These cozy vegan Swedish meatballs are made with protein-rich tempeh and simmered in a creamy sauce. Served over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice, they’re an ideal consolation meals!
Oh, how I really like a basic consolation meals meal.
I’m half Greek, and the house cooks in my life once I was rising up have been my mom and grandmother.
They did put together some Mediterranean and conventional Greek dishes. However they each had an actual mushy spot for traditional consolation meals, and so they handed that love on to me.
My ardour for veganized consolation meals extends to vegan salisbury steak with mushroom gravy, mac and cheese, skillet lasagna, chickpeas à la king, and candy potato black bean burgers.
Right this moment, vegan Swedish meatballs are becoming a member of that record of beloved meals.
What are Swedish meatballs?
When you’ve by no means had Swedish meatballs earlier than, you then’re in for a deal with.
Swedish meatballs are much like common meatballs, however with just a few distinctive particulars.
First, Swedish meatballs are sometimes somewhat smaller than common meatballs.
Second—and extra importantly—they’re simmered in a creamy, gravy-like sauce.
Lastly, these meatballs may be served over pasta or noodles, however they’re usually served over mashed potatoes as a substitute.
Many individuals turn out to be launched to Swedish meatballs by having them at an Ikea cafeteria. At Ikea, the meatballs are usually served with mashed potatoes, peas, and—a nod to custom—lingonberry jam.
After I make my vegan Swedish meatballs at residence, I usually wish to serve them over mashed potatoes, however I really like them over noodles as nicely. I’ve additionally discovered that cooked quinoa, rice, and farro may be good “beds” for the meatballs and creamy gravy.
Protein-packed, versatile tempeh meatballs
In my ebook The Vegan Week, I wrote,
There have by no means been extra vegan meat choices in grocery shops. I’m so glad that these merchandise exist, however I additionally love the economic system and satisfaction of creating plant proteins from scratch.
I proceed to really feel this manner, and I’ve posted plenty of my favourite do-it-yourself vegan proteins on this weblog.
They embody baked smoky tofu, 20-minute air fryer tempeh nuggets, BBQ soy curls, baked, crispy tempeh bacon, baked balsamic tofu, and simple BBQ lentils.
One in every of my favourite do-it-yourself vegan proteins—and a favourite amongst my readers, too—are my easy tempeh meatballs.
There was a time once I purchased the Gardein model meatballs on a regular basis.
I nonetheless usually retailer a bag of them in my freezer. However for the sake of frugality and variety, I spend plenty of time determining a do-it-yourself vegan meatball that I appreciated each bit as a lot as my store-bought favourite.
Tempeh meatballs have been a sport changer. They’re agency, earthy, deeply savory, and tremendous versatile.
I take advantage of the meatballs in meatball subs, with spaghetti and marinara sauce, and now, as a part of a comfy dish of vegan Swedish meatballs.
The way to make vegan Swedish meatballs
Step 1: Put together and bake the tempeh meatballs
Essentially the most time-consuming a part of this recipe might be truly getting ready the tempeh meatballs.
The excellent news is that these meatballs are a very simple part to meal prep. So, you’ll be able to put together them on the identical day that you simply carry the whole vegan Swedish meatball dish collectively, or you may make them forward of time.
The Vegan Week
Embrace the enjoyment of consuming do-it-yourself meals day by day with the hearty and healthful recipes in The Vegan Week.
Whether or not you might have three, two, and even only one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will present you the right way to batch prepare dinner diverse, colourful, and comforting dishes over the weekend.
As soon as the meatballs are prepared, the remainder of this recipe is a snap.
Step 2: Mix the sauce
The sauce for the Swedish meatballs is sort of easy. It’s a mix of broth, bitter cream, soy sauce, candy paprika, flour, Dijon mustard, and a tiny pinch—significantly, tiny!—of nutmeg.
For the bitter cream, you might have a pair choices. You possibly can definitely use any business vegan bitter cream that you simply like; I’m an enormous fan of the Tofutti model bitter cream myself.
It’s also possible to use my 4-ingredient vegan bitter cream, which has a cashew base. It’s easy-to-make, extremely wealthy and creamy, and fairly healthful.
Step 3: Thicken the sauce on the stovetop
Subsequent, you’ll heat the sauce on the stovetop. The sauce incorporates a pair tablespoons of flour, so it is going to thicken because it heats.
