I’ve never been one to fall into a fancy food category, whether by desire or dietary need. I think there was a brief period in the early 00s when I was a vegetarian until I forgot due to chili cheese fries (really… that could happen to anyone). I’m gluten-free only so far as the hard pretzels are concerned (because they’re definitely better than gluten-full pretzels). I’m vegetarian until I want to put bacon in something, and vegan until I reach for the butter. I’m a cupcake enthusiast exactly when the mood strikes, and paleo only by accident.
I felt like I should explain some of those details in introducing this cream-filled, butter-laden, vegetarian faux ‘meat’ball recipe. It’s vegetarian and creamy and indulgent with very few (actually no) apologies. If you were looking for paleo,vegan, vegetarian dinner ideas… you know by now I believe in the powers of butter and that’s 100% that.
Shall we?
We have a few options when it comes to choosing alternatives to meat for these ‘meat’balls.
I’m not a fan of seitan because I find the texture to be 100% appalling… likely because I’m doing something wrong in its preparation and I’m just fine to leave it at that. Firm tofu has its charm until you’re bored to tears of it. Bread is too bready for a ball. Legumes are just the ticket.
I simmer green lentils to soft in a saucepan. Lentils and sautéed mushroom will be the no-meaty protein base for our balls.
To turn our beans to balls we’re also using eggs and ricotta for binding, onions and garlic for flavor, fresh herbs for pep, and fennel seeds, vegetarian Worcestershire and mustard for layers of flavor. Breadcrumbs too, for binding. We’ve got a lot going on. It’s all worth it.
Cooked lentils and sautéed mushrooms go into the bowl of a food processor to get whirled and finagled into a coarse meal. No liquid is added to the food processor so the mixture will stay rather rough. Don’t worry, you’re doing it right.
The lentil mixture is transferred to a large bowl and all the ingredients that make you want to slow-clap are added:
Sautéed onions and garlic.
Fresh parsley, thyme, and sage.
Fennel, chili flakes, and breadcrumbs.
Best of all: egg, ricotta cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire.
And we mix. We mix and we mix. Until all of the ingredients are well combined.
I always use a small cookie scoop (this one) to scoop everything from cookie dough to meat balls. It saves a mess and makes everything uniform. It’s as close to Martha Stewart moves as I’ll ever get.
Lentil balls make their way, lined up and all, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet where they’re drizzled with olive oil and baked for 20 to 25 minutes.
While the balls bake, we make the gravy.
I should mention now that the gravy has heavy cream and sautéed mushroom in it, so basically everything is going to be juuuust fine.
Butter is melted and onions are softened. Flour is added to the butter to make a roux to thicken the vegetable stock. Vegetable stock is added, simmered, and cooked to thick with herbs and mushrooms. Cream too, because we’re civilized. Boom. Gravy. (I should write recipe descriptions like these for a living.)
Smashed potatoes (boiled potatoes with added fat and a good mashing), and cranberry sauce (the Thanksgiving kind cooked with fresh cranberries, sugar, and water) to round out our Swedish-inspired meat-inspired ball meal.
To serve, I coated the toasted lentil balls in gravy, topped them in more gravy and served them alongside mashed potatoes and chilled cranberry sauce. The balls are filling, to be sure… and I wouldn’t go so far as to call them light and airy. They’re lentils and mushrooms, after all. What is delightful is their savory flavor, and moisture. This is a solid meal for solid people who have their two feet on the ground and a grumbling belly.
Did I mention there’s cream in the gravy. Yea… so.
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Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 3 cups cooked lentils (I used green lentils because they told their shape after being cooked)
- 1/4 cup sautéed mushrooms
- 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, plus MORE to taste
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- olive oil, for topping
For the Gravy
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoon finely diced onions
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme and/or fresh sage
- 1 cup sautéed mushrooms
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 4 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
For the Cranberry Sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
Instructions
- *To make the lentils, in a large saucepan bring 6 cups water to a simmer. Add salt (like you’re salting pasta water), crushed garlic clove, wedge of a yellow onion, and a bay leaf to the simmering water. Add 2 cups dried lentils and cook for 25-30 minutes until tender and cooked through. Strain through a colander and discard the garlic, onion, and bay leaf. This method will leave you with extra cooked lentils for salads of dinner.
- To make the meatballs, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, add lentils and mushrooms. Blend and pulse until relatively smooth, about 2 minutes. Mixture will be slightly dry and still a bit chunky. That’s right! Transfer to a large bowl.
