These delicious Vegan Swedish Meatless Balls in rich, creamy gravy are a soul-warming, cozy meal. Serve over Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or pasta with IKEA vegan lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce on the side. These also make a great appetizer sans a starch.
Checkout the vegan menu & grocery items at IKEA!
Wild Rice
Look for straight wild rice as opposed to a blend containing wild rice. Wild rice is actually grass, but it looks and cooks like rice.
Wild rice prep options
Cook the wild rice overnight using 3/4 cup dry wild rice + 1&1/2 cups boiling water. Preheat oven to 500°F. Put rice in a casserole dish. Add boiling water & cover. Place casserole dish in oven. Shut off oven and leave it until morning or for a few hours and then let cool and move to the fridge. Maybe put a note on the oven so that you remember it’s it there.
I love cooking wild rice this way in the oven. However, I don’t leave it in the oven all night. I pull it from the oven after 1 -3 hours, let it cool and then move it to the fridge. The grains are very open and there is no excess water. It ends up being over 2 cups of wild rice when cooked this way.
~or~
Cook 3/4 cup dry wild rice according to package instructions to get about two cups. Drain any excess water before using.
Flax Meal for Flax Eggs
Ground flax seeds and flax meal are the same thing. You can use golden or regular flax meal.
Nooch
I always use and recommend unfortified nutritional yeast. This adds lovely umami & depth of flavor to the gravy. If you only have fortified nutritional yeast, use less or skip it.
The fortified stuff can taste synthetic or vitamin-y. Fortified nutritional yeast can lose potency when stored, so there is no reason to suffer through the artificial taste when there is a chance of not receiving the benefits of the vitamins.
Nutritional yeast is typically gluten-free, check labels.
Mushroom broth
I use Pacific Mushroom Broth for this recipe. In addition to being vegan, it’s gluten-free. Unfortunately, other mushroom broths & bases I’ve seen contain whey and other forms of dairy.
Vegan Yogurt
For this recipe I use Kite Hill plain, unsweetened yogurt. Sometimes plain vegan yogurts are sweetened, check ingredients. For this recipe I use Kite Hill, plain, unsweetened yogurt.
Adding the apple cider vinegar to the yogurt gives it sour cream tanginess. It’s magic. I also use vegan yogurt & apple cider vinegar in Lux Vegan Yogurt Twice-Baked Potatoes.
Allspice
Making Swedish meatballs with allspice is traditional. It adds some lightness, additional flavors, and mingles nicely with the tangy, cream gravy.
You can leave it out if you want more plain, straight-forward meatless balls. If you are serving kids or a less adventurous eater, it may make the most sense to leave it out or just use a pinch. Additionally, you can sub a pinch of nutmeg if you don’t have allspice.
No Food Processor? No problem!
Sub 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup oat flour (store-bought or blend oats in the blender to make oat flour) for oats & finely chop the mushrooms with a knife. Then stir all of the Meatless Ball ingredients together by hand before making into balls.
I enjoy using my affordable, high-quality Hamilton Beach Food Processor for this recipe.
Whisky Business
If you are using a non-stick skillet for your gravy, please make sure you use a silicon coated, scratch-free whisk. Otherwise, if using a wire whisk, make the gravy in a sauce pot that does not have a non-stick coating.
Gluten-Free
To make this gluten-free, I recommended using a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour. Almond flour will not work because it will make gritty, gummy gravy.
Let’s Make Vegan Swedish Meatless Balls
First, make flax eggs: mix 2 TBSPs flax meal a.k.a ground flax seeds with 5 TBSPs water, which is equal to 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon water. Set aside; it will gel up.
Mix one cup of plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt with 2/3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Divide; 1/2 cup for the meatless balls & 1/2 cup for the gravy. Set aside.
Meatless Balls
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine all Meatless Ball ingredients (wild rice, mushrooms, yogurt, flax eggs, oats, smoked paprika, garlic powder & salt) in the food processor. Pulse/process until it comes together into a sticky, textured mixture.
Roll with your hands or use a small scoop to form into around 1½ TBSP balls and place on a non-stick roasting pan or parchment-lined baking sheet. The parchment is optional; these don’t really stick. I use a 1½ TBSP scoop and form it into a ball with my hands.
Bake for around 15 minutes.
Be careful not over bake; they can get too dry. Make Gravy while the Meatless Balls are in the oven.
Make The Gravy
Melt Earth Balance over medium heat in a large skillet.
Whisk in onion powder, garlic powder, and flour.
Let it bubble for a few minutes to remove any floury taste.
Add unfortified nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and broth.
Whisk together until smooth.
Whisk in yogurt & apple cider mixture.
