Vegan Lentil Meatballs

2 cups red lentils, rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Olive oil (plus up to 3 more Tablespoons for browning, which have already been added to calorie total)
1 cup sliced crimini or button mushrooms.
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup finely ground flax seeds (also known as flax meal)
1/4 cup flour of your choice (can be regular, gluten free, whole grain...)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium to large pot, combine the lentils, vegetable stock, onions, and garlic and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let the lentils simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes, or until very soft.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and thyme and saute until the mushrooms are very soft, about 4-6 minutes.
3. In a food processor or blender, combine half of the lentil mixture with the mushrooms, ground flax seeds, and nutritional yeast and process until smooth. Add the processed mixture back into the remaining lentil mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Gradually stir in the flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, until the mixture holds together. Allow mixture to reach room temperature before forming into balls.

4. Cook the lentil balls. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the lentil balls to the hot oil, cooking only as many at a time as will fit without touching one another. Cook, flipping the lentil balls to brown them on all sides, until they're golden brown, about 4 minutes. Repeat until all the lentil balls are cooked, adding more oil a little at a time as needed. Toss with a warm pasta sauce and cooked pasta, or enjoy them in a sandwich.

Serving Size: Makes 74 "meat" balls, with 1 Tbsp of mix in each ball, a serving is 2 meat balls.