Vegan Norwegian Meatballs with Gravy
A completely meatfree version of authentic Norwegian meatballs and gravy! This classic Scandinavian dish is also known as Kjøttkaker med Brun Saus, and it's a hearty "beef" meatball submerged in a savory, dairy-free brown gravy, and served with potatoes and tangy Lingonberry sauce.
Ingredients
Meatballs / Kjottkaker
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 2 tbsp water
- 12 oz vegan ground "beef"
- ¼ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce I used Amy's Organic Worsetshire
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- neutral oil for cooking refined coconut oil or avocado oil works well
Beef Gravy/ Brun Saus
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
- 8 tbsp flour
- 4 cups vegan beef broth alternative below
- salt and pepper
Serve with
- Lingonberry or Cranberry Sauce on the side
- parsley for garnishing very optional
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Start by mixing the ground flax seeds and water together in a small bowl. Stir and set aside to thicken for about 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the onions and add them to a large mixing bowl with the vegan ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, allspice, salt and pepper. When the flax egg is thickened, add it to the bowl and mix until combined using a hand mixer. Note: you can also mix by hand with a wooden spon but the hand mixer creates a lighter, slightly fluffier meatball mixture. Either way, just mix until combined and then stop to prevent over-mixing. Overmixing = tough meatballs.
Roll
- Roll a heaped tablespoon of the meat mixture into an oval shaped meatball and place on a plate. They should be about 3 bite-sized and you should have 12-13 meatballs total.
Cook
- Add 1-2 tbsp of neutral oil like refined coocnut oil or avocado oil to a large frying pan with high sides and heat to meadium-high heat (about a 7 out of 10)Once warm, add the meatballs and cook for 2 minutes or until well browned, then flip and cook for 1 more minute. These don't need to cook all the way through because they'll finish cooking in the gravy. Just make sure the meatballs are nicely browned on both sides. This will help give the meatballs a bit of structure and hold them together while they finish cooking in the gravy later on. Remove from the pan and place on a plate. Repeat with the remaining meatballs and then set the plate of meatballs aside. Note: Just like when making pancakes, you may need to lower the heat in between batches to prevent burning!
Make the Gravy
- Carefully wipe out the pan and return to the stove. Set to medium heat and add the vegan butter. Once metled add the flour and then whisking to combine. Cook until the roux becomes a deeply golden brown color. Then gradually add in the vegan beef broth a slash at a time while whisking continuously. Note: See Notes below if using veggie broth. Simmer for 5 minutes to thichen then season with salt and pepper if needed. Remember, the meatballs will be salty be careful not to add too much salt just yet. Ladle out half of the gravy into a gravy boat. Cover to keep warm and set aside. Then add the meatballs and the juices from the plate into the gravy and simmer on low for 5-10 minutes.
Serve
- Serve the meatballs and remaining gravy in a large serving bowl and place in the center of the table with a sprinkle with parsely on top if desired. Norwegian meatballs are traditionally served with boiled or mashed potatoes, a green vegetable and most importnalty, some Lingonberry sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
Vegan Beef Broth: The vegan not-beef bullion from Edward and Sons works great.
If using veggie broth instead of beef broth, follow the same recipe but use low-sodium vegetable broth and add 1-1.5 tsp of Worcestershire sauce and salt + pepper to taste.
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Cooking Note: Make sure the meatballs are nicely browned on both sides. This will help give the meatballs a bit of structure and hold them together while they finish cooking in the gravy later on.
Just like when making pancakes, you may need to lower the heat in between batches to prevent burning!
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If you watched my video and would like to use cornstarch instead of breadcrumbs, use 1 tbsp of cornstarch instead of breadcrumbs and keep everything else the same.