Description
A cozy, plant-based twist on the classic Swedish dish — these vegan meatballs made from lentils, mushrooms, and oats are served in a silky dairy-free gravy. Perfect over mashed potatoes or pasta for a satisfying comfort meal.
Ingredients
- For the Meatballs:
- ½ cup (100 g) dry brown or green lentils
- 1½ cups (360 ml) water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup (150 g) mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ¾ cup (70 g) rolled oats
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅓ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried)
- For the Gravy:
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour (or GF substitute)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup unsweetened vegan cream or full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional for Serving:
- Mashed potatoes or pasta
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Lingonberry jam
Instructions
- Cook the lentils: Rinse lentils, combine with water, bring to a boil, then simmer ~20 min until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté the veggies: In a skillet, heat oil and cook onion until translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms; cook until soft. Stir in cumin, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Make meatball mix: Pulse oats in a food processor until coarse. Add lentils, sautéed mixture, soy sauce, parsley. Pulse to a textured mix. Add breadcrumbs/oats if too loose.
- Shape meatballs: Form into ~1-inch balls using wet hands.
- Brown meatballs: In a skillet with oil, brown meatballs on all sides, ~2–3 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Make gravy: In the same pan, melt butter. Add flour and whisk to form roux. Gradually add broth, whisking constantly. Stir in vegan cream, Worcestershire, and mustard. Simmer until thickened. Season to taste.
- Combine & finish: Add meatballs back to skillet. Simmer in gravy for 8–10 min on low heat, stirring gently.
- Serve: Over mashed potatoes or pasta. Garnish with parsley and lingonberry jam if desired.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: Use GF oats, flour, and tamari.
- Make-Ahead: Meatballs can be shaped and chilled up to 24 hrs before cooking.
- Freezer-Friendly: Freeze cooked meatballs separately from sauce for best texture.
- Gravy Adjustments: Add more broth to thin, or simmer longer to thicken.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Swedish, Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
