Swedish Vegetarian Meatballs

These Swedish Vegetarian Meatballs are a healthy combination of quinoa and cauliflower, smothered in simple cream sauce and served atop fluffy mashed cauliflower!

It was only a matter of time, right? Before I started taking inspiration from the innumerable trips to IKEA we’ve made in the process of renovating our new house. Because a trip to IKEA is not complete until you’ve eaten something of vaguely Swedish origin.

But after our most recent trip, the tulip-man proclaimed that he would not be coming back ever (which I take to mean, we won’t be back this month). So to fill the void that was my weekly Swedish meal, I’ve created my take on Swedish meatballs with a vegetarian version that is *the real deal*.

Ingredients in this Vegetarian Meatballs Recipe

These vegetarian meatballs have a simple ingredients list that doesn’t involve any mystery meat alternatives. They’re just: quinoa. cauliflower, breadcrumbs, eggs, and seasonings. They would honestly be delicious with any sauce you throw on them. Today, that sauce is an easy, fool-proof sauce that’s rich and creamy (without any cream!)

I go true IKEA-style, serving these over a heap of fluffy mashed potatoes cauliflower (recipe for the fluffiest mashed cauliflower here!) Add a dollop of sour berry jam and you’re good to go.

Swedish Vegetarian Meatballs

These Swedish Vegetarian Meatballs are a combo of quinoa and cauliflower, coated in easy cream sauce.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Swedish

Keyword: Swedish meatballs, vegetarian meatballs, vegetarian Swedish meatballs

Diet: Vegetarian

Occasion: Easter, Game Day, Thanksgiving

Time: 30 minutes or less, 45 minutes or less

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 477kcal

Author: Sarah Bond

5 from 1 vote

INGREDIENTS

Vegetarian Meatballs

• 2/3 cups dry quinoa 150 g, + 1 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups roughly chopped cauliflower about 1/2 head
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 50 g
• 2 large eggs
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp each salt and smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil 60 mL

Cream Sauce

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter 56 g
• 4 Tbsp all purpose flour 40 g
• 2 cups vegetable broth 473 mL
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream 60 g
• Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Make Meatballs: Combine quinoa and water in a pot and simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, add cauliflower to a large pot of water and simmer until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Strain both and add to a food processor. Blitz a few times until mostly broken down. Add breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, and seasonings, stirring to combine. Roll into tablespoon-sized balls.
• Cook Meatballs: Heat a dash of oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Fill the skillet with a batch of meatballs and cook, flipping them often to evenly brown all sides (about 5 minutes per batch). Continue heating new oil and cooking batches until meatballs are all cooked. Place on a paper towel when finished.
• Make Sauce: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until tan, 3-5 minutes. Whisk in 1.5 cups broth (it should thicken quickly!) Add more broth until you reach a thickness to your liking. Allow sauce to cool slightly, then add yogurt or sour cream and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve: Serve meatballs warm with cream sauce on top of mashed cauliflower!

NOTES

This recipe was inspired by Pinch of Yum’s wild rice Swedish meatballs!

NUTRITION

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.4g | Protein: 15.6g | Fat: 29.9g | Saturated Fat: 10.4g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 1204mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 3.5g | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3.2mg

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