This was supposed to be today’s post:
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?
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?
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.
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.
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…
Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls with Cranberry-Pear Sauce
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)
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!
This was great!! Not a cranberry fan so I used golden raisins instead of dried cranberries and served them with gravy. Omitted thyme and oregano and added 1/2 tsp allspice, so they were sort of like Swedish meatballs. Using the food processor to chop everything finely definitely sped up the process. Had sauteed red cabbage with apples on the side.
Morning do you see any reason that I could not sub in pecans for walnuts for this recipe as well as your glazed lentil loaf?
Im sure that would be delicious!
this is fantastic…im going to make this..but stuff it in crescent roll dough
Finally made this tonight and it was a hit. And my family had never tasted vegan food before.
I actually almost skipped the sauce because I don’t like cranberries at all. But I am so glad I didn’t, first time ever i like something with a good quantity of cranberries. I feel the balls would have been a bit dry otherwise. With the sauce it was just perfect.
These made my Thanksgiving! Thank you!!! So good!!!!
These were fantastic! I used rice vinegar instead of sherry vinegar, and also accidentally subbed sage for the oregano, and they came out amazing!!!! I added a bit of extra maple syrup to the cranberries as I found them really tart. They were still pleasantly tart with the extra, just not overpoweringly so.
I love the addition of a pear to the cranberry sauce! Ever since I read this post I add half a pear to my cranberry sauce. I also love adding orange zest, vanilla powder, and balsamic vinegar. I can’t wait to make the lentil balls soon! Thanks Angela!!
Oh my!!! These are delicious! I didn’t have fresh cranberries to make the sauce but the walnut balls are amazing! They taste just like my moms stuffing only without all the guilt. Can’t wait to add these to my Thanksgiving menu this year….sauce included next time!
I think a caramelized onion sauce or mushroom sauce would also go nicely with this. By the way, while cooking you might enjoy listening to this song written by a vegan philosophy college student.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvIFDhZ3Ejw
Made the lentil balls the other day and they turned out perfect! Didn’t use mushrooms though, I sauteed some chopped leeks instead and it worked great. No falling apart, they held up great so thanks again for a great recipe, I will be using this one again and again!
This recipe is wonderful!
Just tried these in preparation for Thanksgiving and they’re great!! Can’t wait to have for these for the holidays…very hard not to eat them all at once :) They’d be great on leftover sandwiches also!
Is there any alternative to walnuts? I have a walnut allergy.
Thanks!
Are there any alternatives to using mushrooms? Thxs- :)
Can you tell me if this is something I could make and throw them in the freezer and then just warm them on Thanksgiving? I’m trying to simplify my life. Do they lose consistency? They look really tasty. Thanks!
I have frozen them before, thawed on the counter (not in microwave), and then reheated in the oven. You might want to cook them for a bit less time the first time you cook them, just so they dont dry out when reheating.
Hi Angela- I was wondering which bean I could use instead of lentils. For some odd reason, my son is allergic to them and not to any other legume! Thanks!
Hi,
Congratulations on your new baby and thank you for helping me change my life!
Quick questions: Can the Thanksgiving meatballs be frozen? Can they be made as a loaf instead of balls? Do you think I could incorporate chestnuts into the recipe somehow?
All the best,
Sabrina
Is there possibly a way to make these delicious sounding lentil balls without the mushrooms?
I realize it’s one of the two main ingredients so probably not, but I thought I’d ask. :) Thank you for all the delicious recipes you share! I feel like your blog is the primary one I’ve used to learn to cook healthy, Vegetarian friendly foods. It is definitely changing my life for the better!
I would like to know too. I don’t like mushrooms and would like to make it without them.
This comment is long overdue, but I made these for Thanksgiving last year (tripled the batch) and they were a HUGE hit with meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. I didn’t anticipate the meat-eaters devouring them the way they did and we actually ran out and had people asking if we had more tucked away somewhere in the frazzled-looking kitchen! I’m making them today for a friendsgiving gathering this evening, and I’m sure they’ll have the same effect. Thanks for another brilliant recipe, Angela!