Adjust consistency to taste with more broth if needed. Season to taste.
Reduce heat to low, whisking occasionally until the meatless balls are out of the oven and ready to add.
Serve & Enjoy!
Place your cooked meatless balls in the gravy, spoon sauce on top of them and get them saucy. Serve with Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or pasta and IKEA lingon berry jam or cranberry sauce. Garnish with roughly chop parsley if desired. Stab with toothpicks if this is party grub.
Vegan Swedish Meatless Balls
Equipment
- Food processor, see notes for alternate instructions if you don't have a food processor
- Baking sheet or roasting pan
- skillet or sauce pan for gravy
Ingredients
Meatless Balls
- 2 cups cooked wild rice see notes below for options
- 5 – 6 whole baby bella/ cremini mushrooms ~5 oz
- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt mixed with 1/3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 flax eggs 2 TBSPs Flax meal a.k.a ground flax seeds mixed with 5 TBSPs water (or 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon water)
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon allspice optional, traditional, recommend
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Gravy
- 3 TBSPs Earth Balance
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 TBSPs AP flour sub 1-to-1 gluten-free flour, if gluten-free; Almond flour will not work
- 1 ½ cups mushroom broth
- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt mixed with 1/3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBSP unfortified nutritional yeast to taste; use a less or skip if you only have fortified
- 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
Optional for serving
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- IKEA Lingon Berry Jam
- chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
Prep
- First, make flax eggs: mix 2 TBSPs flax meal a.k.a ground flax seeds with 5 TBSPs water, which is equal to 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon water. Set aside; it will gel up.
- Mix one cup of plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt with 2/3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Divide; 1/2 cup for the meatless balls & 1/2 cup for the gravy. Set aside.
Meatless Balls
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- See note below if you don't have a food processor. Combine all Meatless Ball ingredients (wild rice, mushrooms, yogurt, flax eggs, oats, smoked paprika, garlic powder & salt) in the food processor. Pulse/process until it comes together into a sticky, textured mixture.
- Roll with your hands or use a small scoop to form into around 1½ TBSPs balls and place on a non-stick roasting pan or parchment-lined baking sheet. I use a 1½ TBSP scoop and form it into a ball with my hands.
- Bake for around 15 minutes. Be careful not over bake; they can get too dry. Make Gravy while the Meatless Balls are in the oven.
Gravy
- Melt Earth Balance over medium heat in a large skillet. Whisk in onion powder, garlic powder, and flour. Let it bubble for a few minutes to remove any floury taste.
- Add unfortified nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and broth. Whisk together until smooth. Whisk in yogurt & apple cider mixture.
- Adjust consistency to taste with more broth if needed. Season to taste. Reduce heat to low, whisking occasionally until the meatless balls are out of the oven and ready to add.
Serve & Enjoy!
- Place your cooked meatless balls in the gravy, spoon sauce on top of them and get them saucy. Serve with Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or pasta and IKEA lingon berry jam or cranberry sauce. Garnish with roughly chop parsley if desired. Stab with toothpicks if this is party grub.
Notes
No Food Processor? No problem!
Sub 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup oat flour (store-bought or blend oats in the blender to make oat flour) for oats & finely chop the mushrooms with a knife. Then stir all of the Meatless Ball ingredients together by hand before making into balls.Wild Rice
Look for straight wild rice as opposed to a blend containing wild rice. Wild rice is actually grass, but it looks and cooks like rice. Cook the wild rice overnight using 3/4 cup dry wild rice + 1&1/2 cups boiling water. Preheat oven to 500°F. Put rice in a casserole dish. Add boiling water & cover. Place casserole dish in oven. Shut off oven and leave it until morning or for a few hours and then let cool and move to the fridge. Maybe put a note on the oven so that you remember it’s it there. I love cooking wild rice this way in the oven. However, I don’t leave it in the oven all night. I pull it from the oven after 2 -3 hours, let it cool and then move it to the fridge. The grains are very open and there is no excess water. It ends up being over 2 cups of wild rice when cooked this way.Nooch
I always use and recommend unfortified nutritional yeast. This adds nice umami & depth of flavor to the gravy. The fortified stuff can taste synthetic or vitamin-y. Fortified nutritional yeast can lose potency when stored, so there is no reason to suffer through the artificial taste when there is a chance of not receiving the benefits of the vitamins. Nutritional yeast is typically gluten-free, check labels. www.planttestkitchen.comNutrition
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Recipe adapted from Lindsay at Pinch of Yum.
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Did You Make Vegan Swedish Meatless Balls?
How were they? What did you eat them with? Any variations? Tell me about it in the comments section below.
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