Vegan Meatballs with Mushroom Miso Gravy

Step 1

Preheat: Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).

Step 2

Sauté vegetables: Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sauté until pale golden around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, sauté until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add celery, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Sauté until celery is tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Combine mixture: Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a food processor. Add chickpeas, tamari, nutritional yeast, and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is almost smooth (all vegetables should be smaller than the size of quick-cooking oats). Add breadcrumbs, pulse until evenly distributed.

Step 4

Scoop and bake: Scoop walnut-sized portions of dough (about 2 tablespoons each). (You should get about 24 balls). Use your hands to roll the dough into a smooth, compact ball (see note 2). Arrange balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until the outside is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Serve with gravy.

Step 5

Sauté vegetables: Heat grapeseed oil in the large skillet (no need to wipe it clean) over medium-high heat. Add onions, sauté until golden brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, sauté until deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Sauté, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 6

Simmer and thicken: Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a small cup or bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth. Pour cornstarch mixture into the simmering stock, whisking until smooth. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened, about 2 minutes.

Step 7

Blend: Transfer the mixture to a blender. Add miso and tamari. Blend until smooth. Taste and season with more tamari if needed. You can thin the gravy with additional vegetable stock or water, if you wish. Serve hot, with meatballs.