Help! I need to sub sunflower seeds for the walnuts (tree nut allergy), how much chopped walnut do you end up with?
Hello! I am halfway through making these balls and I am unsure if I am supposed to drain the excess liquid off of the lentils. I want the consistency to be correct, and want to know the right way to go!
QUESTION: I made these and had the same problem I did with the Moroccan (delicious) yam burgers. They were perfectly crispy on the outside but mush on the inside. Is the texture suppose to be this way or should they be fairly solid throughout? The flavours are amazing, I am just having trouble with the texture. I even tried keeping them in the oven longer and no luck.
Wow! These were very good and relatively easy to make compared to lentil loaf. I love having our “veggie alternative” on Thanksgiving (still working on convincing the meat eaters). I think ours needed a little more moisture but now we know for next time. Definitely add water if they are even a little crumbly! We made the cranberry sauce last night but used a persimmon instead of a pear since we have dozens right now. My husband loved the cranberry sauce and it was so easy to make!
Used this recipe with my fiance’s family on Thanksgiving, to rave reviews (whew!!!) :) A bit time-consuming, but worth the extra effort for those special occasions. SO YUMMY. :) !
I am attempting to make this recipe for my holiday dinner, I have a question about the sauce. Do you mash the pear before adding it to the pot or after with the cranberries and maple syrup?
I know this is an older post but I would like to make these lovely balls for the holidays, the catch is my daughter hates mushrooms. Is there a substitute you could suggest?
As I type I am in the process of eating the lentil-mushroom walnut balls. Yumm……
I’m calling these Thanksgiving Balls because they smell and feel like Thanksgiving when I made them. I only tried little bits that fell off during baking, and they were good. I am excited to have these and hope the rest of the family enjoys them as much as I know I will. By the way, I can’t stop cooking because all of your recipes look so amazing and I keep seeing one and thinking, oh and I need to make that and definitely that. So, needless to say I made the Feel Good Hearty Granola Bars, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabars, the Ultimate Green Tacos with Lentil Walnut Taco Meat and the Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls today, plus the vegan queso dip from Detoxinista…geez. I know I need to stop… Thank you for keeping me busy!. : )
Love these so much!!/made them again today.
Subtle flavors that work so well together. Delicious!
Hi this recipe looks fantastic and I really want to make it but I’d like to make it for my Dad. Unfortunately, he can’t eat oats. Is there something else I could use instead? Some other sort of flour? Is there any other recipe similar to this that don’t require oat flour or any hard grains? Thanks.
Liarne, I bet you could sub almond meal/flour (Bob’s Red Mill has a great product) for the oats. When I made these for Christmas last year, I actually was out of oats (who knew?) and did a blend of half oat/half almond meal, and they turned out great!
Oh. My. Goodness. I just made these and they are incredible! You’ve never steered me wrong with a recipe, and the more I try, the more I love! They’re not a quick thing to make, but oh so worth it in the end. Thanks for another great find!
Made these AGAIN last night (baking the second half of a doubled batch this morning for fiance’s company “Super Bowl potluck” today). Came out PERFECTO for dinner last night! For the sauce, I mocked the ol’ “Heinz chili sauce and grape jelly” goo that our neighbors used to use to cook l’il smokies in when I was a kid using organic ingredients (and maple syrup instead of corn). It worked out GREAT! Definitely gave these pristine little balls a decidedly naughty quality. ;) I think they’re gonna go over big with omnivores and veg-head alike (if Don doesn’t eat them all first). THANK YOU!
Thanks for the Grape Chili sauce idea! I’m planning on making these for Easter, which is not really cranberry season. I might do that instead!
I added a bit of lime juice and chili powder, and it added a nice flavor to the balls. If you don’t make the cranberry sauce, I suggest adding in the lime and the chili powder, it helps to add a bit more flavor. It was really good, and my parents enjoyed it when I made it for them!
I’ve made this recipe several times now, but always around Christmas, so cranberries were readily available. Love the lentil balls and sauce combo BTW!
