One of our favorite comfort dishes that is perfect for cold days but not too hot for summer days is Swedish meatballs with pasta. Using a simple gravy sauce, store-bought vegan meatballs (or homemade vegan meatballs), and pasta (bowtie is our favorite for this), the dish comes together in less than 30 minutes. The highlight of this is the creamy gravy, which is outlined below. You won’t know it is dairy-free. I’ll also add our favorite vegan meatball brands below for ideas.
A thick, creamy dairy-free sauce that will be the star of your Swedish meatballs!
- Not including a few spices, this gravy recipe only requires 4 ingredients!
- No complicated products required: dairy-free margarine is widespread, and a simple tofu sour cream can be made if a vegan sour cream isn’t available.
- Perfect for busy nights – only 10 minutes and one pan for this gravy!
- Eat the meatballs and gravy alone or add to mashed potatoes with lingonberry jam for a traditional version.
Our favorite meatballs for this dish are Impossible Homestyle Meatballs or Gardein Meatballs (note that the latter are Italian style). However this gravy is so savory and filling that I have been tempted many times to just eat it by itself!
Vegan Gravy for Swedish Meatballs
Gravy Ingredients
- 3 TB vegan butter/margarine
- 1/2 cup vegan sour cream (Tofutti is our favorite, and the container is dishwasher safe! #sustainability)
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth or vegan beef broth
- 3 TB flour
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- dash of nutmeg, allspice
- black pepper and salt to taste
- parsley to garnish
Directions
- In a skillet, melt the butter.
- Add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Remove the floury taste by allowing the mixture to bubble for a few minutes. Make sure the flour doesn’t clump or stick to the pan.
- Pour in the broth while whisking the gravy.
- Add in the sour cream and stir.
- Test the flavor and adjust spices or consistency by adding broth.
- Add cooked meatballs to the sauce to coat thoroughly. Add gravy and meatballs on top of pasta. Garnish with parsley.
Nutrition Information (calculated using Cronometer) based on 1/2 cup out of 2 cups of sauce, using Tofutti sour cream, Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Paste, and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread: 163.75 calories / 7.2 g carbs / 13.3 g fat / 2.3 g protein / 723.8 mg sodium / 0 g fiber
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