Swedish Meatballs…
…with Apricot Dipping Sauce! These make an excellent appetizer for any special meal, be it a holiday or any other occasion. They’re so cute! I got the idea for these by visiting an IKEA store… their meatballs were not plant-based, of course. So I had to rise to the challenge! The apricot dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment, too. And, yet again, soy curls to the forefront for the best texture and most nutritious meat substitute!
Ingredients
~ for the balls
one 8 oz. bag soy curls
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and rough chopped
3 shallots, chopped
3 TBS miso
2 TBS ground chia seeds
½ cup flour of your choice
1 TBS fruit-sweetened apricot jam
1 tsp allspice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 TBS chopped parsley
~ for the sauce (see notes)
1 cup dried, unsulfured, unsweetened apricots, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup water
4 medjool dates, pits removed
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp tamari or other low sodium soy sauce
Method
Soak the soy curls for about 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much of the water as you can and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sauté the mushrooms and shallots until tender. Let cool.
Place all ball ingredients (except the parsley) into a food processor and process until smooth.
Stir in the parsley.
Add love 💗
Shape into 1½” balls and bake for 30 minutes, turning them over once at the 15 minute mark. It’s really best to use a small ice cream scoop for these to keep their size consistent.
For the sauce, place all ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. I recommend Vitamix!
Serve the meatballs with the dipping sauce or whatever kind of gravy you like!
Notes
So really you can use any dipping sauce you prefer for this and, in a pinch, you can also use apricot preserves thinned out a little and maybe spruced up with a little balsamic and/or soy sauce. Have fun with it!
Serves 6-8. Enjoy!