- To the pureed lentil mixture add onion, garlic, fresh herbs, spices, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs.
- In a medium bowl whisk eggs until well combined. Whisk in the ricotta cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Add the wet ingredients to the lentil mixture and use a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients. Stir until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a large tablespoon scoop to meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1-inch between each meatball. Drizzle literally with olive oil and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until cooked through and lightly golden on the bottom. Remove from the oven and allow to rest while the rest of the ingredients come together.
- To make the gravy, in a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and whisk immediately, allowing the butter to absorb the flour and whisking constantly for 1 minute. Slowly stream in the vegetable broth, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken and then appear thin again once all of the vegetable stock is added. Add the soy sauce. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream, salt, pepper, thyme, and mushrooms. Simmer until thickened again, about 4 minutes more. Keep the gravy warm over very low heat.
- To make the potatoes, add potatoes to a large pot of cold water and boil until completely softened through. Drain in a colander, return to the boiling pot, add butter, cream, stock, salt and pepper and mash to smooth. Taste and season according to your taste.
- To make the cranberry sauce, bring water, sugar, and cranberry to a simmer in a medium pot. Simmer until most of the cranberries have burst and the mixture begins to thicken, about 15 minutes over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving.
- To serve, just before serving, toss lentil balls in warm gravy. Place on a plate alongside mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. Top the mashed potatoes with cranberry sauce as well. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- I find that it’s easiest to make the potatoes and cranberry sauce before the lentil balls and the gravy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
70 Responses
Sunday mornings are usually when I end up going down “the rabbit hole” while being on the internet….one sight leads to another. Anyway, I already am a subscriber to your sight, but had been redirected to it after looking for a recipe for swedish meatballs. Thank you sharing this recipe. (and as a response to a previous poster about their thoughts on the correct way to eat swedish meathballs, these meatballs most likely originated in Turkey)
I am 97% sure I can make this vegan – I now have access to a great oat-based cream substitute and am so excited to make these. Ricotta + eggs can be replaced with a block of silken tofu, I’m pretty sure…and butter by refined coconut oil or just plain old oil. Will report back.
love this recipe! i didn’t make the meatballs since i had some trader joe’s ones sitting in my freezer (and i needed to make room in the freezer, heh) but the gravy was divine! i think next time i’ll definitely have to make the meatballs per the recipe. it definitely hit the spot for me.
The most flavorful vegetarian meal I’ve had in a while! It was delicious, especially the gravy. I tried the lentil balls alone after they came out of the oven and was disappointed at first because they didn’t seem like anything special. But when combined with the rest of the meal, they were great. I used storebought cranberry sauce and found it to be unnecessary, as the rest of the meal didn’t have a strong enough umami flavor to stand up to the cranberry sauce.
My friend said she thought the lentils did a good job of imitating a meat texture. I disagreed, but they’re still packed with flavor. I made the lentil balls entirely in the food processor, used dried thyme and sage, used chicken bouillon instead of vegetable stock (I’m not vegetarian), and substituted mashed steamed cauliflower for the mashed potatoes. I probably won’t make this again just because it’s a too fussy for my lifestyle, but I’m glad I tried it.
That’s what I like to hear!
Hi, would you say this recipe can be frozen easily? I am thinking the “meat”balls would but I am not too sure for the sauce. Maybe it can be warm up in a pan all-together? Thanks a lot!
the meatballs will freeze just fine although i haven’t frozen the sauce. i think to stay on the safe side, i’d make and keep the sauce fresh.
Oh my….these look SO delicious! Thank you, Joy, for helping me with the vegetarian doldrums. I’m making these…my stomach is growling just thinking about them!
I heart the way you do diets, because I’m totally the 24 hour paleo/gluten-free/dairy-free type. But I think I could do vegetarian for maybe 48 hours if I had these on hand!
Made this recipe for dinner with friends last night, it was SO GOOD! Thanks Joy :)
This was my dinner tonight, and loved it The gravy is so good, I could eat it every day. Served with mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce that I get from Ikea. It’s a dinner from my childhood. I made the balls and the sauce ahead of time and then reheated them separately and it worked well. Thanks for great recipe!
Made these tonight. They are delicious!
I’ve had this tab open since you posted it, and have been dreaming about it daily. Made the whole shebang today, and it was well worth waiting for! Thank you, Joy!!
