Add walnuts to a food processor and process into crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and set aside.
Add drained chickpeas, chopped onion, crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, tomato paste, hoisin sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, ground coriander, oregano, smoked paprika, liquid smoke and vegetable stock to the food processor and process until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the walnut crumbs. Mix together.
Add vital wheat gluten and mix in. The mix will be very thick. Don't overmix as this will cause the gluten to become tough and chewy. Just mix it until mixed and then stop mixing.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Scoop the mixture using a heaped tablespoon measure and roll them into balls. Aim to get around 30 meatballs.
Place the meatballs onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush the meatballs with olive oil (optional) and then bake for 15 minutes on one side, then flip them over and bake for 15 minutes on the other side. They should be browned and crispy on both sides.