If you're a mushroom lover like I am, you're going to love these vegan mushroom meatballs. Made with brown rice, mushrooms, walnuts and with plenty of flavour from savoury additions like balsamic, thyme and nutritional yeast. These mushroom meatballs are baked until browned and a little crispy thanks to the breadcrumbs. You'll love how versatile they can be. Whether you want to serve these mushroom balls on their own, or on a plate of orzo with a creamy marsala sauce, they're delicious either way.

This recipe was inspired and adapted from Love & Lemons veggie burgers.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make these mushroom balls.

• brown rice (short grain)
• extra virgin olive oil
• shallot
• cremini mushrooms
• walnuts (raw)
• garlic
• low sodium tamari
• balsamic vinegar (or glaze)
• nutritional yeast
• fresh thyme
• chia seeds (or flax seeds)
• panko breadcrumbs
• kosher salt
• avocado oil spray, for baking

Here's what you'll need for the creamy marsala sauce:

• butter (dairy-free/vegan butter if needed)
• shallot
• garlic
• all purpose flour
• marsala
• mushroom stock
• half and half cream (10% cream)

How to Make Vegan Mushroom Balls

Cook the brown rice and set aside (this can be prepped in advance and reheated, see notes).

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle in the oil. Once warm, add the shallot, mushrooms and walnuts. Cook, stirring often, until softened and the mushrooms have released water. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tamari, balsamic, nutritional yeast and thyme. Stir to combine.

Place the cooked rice into a food processor along with the mushroom mixture, the ground chia/flax seeds and half the panko.

Pulse on high until fully combined and the mixture holds together in your hands.

Add the salt and the remaining panko and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt/pepper.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the mushroom mixture and roll into balls using your hands. They should be slightly larger than a golf ball.

Place the balls on a baking sheet and spray with avocado oil. Transfer to the oven and bake for ten to 11 minutes, flip and bake for ten to 11 minutes more.

How to Make A Creamy Marsala Sauce

Heat the same skillet used to make the mushroom balls over medium heat. Add 2 tbsps of the butter and let it melt.

Add the shallots and cook until fragrant and translucent, about two to three minutes. Add the garlic during the last 30 seconds.

Scatter the flour in and cook, stirring for one minute. Add the additional 1 tbsp of butter if the skillet is looking dry.

Slowly pour in the marsala while whisking constantly to incorporate the flour into the liquid. Cook until reduced, about three to four minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often until thickened slightly, about five minutes or so. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the cream and season with salt.

If you want a smooth sauce, pour through a sieve.

To serve, divide the orzo into bowls and top with the mushroom balls. Pour the marsala sauce over top. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Tips

• Short grain brown rice: you want to use a short grain rice as it's sticker than long grain rice.
• Cook ahead: you can cook the short grain rice ahead, but reheat it before adding to the mushroom ball mixture so it can get sticky again as it clumps up when it's cold. Ideally, you want the rice to be freshly made.
• Prep the mushroom meatballs: you can have the mushroom meatballs prepped ahead (rolled into balls) and then cook from the fridge.
• Taste and adjust: I always recommend tasting along the way to see if the mushroom meatballs need more seasoning (salt) and adjust.
• Cook the flour: when adding the flour to the skillet for the marsala sauce, be sure to cook it for a minute or so before adding the liquid.
• Pour the marsala in slowly: slowly adding in the liquid while whisking constantly ensures a smooth sauce without any flour lumps.

Substitutions

• Dairy-free: use an unsweetened and unflavoured cream instead of a dairy cream, or use homemade cashew cream instead.
• Butter: use a vegan butter alternative instead.
• Gluten-free: use a gluten-free panko or other breadcrumb mixture in the mushroom meatballs. Use a gluten-free all purpose flour for the marsala sauce.
• Mushroom stock: I prefer mushroom stock for more mushroom flavour, but feel free to use a quality vegetable stock that you love instead.

How to Store/Freeze Mushroom Meatballs

• Store cooked mushroom balls in a sealed container in the fridge for up to five days. The marsala sauce can be stored separate for up to three days. Reheat before serving.
• Freeze cooked mushroom meatballs in a freezer safe plastic bag for up to three months. Reheat in the oven or air fryer until warmed through.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with orzo or another short pasta shape and the creamy marsala sauce over top. You can serve them with roasted veggies, or a salad on the side.
• As an appetizer with the marsala sauce on the side.
• Serve them with marinara sauce and your favourite pasta, omitting the marsala sauce.

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

Kosher salt:

I exclusively use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes. I prefer the texture, taste and consistency of this brand and highly recommend it for everyday cooking.

Low Sodium Tamari:

Tamari is a great option for those needing a gluten-free soy sauce. I'm not gluten-free, but still primarily use this brand. It's not too salty and it tastes great.

Avocado Oil Spray:

I prefer using avocado oil for high heat cooking. I love using Chosen Foods avocado oil and their avocado oil spray.

Food Processor:

I just recently purchased a new food processor. I love this one from Cuisinart, it's large, works very well and comes with all the attachments you need.

More Recipes to Try

Looking for more weeknight dinner ideas? Try these...

• Creamy Gochujang Pasta
• Mushroom & Lentil Pot Pie
• Delicata Squash Pizza
• Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey & Brown Butter
• Slow Roasted Salmon with Citrus & Fennel
• Air Fryer Chicken Schnitzel
• Crispy Pan Fried Chicken Thighs with easy Pan Sauce
• Moroccan Chicken Meatballs
• Chipotle Ground Chicken Tacos
• Ravioli with Creamy Spinach Pesto & Peas
• Pan Fried Gnocchi with Sage & Brown Butter
• Easy Gouda Mac & Cheese
• Honey Lime Chicken Thighs & Sweet Potatoes
• Thai Red Curry Turkey Meatballs

Ready to make this? Let's go!

If you make these vegan mushroom meatballs, please let me know by tagging me on Instagram, or leave a comment and/or review below!‍

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