Be sure you stir the sauce consistently as you heat it. When it’s prepared, the sauce will coat the again of a spoon.
Step 4: Add the meatballs to the sauce
Subsequent, you’ll add the tempeh meatballs to the sauce pot or skillet (whichever sort of cooking vessel you’re utilizing).
The objective right here is to heat the meatballs gently and evenly. I like to recommend utilizing a big, heatproof spoon to softly flip and stir the meatballs within the sauce.
The meatballs aren’t as chewy and durable as business vegan meatballs, so that you don’t need to boil them or enable them to simmer for too lengthy. The objective is simply to coat them and warmth them by way of.
Step 5: Serve
Now, it’s time to serve the vegan Swedish meatballs.
You possibly can go forward and serve them over creamy mashed potatoes, your favourite pasta form, or a cooked complete grain.
When you like, you may also pile them over a sizzling, break up baked potato!
A garnish of chopped contemporary parsley leaves makes for a really good garnish.
Can I substitute the tempeh meatballs?
In case you have a soy allergy or don’t take care of tempeh, it’s completely OK to substitute the tempeh meatballs.
One choice can be to make use of a store-bought vegan meatball that you simply’re a fan of. The Gardein meatballs are my favourite, clearly, however I additionally like Unattainable meatballs and 365 model plant-based meatballs.
You may additionally use my tofu bulgur meatballs, which have a terrific texture, or my white bean balls, which is a favourite of mine to serve with pasta.
Lastly, I’ve a recipe for chickpea oat balls that can work within the recipe. I’d omit the oregano for a much less overtly Mediterranean taste profile.
What sort of broth ought to I take advantage of?
Whereas vegetable broth can be utilized within the recipe, I choose to make use of a vegan beef-style or chick’n-style broth right here.
My favorites: born easy beef-style broth focus, higher than bouillon vegan beef broth base, or Think about natural vegetarian no-chicken broth.
Make forward choices
The vegan Swedish meatballs may be simply ready in phases or made forward. Some choices:
- The meatballs may be ready as much as 5 days upfront and frozen for as much as 6 weeks
- The sauce may be blended and saved in a single day within the fridge earlier than heating and thickening
- Mashed potatoes may be ready a pair days upfront, and pasta may be cooked forward of time and saved for as much as 2-3 days in an hermetic container within the fridge
Extra cozy consolation classics
When you love the coziness and nostalgia of this dish, then you may also take consolation in a few of these others:
However first, some vegan Swedish meatballs for the soul.
Vegan Swedish Meatballs (Made with Tempeh)
Writer –
Yields: 4 servings
- 1 batch easy tempeh meatballs
- 2 cups vegan beef-style or chicken-style broth (480ml)
- 2/3 cup 4-ingredient vegan bitter cream (substitute your favourite business vegan bitter cream)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon candy paprika
- 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour (substitute gluten-free, all-purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Tiny pinch nutmeg
- Mashed potatoes or cooked pasta/noodles of alternative, for serving
- Chopped, contemporary parsley leaves, for garnishing
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Put together the tempeh meatballs as instructed. This may be finished as much as three days upfront of creating the Swedish meatballs. It’s also possible to freeze ready tempeh meatballs for as much as six weeks.
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Switch the broth, vegan bitter cream, soy sauce, paprika, flour, mustard, and nutmeg to a standing blender and mix until easy.
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Switch the sauce to a big, deep skillet. Deliver the sauce to a simmer over medium low warmth. Prepare dinner, stirring consistently, for 3-4 minutes, or till the sauce has thickened sufficient to frivolously coat the again of a spoon. Style the sauce. Add freshly floor black pepper to style and regulate the soy sauce as wanted.
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Add the tempeh meatballs to the skillet. Use a big, heatproof spoon to softly flip and stir the meatballs within the sauce, coating all of them evenly.
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As soon as the meatballs are absolutely coated and submerged within the sauce and warmed by way of, serve them over mashed potatoes or noodles. Garnish with contemporary, chopped parsley leaves, if desired.
As I discussed a pair weeks in the past, I’m taking this coming weekend off from weekend studying in order that I can rejoice Christmas eve.
I want everybody who celebrates a merry and brilliant Christmas. I’ll be again subsequent week with one other recipe for you.
xo