Coming back to comment after making this last weekend. It was a hit, and so delicious – I am making it again this weekend:) I think the gravy is perfect – exactly what I’ve been looking for in homemade vegetarian gravy. All enjoyed the cranberry sauce also. I did sub in cottage cheese for the ricotta, it’s what I had on hand. Whizzed it up a bit w/ the eggs. Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe Joy!
Great recipe! As a new vegetarian, I’m always looking for recipes!!!
Any ideas on what I could sub the eggs out for? I know you mentioned its a binding ingredient.
Thanks!!!
These look amazing! I don’t currently have access to a food processor, but when I do I’m definitely making them. I wonder if tofutti could be substituted for the ricotta?
i think tofutti would totally work!
Gren lentils asin French du Puy?
Thanks for your recipes, they rock!
I’m always disappointed when I read recipes for “vegetarian” dishes that contain animal products (butter,eggs,cream) I think most folks who eschew meat products do it out of ethical reasons (I don’t want to be the cause of any creatures death). I sometimes wonder if people realize that after chickens can no longer lay eggs and cows are too old to produce milk,they are slaughtered. I will only consume those products if I can verify personally that the animal will be allowed to live out its natural life. (Living in a farming community, I can usually do that).
That being said,can you suggest substitutions for the eggs and dairy products in this recipe?
“Vegetarian” includes animal products that aren’t the flesh. If you want 100% animal free recipes, look for “vegan” recipes.
That said, you can always replace milk with a soy or nut milk, and eggs can be replaced with silken tofu.
Good luck!
Yum! Thanks for this recipe! Would you say that these taste like sweedish meatballs? Or an awesome-but-different-tasting vegetarian “meatball” that looks similar? : )
i’d go with awesome, but different since they’re meatless. i hope you try the recipe and enjoy!
I made the meatballs and gravy part for dinner tonight (too lazy to make the potatoes and cranberries) and oh. my. god. So good!! I ended up needing about 3x the amount of breadcrumbs to get the meatball mixture to the right consistency, but, like, I’m beside myself with how delicious they turned out. Thank you for the amazing recipe!! #bowdown
right on!
These look yummy! At 45, I recently became allergic to meat (specifically, all mammals). And I am always looking for meatless recipes. So tired of chicken :)
I love you. Not in a creepy goingtofindyou sort of way. More like, you’ve just given me another wonderful way to get delicious things in my person and I think it’s amazing, kind of way. SO thanks for that. :)
I’m so into this!! I love ‘meat’balls!
This is an amazing typo:
“Drizzle literally with olive oil and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until cooked through and lightly golden on the bottom. ”
Literally!
Vegetarian “meat”balls are the best! I love pairing my lentil balls with homemade pesto, but I love how you used ricotta in yours might need to do that for mine next time. Thanks for sharing!
I love doing confusing things like making meatless balls and using chicken stock for the gravy…I’m a bit of a lazy-terian with a penchant for creative cooking, so I’ll use whatever I have around and/or makes less dishes. This looks lovely. I’ve been looking for a reason to buy that giant thing of mushrooms from Costco :-P
Joy, these look delicious, and I think will be the perfect thing to serve this weekend to company. Does the gravy make enough to cover meatballs and mashed potatoes, or should I double it if I’m wanting plenty of gravy for both? Also, if I wanted to make ahead, do you think it would work to cover meatballs in gravy and reheat in oven, or would that mess up the gravy?
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes! And if you ever want a taste tester in the PNW, holler :)
This feels like enough gravy for 6 to six portions of meatballs and gravy. If you want to make it ahead of time, I wouldn’t leave the meatballs to soak in the gravy overnight, but you could combine the meatballs and gravy just before baking in the oven to reheat. Does that make sense? Hope you enjoy!
ah yes, would be best to leave them separate. Thanks for the response, and I’ll get back once we’ve eaten!
this looks yum – I am so excited to make it!
What if you are not crazy about mushrooms?? Is there something else to substitute?
This post cracked me up. You are a hilarious writer. Your comments on seitan and tofu slay me.
Be still my little vegetarian heart. I can’t wait to try them. Thank you for the variety of delicious food you share…and for your charming posts.
For real?!!! I always feel so left out when Swedish Meatballs are appetizers. Thank you!
The voice that comes through your writing is so incredibly good Joy! It is honest, natural and always leaves me grinning. Your recipes are always solid, but it is your writing that I crave (okay and the brown butter chocolate chip cookies). I hope you write a book one day. Thank you for doing what you do.
Gluten free pretzels ARE SO GOOD. It’s weird, but I was amazed when I first tried them.
you understand me!
