These Vegan Swedish Meatballs are so meaty, that you might just fool a meat eater! Delicious homemade seitan meatballs are covered in a rich and creamy gravy for the ultimate comfort food. These taste better than IKEA's!

The secret to getting the meatiest texture to these meatballs is to use vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is a flour made from the protein in wheat, and it's what gives bread its bouncy stretchy texture, and what makes pizza dough chewy. Using it in combination with lentils, walnuts, onions, garlic, and seasonings including the signature hint of allspice and nutmeg, makes for the meatiest most delicious Swedish-style meatballs. Delicious even before you add the gravy!

Vital wheat gluten is very high in protein making it great for athletic people. One vegan Swedish meatball (without the gravy) is just 68 calories and contains 8 grams protein, 4 grams carbs, and 2 grams fat!!

The meatballs can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or they can be frozen. When ready to enjoy them, let them defrost (if needed), then fry them up in a skillet, and whisk up the simple gravy. Serve vegan Swedish meatballs over garlic mashed potatoes, or enjoy them on rice or on noodles.

How to Make Vegan Swedish Meatballs from scratch:

To a food processor add the lentils, onion, walnuts, and garlic and pulse until you reach a slightly crumbly paste-like texture. Add the vital wheat gluten, water, soy sauce, parsley, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg and pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until combined into a crumbly dough.

Pinch off some of the dough and roll into a vegan meatball about the size of a golf ball and set aside on a plate or dish. Repeat until all the dough is used up and you have made about 18 meatballs.

Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the meatballs to the steamer basket, cover and steam for 25 - 30 minutes. Once the steaming is done, you can either prepare them right away (see below), or allow them to cool completely and store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze them for later. *Note, I always find seitan has the best texture if chilled in the fridge overnight, but it is still great freshly made.

To serve the meatballs and make the gravy:
In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat the light oil over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs until golden brown and heated through, 5 - 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set them aside on a plate.

Return the pan to the heat and add the vegan butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour to make a paste. Cook the flour paste while whisking, then pour in the broth and the cream and mix. Bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Return the meatballs to the pan with the gravy, and heat through for another minute or two. Serve the vegan Swedish meatballs hot on mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

These vegan Swedish meatballs are...

incredibly meaty saucy delicious
great for making ahead and freezing
better than Ikea.

More vegan seitan recipes to try:

The Best Vegan Turkey Roast
Vegan Italian Seitan Meatballs
Vegan Seitan Tenders (vegan chicken breast)
Vegan Seitan Steak

If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.

Print Recipe

4.87 from 22 votes

Vegan Swedish Meatballs

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course : Main Course

Cuisine : Swedish

Servings: 4 (makes 18 - 20 meatballs)

Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

1 cup cooked lentils, (I used canned)
½ yellow onion, quartered
½ cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 ¼ cup vital wheat gluten, (there is no substitution for this)
6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

For the Gravy:

1 tablespoon light oil, (canola or vegetable oil) for frying
3 tablespoons vegan butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups vegan "beefless" broth or mushroom broth
½ cup vegan culinary cream, (or sub cashew cream or full-fat coconut milk)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To a food processor add the lentils, onion, walnuts, and garlic and pulse until you reach a slightly crumbly paste-like texture. Add the vital wheat gluten, water, soy sauce, parsley, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg and pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until combined into a crumbly dough.
Pinch off some of the dough and roll into a vegan meatball about the size of a golf ball and set aside on a plate or dish. Repeat until all the dough is used up and you have made about 18 meatballs.
Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the meatballs to the steamer basket, cover and steam for 25 - 30 minutes. Once the steaming is done, you can either prepare them right away (see below), or allow them to cool completely and store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze them for later. *Note, I always find seitan has the best texture if chilled in the fridge overnight, but it is still great freshly made.

To serve the meatballs and make the gravy:

In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat the light oil over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs until golden brown and heated through, 5 - 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set them aside on a plate.
Return the pan to the heat and add the vegan butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour to make a paste. Cook the flour paste while whisking, then pour in the broth and the cream and mix. Bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
Return to the meatballs to the pan with the gravy, and heat through for another minute or two. Serve hot on mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Notes

Vital wheat gluten is essential to this recipe, and there is no substitute. Therefore this recipe cannot be made gluten-free. For a vegan gluten-free meatball recipe try my bean ball recipe in Fuss-Free Vegan which has a gluten-free option.

Steaming tips: you need to steam the vegan meatballs before using them. I recommend getting a steamer pot if you plan to make seitan often, or you can use a DIY method if you do not have a steamer.

Cleaning tips: vital wheat gluten is very sticky and can destroy dish brushes and cloths. So what I like to do is save old clothes, sheets, or towels that are too shabby to donate, and cut them into rags. I use these rags to clean up after preparing a seitan recipe and discard the rag once finished.

Nutrition

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