir until combined and continue cooking for another few minutes until the kale is wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the mashed lentils when ready.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flax and water. Stir for 10 seconds and then immediately pour into the skillet mixture. Stir to combine. Now stir in the 1/2 cup oat flour until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be fairly moist and sticky. If it's way too sticky, add a bit more oat flour. If it's dry, add another tbsp of water.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape lentil mixture into balls and pack tightly with your hands so they hold together. Place on baking sheet an inch or so apart. Repeat for the rest. If the mixture is too hot to handle, let it cool for a bit first and then proceed.
- Bake the lentil balls at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, gently flip over, and bake for another 11-13 minutes, until golden and firm on the exterior.
- For the sauce: Add the cranberries, pear, and maple syrup into a medium pot. Bring to a low boil over high heat and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 10-20 minutes until thickened. Use a potato masher to mash up the pear.
Tip:
- If your mixture seems dry (and this could be the case if the lentils are cooked too long), feel free to add a touch of water to moisten the mixture enough so it adheres.
- To make oat flour, add the rolled oats into a blender and blend on high until a flour forms. Alternatively, you can use 1/2 cup oat flour if you already have some on hand.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)![lentilwalnutmeatballscranberrysaucevegan-3018 lentilwalnutmeatballscranberrysaucevegan-3018](/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/lentilwalnutmeatballscranberrysaucevegan-3018.jpg)
I look forward to thawing the leftovers when I return. :)
I’ll see you next time from sunny Arizona! In the meantime, you can follow our adventures (and pie fails) on Instagram, as always.
Enjoy!
I’m very sorry about the pie, but those balls look phenomenal! Love the addition of sherry vinegar, and that they can be made in advance. It’s going to be hard to decide…cranberry or mushroom gravy! :)
This looks reminiscent of the genius similar too the revisited walnut lentil loaf that is a staple in my home. Can’t wait to try this!
Cheers to you for keeping calm and carrying on with a new recipe despite the horrific death of your poor pie! The meatballs look delicious so it appears you came out a winner in the end! I probably would have quit the kitchen for the day in tears after the food claimed victory.
Well, don’t these look just lovely, even if the pie didn’t quite work out :) D’you think any other type of bean or legume would work in place of lentils? I love ’em, but they’re not a very common grocery store item where I currently live–would still LOVE to give these a shot for an upcoming Thanksgiving party.
Thanks as always for kitchen brilliance!
These look awesome! I make a lentil loaf that’s very similar, but without the sherry vinegar. However, it always tastes like it’s missing something– can’t wait to try my”loaf” with the vinegar.
And, when I cook the lentils, I add a few bay leaves and garlic cloves to the water to add a little flava’.
The cranberry sauce looks awesome, too!
Thanks for the yummy ideas :)
I just checked out the #piefail hashtag… LOL!! As for this recipe, I don’t normally say this of foods that resemble ground meat but they are beautiful! I use more balsamic vinegar than anyone I’ve ever met but absolutely love sherry vinegar too, especially with mushrooms! Thanks for the reminder – I’m going to pick some up this weekend!
these look amazing – already bookmarked (and amazed at how popular these are – I was the 366th person on Delicious to bookmark these already!!!! Which is huge compared to most things I bookmark there. Deservedly so!) Full of my favourite things and make me wish I had a thanksgiving menu to plan!
just relooked at my bookmark and found I have bookmarked the recipe as your blog home page – no wonder there were so many bookmarks – will fix this stat
Thank you for sharing your failure. As much as I feel bad for you, it made me feel better about my luck with desserts in the kitchen lately. Good for you for laughing it off!
These balls look like a perfect way to make up for the pie fail. They’re so festive!
Mmm, those look so good! I wonder if I could trick my meat-loving fiance into eating them… :)
PS Where are those white plates from? Love them!
Thanks Amanda!
They are from Homesense, I think :)
Another awesome creation – looks better than pie in my humble opinion. Also wanted to say congrats on making the Greatist list of Top 50 Bloggers Making a Difference in Fitness, Health and Happiness. I always look forward to your stories, posts and delicious recipes.
Do you think red lentils would work well for this recipe?
Hey Jessica, I don’t think they would hold up enough since they are much softer than green lentils.
Wow these look so good! :)
Ella | towanderandtoroam.blogspot.com
Oh no! So sorry about the pie :( do you think I could sub an equal amount of apple for the pear in cranberry sauce? trying to find a killer cranberry sauce recipe for this Thanksgiving to impress my extended family (they are strong believers that a meal must contain meat in as many forms as possible in order for it to taste good and I want to prove them WRONG!)
Looks delish as usual ;)
I live in Scottsdale. Hope you are having an awesome time and loving the warm weather!!!
Made these tonight… Took awhile; like almost two hours, but I’m not the most efficient cook! They were tasty, but I especially loved the (warm!) cranberry pear sauce! I have to cut down the garlic in most of your recipes – the hubby is not a garlic fan, so next time I think I’ll bump up the herbs a bit. I’m new to the vegan scene and I have to say that these are much better than the fake meatballs I’ve bought at the store. Thanks for the recipe!
These lentil balls look amazing, so healthy and satisfying! I can’t wait to try them! Hehe, and thanks for the pie enlightenment – I had no idea they could explode!!
Have a beautiful day! :)
I saw the #piefail on ig and had to have a giggle. We’ve all had kitchen disasters in our time it’s fun to share and laugh about it :)
Great looking recipe! Kind of reminds me of the filling for Dreena’s awesome festive chickpea tart with the cranberries, oats, walnuts and savoury herbs. I love all those things so am sure I’ll love this!
Oh Emma, I tried Dreena’s Festive Chickpea Tart for Cdn Thanksgiving this year….sooo goood. I am going to make these lentil balls this week. I have no doubt they will be as awesome as Angela’s Lentil Loaf, a staple in my home.
I’m sorry to laugh at your pie, but it was just what I needed this morning! Thanks for keepin it real and hope you have a great trip!
ambernouveau.com | a londoner’s lifestyle blog
Oh dear, the dreaded pie explosion. I’ve definitely been there!
These lentil walnut balls look perfect for one of my many festive neighbourly gatherings coming up! The cranberry-pear sauce is a nice combo.
This looks fabulous!! and I had to smile and then groan at the thought of cleaning up after that piefail. Oy.
So one of the only few foods I don’t care for in this world is pears- I am thinking apples would be a good sub? OR I could use my cranberry chutney recipe as a sauce for these as well….. hmmmmm. LOVE the foods you make- thank you!
Im sure many fruits would work! Apples (but be sure to finely chop and mash them up a bit) orange would also be lovely. Enjoy!
I made these to go with a crabapple chutney I made from my ‘Centennial’ crabapples, bearing heavily, and it was a great combo! Though it seemed a little odd to be eating something tasting so like my family’s favorite turkey stuffing, a moist bread-based dressing, in the middle of the summer! But I had all the ingredients, and it looked good …. Plus they freeze! (If there are any left …) Yum, nice change of pace!