I’m half Greek, and when I was growing up, my mother and grandmother cooked at home.
They prepared some Mediterranean and traditional Greek dishes, but they both loved classic comfort food and passed that on to me.
My passion for vegetarian comfort food extends to vegetarian Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy, macaroni and cheese, skillet lasagna, chickpeas, chickpea King, and sweet potato Black Bean burgers.
Today, Swedish vegetarian meatballs are added to the list of favorite foods.
What are Swedish meatballs?
If you’ve never had Swedish meatballs, you’re ready to enjoy them.
Swedish meatballs are similar to regular meatballs but have some unique details.
First, Swedish meatballs are smaller than regular meatballs.
Second, more importantly, they are stewed in a creamy sauce resembling gravy.
Finally, these meatballs can be served with pasta or noodles but are usually served with mashed potatoes.
Many people get their Swedish meatballs in the IKEA cafeteria. At IKEA, meatballs are often served with mashed potatoes, peas, and cranberry sauce (a nod to tradition).
When I make vegan Swedish meatballs at home, I usually serve them on fluffy vegan mashed potatoes.
However, I also love putting them on noodles, and cooked quinoa, rice, and farro make a “bed” for meatballs and creamy gravy.
Protein-packed tempeh meatballs
In my book Vegetarian Week, I wrote,
There have never been more vegetarian options in grocery stores. I’m glad these products exist, but I love the economy and satisfaction of making plant-based protein from scratch.
I’ve always felt that way and post many of my favorite homemade vegan proteins on this blog.
They include grilled smoked tofu, 20-minute air-fryer tempeh cubes, Grilled tempeh rolls, grilled crispy tempeh bacon, roasted balsamic tofu, and easy grilled lentils.
One of my favorite homemade vegan proteins – and a favorite of my readers – is my easy tempeh meatballs.
There was a time when I always bought Garden brand meatballs.
I still keep a pack in the fridge all the time. But for frugality and variety, I spent much time coming up with a homemade vegan meatball that I loved as much as my store-bought favorites.
Black bean meatballs are a game changer. They’re firm, earthy, rich in flavor, and versatile.
I used the meatball in a meatball sandwich with pasta and tomato sauce. Now, I use it to make a comforting vegetarian Swedish meatball.
How to make vegetarian Swedish meatballs
Step 1: Prepare and bake the tempeh meatballs
The most time-consuming part of this recipe is preparing the tempeh meatballs.
The good news is that these meatballs are straightforward to prepare. You can either prepare them the same day you put the whole vegetarian Swedish meatball dish together or make them ahead of time.
Once the meatballs are ready, the rest of this recipe is a snap.
Step 2: Mix the sauce
The sauce for Swedish meatballs is straightforward. It’s made of broth, sour cream, soy sauce, sweet paprika, flour, Dijon mustard, and a little – really, a little! – Nutmeg.
You have several options for sour cream. Of course, you can use any commercial vegan sour cream you like; I’m a massive fan of Tofutti sour cream.
You can also use my four-ingredient vegan sour cream, which is based on cashews. It’s easy to make, rich, creamy, and healthy.
Step 3: Thicken the sauce on the stove
Next, heat the sauce on the stove. A few tablespoons of flour in the sauce thicken it when heated.
Be sure to stir the sauce constantly as it heats. When it’s ready, the sauce will coat the back of the spoon.
Step 4: Add the meatballs to the sauce
Next, add the tempeh meatballs to the saucepan or skillet (whichever cooking container you use).
The goal is for the meatballs to be evenly warm. I recommend gently tossing and stir the meatballs and sauce gently tossing and stir the meatballs and sauce using a large, heat-resistant spoon.
Meatballs are chewy and firmer than commercial vegetarian meatballs, so you don’t want to cook them or let them simmer for too long. The goal is to coat them and heat them.
5. Service
Now, it’s time to serve the veggie Swedish meatballs.
You can serve them on mashed potatoes, your favorite pasta shape, or cooked whole grains.
You can also pile them on top of hot baked potatoes if you like!
Chopped fresh parsley leaves make a lovely garnish.
Can I replace the tempeh meatballs?
If you’re allergic to soy or don’t like tempeh, you can use tempeh meatballs instead.
One option is to use store-bought vegan meatballs that you like. Garden meatballs are my favorite, but I also love Impossible Meatballs and 365 brand plant-based meatballs.
You can also use my tofu minced meatballs, which have a nice texture, or my white bean balls, which I like best with pasta.
Finally, I have a recipe for chickpea oat balls that will work in the recipe. I’ll omit oregano for a less overtly Mediterranean flavor.
What kind of soup should I use?
While vegetable soups can be used in recipes, I prefer vegetarian beef or chicken.
My favorites are naturally simple beef-style condensed broth, which is better than vegan beef, or an organic vegan chicken-free broth.
Choose in advance
Vegetarian Swedish meatballs can be easily prepared in stages or made in advance. Some options:
- The meatballs can be prepared five days in advance and frozen for up to 6 weeks.
- The sauce can be mixed in the refrigerator overnight before heating and thickening.
Mashed potatoes can be prepared a few days in advance, and pasta can be cooked and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
More comfortable classic
If you like the comfort and nostalgia of this dish, then you might also take comfort in some other foods:
- Vegan Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy
- Vegan pizza baked pasta
- MAC and cheese
- Cheesy vegan quinoa and broccoli grilled
- Cabbage roll
- Pot roasted fettuccine
- Chickpeas: la king
- Sweet potato and black bean burger
- Lasagna rolls
- Cozy vegetarian cauliflower baked
But first, some vegan Swedish meatballs for the soul.
Ingredients
1 batch of easy black bean meatballs
2 cups vegetarian beef or chicken broth (480ml)
2/3 cup of 4 ingredient vegan sour cream (substitute your favorite commercial vegan sour cream)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour (substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1 TSP Dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
1 batch of fluffy vegan mashed potatoes (optional). You can also serve the meatballs on cooked noodles.)
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the tempeh meatballs as directed. You can do this up to three days before the Swedish meatballs are made. You can also freeze prepared tempeh meatballs for up to six weeks.
- Combine broth, vegan sour cream, soy sauce, paprika, flour, mustard, and nutmeg in a stand mixer until smooth.
- Transfer the sauce to a large, deep skillet. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the sauce thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Taste the sauce. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste and adjust the soy sauce as needed.
- Place the tempeh meatballs in the skillet. Use a large heatproof spoon to gently turn them and stir in the sauce to coat them evenly.
- Once the meatballs are entirely wrapped in the sauce and heated, they are ready to serve with mashed potatoes or noodles. If desired, garnish with freshly chopped parsley leaves.
Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it. I’ll bring you another recipe next week.
