Vegan Swedish Meatballs with Easy Gravy and Mashed Cauliflower

Most of the vegan meatless meatballs I make are Italian style served with tomato-based sauces but here's something different but equally as scrumptious! These vegan Swedish meatballs are moist, firm, "meaty", and served with a creamy, savory, and "buttery" gravy. The ingredient list might seem long but worry not! Everything this recipe calls for is very common pantry stable and you very likely already have them in your cabinets!

High protein, hearty meatballs glazed in a creamy gravy, and served on a bed of fluffy mashed cauliflower - believe me the satisfaction is definitely worth the work.

These "meat" balls are bean-based and you can use black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils, or even chickpeas, I used kidney beans for this one. For the mushrooms, I would highly recommend shiitake mushrooms, for I find them the meatiest and they help create a moister texture than the other kinds! Although you can technically use any mushrooms you got on hand.

The gravy I went with for this meal specifically is very "IKEA-inspired", it's very thick and creamy, and mostly has a savory and buttery flavor palate. It's also the easiest vegan gravy ever! Only takes about 5 minutes to prepare with very few simple ingredients. You could also pair these with some lighter Mushroom Gravy.

If you like this recipe here are more vegan meatball variations you'd love: Vegan Meatballs and Zucchini Spaghetti, Vegan Meatball Pizza, and White Bean Tempeh Meatballs.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can kidney beans

1/2 cup oat flour

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 sweet onion

6 oz shiitake mushrooms

2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paparika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon tamari sauce

1/2 tablespoon coconut amino

Olive oil for cooking

For the Gravy -

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup plant milk

2 tablespoon chickpea flour

1/2 tablespoon arrowroot powder

2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon tamari sauce

1/2 tablespoon coconut amino

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

For the Mashed Cauliflower -

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salt to taste

TO MAKE:

- Preheat the oven to 375°F;

- Finely chop the onion and mushrooms, in a large pan, sauté the onions with a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat till fragrant, about 4 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook till they release the liquid;

- Season with the balsamic vinegar, tamari, and coconut amino, continue to stir till caramelized, about 6-8 minutes, set aside;

- Add kidney beans, sunflower seeds, oats, cooked onions and mushrooms, and the rest of the seasonings all to a processor, pulse till coarsely ground and combined, I used a hand-held blender;

- Rub a little olive oil on your hands to prevent sticking, then use your hands to form the mixture into meatballs, makes about 9-10 regular sized meatballs, transfer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper;

- Bake for 35-40 minutes, check and flip halfway through;

- Meanwhile, prepare the gravy, in a small saucepan, add every except the chickpea flour and arrowroot powder, bring to a boil;

- Lower the heat and slowly stir in the chickpea flour and arrowroot powder, stir until they completely dissolve into the sauce, bring to a boil again and let it simmer for 10 minutes or unitl you reach desired thickness;

- Boil the cauliflower till buttery soft, transfer everything into a blender and blend till smooth;

- Serve the meatballs on a bed of mashed cauliflower, then pour gravy on top;

- Enjoy!