Vegan Swedish Meatballs
Tender vegan Swedish meatballs made from textured soy protein and rice, baked and then pan-fried until golden, and finished in a rich coconut-milk gravy. A comforting, high-protein plant-based dinner that comes together in about 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup textured soy protein granules
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup rice
- 2 Tbsp psyllium husks or 1 egg, for a vegetarian version
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs use gluten-free if needed
- salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk canned
- ¼ cup flour lightly toasted; use gluten-free if needed
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Boil the rice, then set it aside to cool.
- Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and pour it over the textured soy protein.
- Add the cumin, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and let sit for about 10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
- Heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic.
- Sauté for about 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Drain off any excess liquid from the textured soy protein granules.
- In a bowl, combine the textured soy protein, the onion and garlic, the psyllium husks (or egg), the breadcrumbs, the paprika, the nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined. Add the cooked rice and fold everything together with a spatula. Roll into meatballs, using 1-2 Tbsp of the mixture for each one.
- Arrange the meatballs on a baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes.
- Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the baked meatballs and fry on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and coconut milk, add the toasted flour, and stir until the gravy starts to thicken. Season with garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, a simple salad, or anything else you like.
Notes
Use full-fat canned coconut milk for the gravy: the light version will not give it the same richness. Toast the flour in a dry pan until lightly golden before adding it, so the sauce tastes nutty instead of raw. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of vegetable broth to loosen the gravy.