I’m totally with you Joy, Seitain is appealing! I am a vegetarian and have never had a seitan anything that I enjoyed! These meatless balls however, look great! lentils for the win, excited to try the gravy too!!
These lentil meatballs sound unreal. Looking at this just makes me feel comfy and cozy already!
These sound like meatballs that even the most committed carnivore could love.
Heavy cream is essential! My mormor (Grandmother in Swedish) always cooks with buckets of cream :) Looks like a great vegetarian alternative to original meat meatballs. Can’t wat to try!
I was just thinking the other day, “Gee, I wish there was a vegetarian way to make Swedish meatballs.” You read my mind! Can’t wait to make these — they look delightful!
We love your heritage tomato and blue cheese scones(biscuits) lovely veggie recipe, can’t wait to try these x
This is such a neat recipe to find on here today, Joy! I love it!!! Making fun + different vegetarian mains is the best and this recipe has got my wanting to RUN to the grocery store! Yum!
But, really, if you choose to call these Swedish meatballs, you really ought to eat them with cowberries/lingonberries, which is what is traditionally served with meatballs both in Sweden and in my Norway. And don’t try to give me that nonsense abt how cranberries taste the same, because they.do.not. Not at all. And you can make the yummiest dessert by beating egg whites w a little sugar until stiff and then fold in slightly crushed and sweetened cowberries/lingonberries (use the name you like best) it is called TROLLKREM in Norwegian and that is (you got it!) troll cream for ya!
Never claimed that cranberries tastes the same as lingonberries… it’s just that here in New Orleans they’re impossible to come by.
I personally think cranberries and lingonberries taste fairly similar (more than any other fruit) BUT if you happen to have an IKEA nearby, that’s where I get my lingonberry jam! Makes a great PBJ, too.
wow, that was kind of rude response. we dont have lingonberries in my part of united states. and cranberries is easily accessible. although, the taste is quite different, that was an alternative. Unless we are close to an IKEA we can not get lingonberries easily.
We are usa and Joy did a great job adjusting to meet the needs in a traditional way in the usa.
Please do not take this offensively, but you were quite rude and that is not nice.
If you are an example of all Norwegians I would not want to travel there! How very unkind are your words!
Good day!
Look yummy! Thanks for the recipe. I’m wondering about leftovers… are they good cold, say in my lunch bag?
i think the gravy needs a good heating before serving, ya know?
Usually I get annoyed when people claim they are making “Swedish Meatballs” and it is nothing like Swedish meatballs.. But this looks rather tasty! I love meat, and make my Swedish meatballs (or, meatballs, as I call them as I am Swedish..) with actual meat, but this looks like an interesting alternative worth trying. Especially when having vegetarians over, or just for meatless Mondays that we have at home. Thanks for the inspiration!
You just made a real Swede very happy! Hey, you need to try out the swedish pastry “Semla”, it’s a perfect cloud of cardamum bun, almond paste and cream. It’s what all Swedes crave for shrove Tuesday or mardi gras as you lot call it… Leila does a great version (although I don’t really think she uses 132 eggs for the egg wash) https://www.leila.se/swedish-semlor/english/recipes/pastries/index1,71.htm?id=4676 Xx
oh thank you for sharing this with me!!
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try – however, I need to know where those plates came from! Are they lavender?
grey actually. i think it was a runoff from tj maxi or something like that.
Thanks so much!
I do a similar mixture for stuffed portobellos, never thought to make meatballs, great idea!
Fantastic images! The images alone are encouraging me to take on this feat. Gorgeous!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I used to be a huge fan of swedish meatballs when I was younger and ate meat, so having a vegetarian option is awesome! Will definitely need to try to make this!
Rae | Love from Berlin
You crack me up! I love reading your descriptions almost more than the recipes themselves. Boom! So funny.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m a vegetarian. As a kid, I used to ask my mom to make Swedish meatballs on special occasions.
“ingredients that make you want to slow clap” – best description EVER!!!!
No explanation needed – though I nodded in agreement to “I’m vegetarian until I want to put bacon in something” – these lentil ‘meatballs’ look delicious and nourishing :)
As a side note, your post has suddenly made me realise I totally require a cookie scoop in my life. I’m going to buy one and then use it for everything!
This looks great. Which is surprising but true.
These are definitely straight out of the comfort food category, and I’m just fine with that – sometimes you need a little something extra. Thanks for letting your vegetarianism run amock just long enough to create these ;)
Swedish meatballs + mashed potato = pure comfort! Gotta try this veggie version..