Saute mushrooms, onion and garlic in a drizzle of oil or veggie broth until they begin to get soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the basil, oregano, thyme, fennel, red pepper, smoked paprika if using, black pepper and soy sauce. Cook about 2-3 minutes until no liquid remains. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile put oats and walnuts into a food processor and blend until crumbled.
Add in the sauteed mixture and lentils. Pulse until you get a crumbled but dough like consistency. If you want more texture don’t blend into a paste but keep it crumbled.
Allow mixture to set about 5-10 minutes so the oats can soak in some liquid (you can also do this after you shape into sausages as well). I use this time to clean up a bit.
Shape into 8 sausage like links.
Here you have two choices. You can cook directly on a pan with a drizzle of oil, rotating every 3-4 minutes so the whole thing gets brown and cooked. Allow to cool so the texture will set before eating.
If you want a more firm consistency, then wrap each link in some parchment and then foil. Place in a steamer basket in a pot with a few inches of water at the bottom. Steam for about 45-60 minutes. The longer you steam the firmer they will get. Make sure to check the water level and refill as needed.
You can then pan fry after or eat as is! The texture sets more as it cools.
Notes
If there is a nut allergy, you can sub seeds for the walnuts.
If you want to freeze for later use, you can freeze raw individually wrapped in parchment and then foil then put them in an airtight container. You can also freeze after you steam and/or fry them. Once ready to eat, I defrost to room temperature then heat them in a pan. If you freeze raw you may have to reshape them a bit once they defrost.