These vegan Swedish meatballs come with a Gen X confession: I went vegan way before I had a chance to try authentic Swedish meatballs. The (non-vegan) ones I knew and loved came from a microwave dinner…and they were my favorite meal of all time.
I’ve tried to recreate the magic of vegan meatballs here. Light, savory tofu meatballs with an awesome chewiness and tahini for depth. The gravy is rich, creamy, and funky, just like I remembered it. And I guess I’m going to get booed out of Sweden when I say this, but if you can’t find traditional lingonberry jam, cranberry sauce is fantastic too. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes.
These are adapted from my favorite tofu balls in the cookbook Tofu Cookery! The dried porcini mushrooms give the sauce serious depth, it really makes the meal. But regular mushroom gravy would be yummy too. (Porcini powder is cheaper but doesn’t pack the same punch.)
White pepper is also a flavor MVP. It gives a nice perfume and spice that feels a bit more special than black pepper. But use black pepper if you got to. Now go forth and enjoy this pure comfort without the microwave or the trip to IKEA for their vegan meatballs.
So try this vegan Swedish meatball recipe. It’s one of my all-time favorites and easy to make, too!
Swedish Tofu Meatballs FAQ:
Can I make these gluten-free? Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend. The balls might be a little more delicate but they’ll still hold together. Throw in an extra tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs if they don’t seem firm enough when forming.
What if I don’t have a high-speed blender for the cashew gravy? Soak the cashews in boiling water for at least 30 minutes, or in room temperature water for two hours or overnight. Then blend in a regular blender until smooth. It may take a little longer but you’ll get there.
Can I bake these instead of frying them? Yes! Place them on a lined baking sheet, spray with oil and bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. They’ll flatten out a little and won’t get quite as crispy, but they’re still great.
What can I use instead of dried porcini mushrooms? Regular mushroom gravy works too, or you can use porcini powder in a pinch. It’s cheaper but doesn’t pack the same punch as the whole dried mushrooms.
Can I use something other than tahini? Tahini gives these a really nice savory depth, but in a pinch you could use cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. The flavor will be slightly different but still good. The original recipe calls for peanut butter, and that’s a really different flavor. But it’s good!
Can I use these as like Italian meatballs? Yes, why not! Toss them in marinara, put them on a sub, drop them in soup. They’re meatballs, they don’t discriminate.
Can I freeze these? The balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Freeze them on a baking sheet first so they don’t stick together, then transfer to a bag. Make the gravy fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Can I make the gravy ahead of time? Yes, it keeps in the fridge for about 5 days. It’ll thicken up as it sits, just add a splash of broth when you reheat.
Why white pepper instead of black? White pepper has a more floral, earthy kick that gives the gravy a little something extra. But black pepper works fine if that’s what you have.
Swedish Tofu Meatballs
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup whole unroasted cashews
- 1/4 cup dried porcinis
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
For the balls:
- 14 oz extra firm tofu
- 1 small very finely chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Olive oil to pan-fry
For serving:
- lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
Make the sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula occasionally.
- Transfer to a small pot and gently heat until thick and bubbly. Cover and set aside.
Make the balls:
- In a medium mixing bowl, use your hands or an avocado masher to mash up the tofu until it resembles ricotta. Mix in the onion, soy sauce, tahini and breadcrumbs until they are firm and hold together easily.
- Pour the flour in a wide shallow bowl or a rimmed dinner plate. Roll mixture into golf ball sized balls. Roll each ball in flour.
- Preheat a large skillet (cast iron, preferably) over medium heat. Pour a thin layer of olive oil into skillet. Drop a little flour in and if it bubbles quickly, the oil is ready.
- Fry each ball until browned on all sides. Do it in two batches if you need, so as not to crowd the pan.
- Serve over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles, smothered in sauce, sprinkled with parsley and with dollops of lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce.
All I can say is: beautiful recipe! These are delicious. I had to use shiitake powder in place of the dried porcinis, but sauce was ever so good (will try with the dried porcinis when I have them). Many thanks!
Any sauce recommendations? ❤️
could you freeze the tofu balls?
I have never tried but I think so! The texture will probably change a bit but I don’t think it would be a disaster.
Do I need to press the tofu first?
Nope!
We gonna try these recipe for new years eve. But I am sure that’s gonna be delicious. I am not vegan, but my daughter is. I gave her one of your books and she became a huge fan. For instance, we celebrate her eighteen birthday in Modern Love, a dream for her. We are brazilians!
Can the Swedish Tofu Balls be cooked in an Air Fryer or oven setting for Air Fry? Thanks. Looks delicious.
I would think so but they might get a little flat.
Greetings from Sweden! I loved the balls, they’re really spot on. Never heard of porcinis so I used funnel chanterelles and karl johan mushrooms as those are a staple in any Swedish pantry.
You have my blessing to use cranberry sauce if no lingonberry jam is to be had. I discovered myself that it really hits the same spot back when I moved to New Zealand and to my horror discovered that lingonbery jam was not a universal thing.
I would however frown upon serving them with noodles. The most Swedish thing, after mashed potatoes, would be just plain boiled macaronis. But then you would serve them with ketchup, not lingonberry jam. (I realise upon writing this how bewildering our customs must seem to someone who wasn’t raised with them.)
Anyway, thanks for a great blog, I love your work and have been a fan for over fifteen years!
So interesting! We grew up with them over noodles! Do not tell Brooklyn that you are eating noodles with ketchup haha. I am glad they worked for you.
This meal was a “yummy, mama!” bowl scraper kind of meal for myself and my 5-year-old. My 3-year-old claims vehemently that tofu is “YUCKY”, but he finished all his swedish balls without realizing it. That is a solid win! This simple sauce is sneakily one of my favorites! I did have trouble forming the balls, but I think I used super firm tofu, so water content was probably the issue. This will be a winter regular!