Ironically, my obsession with meatballs started after I stopped eating meat. My very first boyfriend was Swedish, and stereotypically, the dude loved meatballs. Christmas dinners at his family home usually meant there’d be at least a few Swedish dishes on the table. Things like potatoes or pickled herring - but most definitely, meatballs. At the time, I can’t say I got the whole meatball thing. But now, I have to admit I’ve had a total change of heart.
It turns out that meatballs make for a great “main”, while still being small enough that you can eat a bit of this - and a bit of that. During the holidays, it really seems like the only way to survive when there’s so many delicious things to try from the table. So, I started toying with a holiday meatball recipe before Canadian Thanksgiving, and have been testing it consistently since. Which means that in the past month, Anguel and I have eaten upwards of 150 meatballs. Verdict? So worth it.
I like to call these holiday meatballs, because they literally taste like Thanksgiving/Christmas in a single bite. They’re loaded with the classic flavors of a bread-based stuffing (such as onion, celery, rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.), but without the glutens. And conveniently, these meatballs pair well with sides that you’re probably already planning on serving anyways.
Since cooking during the holidays can be a serious undertaking for some, I’m happy to say these meatballs are pretty fuss free. They mostly come together in the food processor, after a quick start in the saute pan to build some flavor. Chickpeas and mushrooms form the bulk of these meatballs, providing a combination of satisfying protein and umami flavor. And unlike many meat-based meatball recipes, you don’t need to let the dough rest before shaping it. The dough will be moist, but still mouldable with your hands. If for some reason your dough is sticking more than usual, I’d suggest wetting your hands to make them easier to handle.
And, before we get too carried away with the meatballs, we should definitely stop to talk about the mushroom miso gravy. After all, potatoes and meatballs aren’t quite the same without it. This gravy uses both mushrooms and miso for a double-hit of umami flavor. You’ll notice that the fresh herbs are almost identical across both the meatball and gravy recipes. In the vein of making your life easier, I doubled up on ingredients to not only make shopping easier - but to also help you use up more of those fresh herbs. I suspect I’m not the only one that often struggles to use up delicate herbs before they spoil.
There are a number of different gluten-free gravy thickeners out there, but I’ve opted for cornstarch here. Arrowroot can work to thicken, but I find it more unreliable when it comes to reheating, so have avoided it this time. In developing this recipe I opted for a smooth gravy that would hold it’s own at the dinner table. A high speed blender makes it smooth and creamy. However, if you like your gravy on the chunkier side, only blend half, or leave as is. To maintain as much of the health benefits of miso as possible, I recommend adding it at the end, which minimizes how long it gets cooked.
Vegan Meatballs with Mushroom Miso Gravy
Ingredients
Vegan Holiday Meatballs
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
- 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon tightly packed minced fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15 oz/14 fl oz/398 ml) can chickpeas, drained (but not rinsed)
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon tamari
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs (gluten free if needed)
Mushroom Miso Gravy
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, minced minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons miso (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon tamari
Instructions
Vegan Holiday Meatballs
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Mushroom Miso Gravy
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
- Miso paste: This recipe was developed and tested with white (shiro) miso. White miso is typically the mildest, and most readily available at grocery stores. But you could also substitute with yellow miso instead (which is slightly saltier and stronger in flavor).
- Rolling meatballs: The mixture will be moist, but moldable. If it feels too tacky, slightly wet your hands with water, then continue rolling. The moisture will help prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. If you plan to make the meatballs in advance, you can alternatively let the mixture rest in the fridge for about an hour, before rolling.
- Gluten free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs. Gluten-free tamari and white miso paste tends to be readily available, but check the ingredients/label to confirm.
- Storage and reheating tips: Refrigerate extra meatballs in an airtight container. Reheat the meatballs in the oven (300°F/150°C) until warmed through, in a lightly oiled (ideally nonstick) skillet over medium heat, or in the microwave.
Andrea says
We made both the meatballs and the gravy as a vegetarian option at our Christmas dinner last year and they were a HUGE hit. They pair so nicely with all the usual Thanksgiving and Christmas flavours. We even saved some leftover meatballs and reheated them in a simple pasta sauce a couple nights later!
Rita says
Hello. What kind of Miso you are using? White or brown?
Bri says
Hi Rita! Usually we have light miso in our fridge, but for this recipe if you happen to have dark miso on hand, that'll work too!
Emily says
My fiancé and I just made these meatballs and gravy and it was a huge hit! The gravy has SO much flavour and I love how guilt free the gravy is, not gonna lie 🙂 We had them with mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts, yum!
Sara says
Thank you for sharing this great meatless meatball recipe. I made these over the holiday season and it was a hit for my guests.
Miso mushroom gravy complimented the meatballs so well. My meatballs were swimming in this delicious gravy and it's guilt free with so little fat used in this recipe. I will definitely make this recipe again.
Bri says
Hi Sara! So glad to hear you loved these meatballs - and the gravy! Hope you had a great holiday season, and thanks so much for serving one of our recipes to your family/friends!