Any suggestions on sauces to serve it with now (mid Feb)? What flavours would work with this?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Angela! I was looking at onegreenplanet.com today and I recognized this recipe and was surprised that it wasn’t credited to you. Maybe I have missed something but I just wanted to bring it to your attention. The link is: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/lentil-mushroom-walnut-balls/ In any case thank you very much for your wonderful recipes and blog. I actually made this for Christmas last year and it was fabulous! I am a huge fan of yours!
Hi, This sounds so amazing, Lentils give me heartburn. I know, strange right? What do you suggest for a replacement legume?
I haven’t attempted to make these yet but they look delicious! Would this be good to make into a meat(less) loaf as well?
These are incredible! Thank you so much. They are very thanksgivingly but I feel like I could eat them everyday of the year.
Can this be made with almonds or sunflower seeds? My nephew is allergic to almost all nuts!
Hi! Wow, these were AMAZING! I have lived abroad since 2009, and I decided that it was high time I begun a Thanksgiving tradition here. I had my husband’s family come over, and although the entire meal was a success, these really impressed. I enjoyed making them, and they tasted delicious. I agree that the sherry vinegar is necessary, and instead of using normal mushrooms, I used some home (balcony) grown oyster mushrooms. Totally delicious.
Thank you for being a part of my first Thanksgiving as a hostess here in Switzerland!
Hi Angela!
I left a comment a year ago reviewing the cranberry sauce and how much I love it! I do make a few changes :)
5 cups of cranberries, 1 diced pear, zest of one orange, 1/2c + 1T of maple syrup, and vanilla extract. I cook it for 40 minutes until its a deep red color.
Tonight, I finally made the lentil balls. Wow, absolutely delicious!! Thank you!
Not sure why the rating didn’t go through. But 5 stars all the way!
HI Angela,
Quick question! Do you think this recipe would work in loaf form also?
Thanks
Well, I created these using sunflower seeds rather than walnut because my daughter is extremely allergic. They came out “ok”. I didn’t chop up the seeds enough I think.
I love the flavor and texture (except my seeds).
I also made the pear/cranberry chutney topping. I used 1/4 c more cranberries just because I wanted more tart than sweet. I also used maple syrup. The pear was perfect so everything was very sweet.
The chutney was a perfect match with the balls.
My husband thought maybe more “heat” in the balls, so I’ll be including cayenne in my next batch.
Thank you for the inspiration!
Hi
I cannot have oil, any sub for this>
thx
Hi! These look delicious! Would it work to use any nuts besides walnuts? Almonds or pistachios, maybe? Also, if I’m just making these for myself, could I freeze the uncooked balls for later use? Thanks!
When I google this recipe it says there are 19 reviews and 5 stars. Where are these reviews? I would like to see the comments from people who have made and, more importantly, ate these.
I knew I would see the reviews as soon as I sent that message! Found them!! Going to try this recipe for thanksgiving.
Thanks for the pie picture- started my day with a laugh- I always wish I had photographed my cake that caught on fire in the oven- it came to be known as the fireball cake- I still ate around the scorched parts to test for taste- had to- have a great thgvg- I am snooping around for some new recipes- thx for the beautiful site
Hi! I made these lentil balls late Wednesday for Thanksgiving. I froze them to bake Thursday. They were really full of flavor from the fresh rosemary. I was happy they stayed together and didn’t crumble as I was baking. Question: any suggestion for them not to taste so dry and a little more “wet”? Thank you for the great recipe
Angela, Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! I just made it last night for dinner and I loved it! My husband and daughter ate it right up too! The delicious and easy cranberry sauce goes so well with these festive lentil balls. I think this will become a holiday staple in my home. I have been enjoying your cookbook so much. I have made over 30 of the recipes so far and LOVE them! Please keep creating and cooking!
Hello! These look delicious!
I have a work potluck next week and these would be great to bring for everyone to try. Do you think they would be ok heated up in a microwave the next day (we don’t have an oven at work)? Also, should the sauce be served warm or cold?
Thanks!
Laura