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It's been decades since I've had Swedish meatballs. My husband, aka the Breakfast Kingand I became vegetarians in our early twenties, and haven't eaten beef or pork since, so meatballs were out of the question, until now. The secret.....
WHAT ARE SOY CURLS AND WHY DO THEY MAKE GREAT MEATBALLS
Have you tried cooking with soy curls? We hadn't until I heard about them in a blogging group that we belong to. Of course, I immediately jumped onto Amazon and ordered several bags. I'm so glad I did because they're perfect for vegan Swedish meatballs!
What Are They?
Soy curls are whole soy beans that are soaked in water and then dried at a low temperature until they're dehydrated.
We bought Butler Foods Soy Curls because they're Non GMO and grown without pesticides.
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Okay, we know that there are a lot of rumors floating around the internet about how soy is bad for you. If you've been following us for a while, you know that we're incredibly health conscious and won't touch foods that are legitimately unhealthy.
Soy is not one of those foods. Instead of going into the science behind it in this post, we're sharing this well researched article from our friend, Scotty of Plant Based Scotty. If you're questioning whether or not you should consume soy, this should help you figure it out.
Why Are Soy Curls A Great Meat Substitute?
Full disclosure, I was sooooo skeptical when I opened that first bag of soy curls. They looked like pork rinds, and I couldn't imagine how I could transform them into a delicious plant-based recipe.
Well my friend, I'm here to tell you that those strange looking dehydrated soy beans make some incredibly awesome meatballs.
I pulsed them in my food processor until they looked like crumbles, then I soaked them to re-hydrate them, added some other ingredients, andvoilà,I was digging my fork into a tender and meaty Swedish meatball that didn't have a bit of real meat.
My husband ate most of the pan and was thrilled when I had to test the recipe a few more times. 😉
HOW TO MAKE THESE MEATBALLS
STEP ONE
- Pulse one bag of soy curls in the food processor until they look like crumbles.
STEP TWO
2. Soak the soy curls in no-beef broth. We use Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base. It's the best, most authentic brand we've found.
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STEP THREE
3. While the soy curls are soaking, make the flax egg. Now, drain (reserve the broth) the soy curls and press the excess liquid out of the curls with a clean towel. Preferably one that wasn't washed/dried with scented products.
STEP FOUR
4. Put the soy curls in a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients and use your hands to knead the mixture into a large ball. Then scoop out a tablespoon or two (depends on how large you want them to be) and roll into individual balls.
STEP FIVE
5. Brown the soy balls in vegan butter in a large skillet then remove from the pan.
STEP SIX
6. Make the roux and then the gravy.
STEP SEVEN
7. Add the meatballs to the pan and cover in the gravy and serve hot. You can sprinkle some chopped parsley over the top to add color.
HOW TO STORE VEGAN SWEDISH MEATBALLS
You can store them covered in the refrigerator for up to four days or freeze them in a freezer safe container for up to one month. Slowly warm them in a skillet on medium-low heat until they're heated all the way through.
WHERE DO SWEDISH MEATBALLS COME FROM?
Ready to have your mind blown?
Swedish meatballs are not Swedish, they actually originated in Turkey!
King Charles the XII brought the recipe back to Sweden in the early 18th Century. He used the food to try and improve the relationship between the two countries. Read more about the subject here.
NOTE: SCANDINAVIAN FOOD IS TYPICALLY VERY BLAND.
I tried to stay true to the flavor of authentic Swedish meatballs. If you prefer a lot of spice, feel free to play around with the spice measurements.
A GREAT PARTY FOOD
Our vegan meatball recipe is a great party food. Make the meatballs smaller and serve them with co*cktail toothpicks and your guests will love you for it.
Make this Vegan Swedish Meatball recipe and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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Vegan Swedish Meatballs
Meaty, savory, vegan Swedish meatballs with the perfect texture and flavor. You'll never guess that these are vegan!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: Swedish, Vegan
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 327kcal
Author:
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole soy curls pulse in food processor until it looks like a mixture of sand and small pebbles.
- 1 ½ tablespoon Better Than Bouillon No Beef Broth plus 4 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoon ground flax seed plus 5 tablespoon water
- 1 small onion finely diced
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup cornmeal
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoon vegan butter
For the Gravy
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- Reserved beef broth
- 1 cup soy creamer
Topping
- Fresh parsley chopped
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
SEE NOTE BELOW REGARDING FLAVOR
Pulse the soy curls in your food processor until they look like crumbles.
Stir the boiling water into the bouillon until it’s dark brown in color and add to the pulsed soy curls. Let soak for 10 minutes
Stir the flax seed and water together in a small dish until it’s thick. Let sit
Drain (reserve the broth in a small bowl) and press the excess liquid out. Put the soy curls into a large mixing bowl.
Add the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, spices, onion, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and flax egg to the soy curls and mix until totally combined. For best results, use your hands to knead the mixture until it's completely combined and sticks together. Roll by 1 to 2 tablespoon into balls.
Melt 4 tablespoon butter on medium heat in a large skillet. When the butter is melted, add the meatballs and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the meatballs from the pan and add the remaining 2 tablespoon of butter and melt. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour and continue to whisk until it’s a golden brown.
Add the reserved beef broth and whisk until it’s smooth and creamy. Approximately 3 minutes. Add the cream and whisk well. Add the meatballs back into the pan and serve.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Notes
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
NOTE: SCANDINAVIAN FOOD IS TYPICALLY VERY BLAND.
I tried to stay true to the flavor of authentic Swedish meatballs. If you prefer a lot of spice, feel free to play around with the spice measurements.
Nutrition
Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 958mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 3mg
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