Vegan Meatballs in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Food should always be as comforting as these vegan Meatballs in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce. The silky and decadent sauce flecked with rosemary and garlic envelopes the meatballs — and your tastebuds — with warm, savory flavor. Recipe can be gluten-free.

This creamy vegan Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce recipe is one of the ways I sneak mushrooms into my picky son’s diet, and here’s the kicker: it’s one of the dishes he most requests.

Everything about this sauce is lovely: it has the savory, pungent umami of mushrooms and onions and garlic, and all of that is wrapped into a creamy sauce lightly flavored with nutmeg. There’s nothing here that you will not love. And best of all, it’s so easy to make.

Tips for making the creamy mushroom sauce:

• You have your choice with the meatballs here — you can make them using my vegan meatballs recipe. They are quite easy and delicious and have more mushrooms in it, along with beans and oats and other good stuff. Or you can use storebought vegan meatballs (I like the ones at Aldi’s which are also budget-friendly and great when you’re putting together a rushed meal).
• There are just a few ingredients in the sauce, so try and stick with the most flavorful ingredients: use crimini or portobello or shiitake mushrooms instead of button mushrooms, a really good homemade vegetable stock, and make sure you saute your onions until they are a lovely golden-brown.
• I strain the sauce because I want it to be really, really creamy with the meatballs. But you don’t have to, if you like the bits of mushrooms and onions. I strain the sauce, then eat the mushrooms and onions on toast for a decadent breakfast/snack.
• This sauce uses all purpose flour, therefore it’s not gluten-free, but if you do want it to be gluten-free, use rice flour instead of all purpose.
• I like the umami that liquid aminos adds to the sauce, but if you can’t or won’t have soy, you can make this dish soy-free by just skipping it. Add a teaspoon of dijon mustard instead.

What do I serve with these meatballs in a creamy sauce?

I serve these the way Jay likes them best, with mashed potatoes. They make a great comfort meal, and who can resist mounds of fluffy potatoes topped with a savory, creamy gravy?

You can also serve this dish with pasta. Use a flat noodle, preferably a pappardelle or tagliatelle. A fettuccine would work too.

Ingredients for vegan meatballs in a creamy mushroom sauce:

For the meatballs:

• Shiitake mushrooms
• Kidney beans
• Quick cooking oats
• Sage or rosemary
• Nutmeg
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Liquid aminos or soy sauce
• Vegetable oil

For the creamy mushroom sauce:

• Raw cashews
• Vegetable oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Crimini mushrooms
• Apple cider vinegar
• Unbleached all purpose flour
• Rosemary
• Vegetable stock
• Liquid aminos or soy sauce
• Parsley

Looking for more vegan mushroom recipes?

• Vegan Mushroom Pot Pie
• Vegan Mushroom Stew
• Vegan Mushroom Lasagna
• Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Vegan Wellington with Mushrooms and Lentils

Vegan Meatballs in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce Recipe:

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Vegan Meatballs in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Food should always be as comforting as these vegan Meatballs in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce. The silky and decadent sauce flecked with rosemary and garlic envelopes the meatballs — and your tastebuds — with warm, savory flavor. A vegan, soy-free recipe that can be gluten-free.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: gluten-free, Vegan

Servings: 6

Calories: 309kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms (dry)
• 15 oz kidney beans
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp sage (or rosemary, dry)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 to 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp liquid aminos
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

For the sauce :

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 16 oz crimini mushrooms (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce or tamari)
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp parsley (minced, for garnish)

Instructions

Make the meatballs:

• Pour a cup of boiling water over the dry shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and let them steep for 20 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze out as much water from them as possible. Reserve the stock for use in the gravy.
• Place the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse five or six times until they are broken down into small bits. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, to the food processor and pulse a few times until they are thoroughly mixed and the mixture holds together when you form a ball.
• Shape into 20 meatballs. Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the meatballs, turning them to brown all over. Remove the meatballs to a bowl large enough to hold the sauce.

Make the gravy:

• Blend the cashews with 1/2 cup water into a very thick cream. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic along with some salt and pepper and saute for five to six minutes over medium heat. The onions should brown nicely so your sauce has great flavor, but don't let the garlic burn. Stir frequently.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan along with the apple cider vinegar. Saute until the mushrooms have expressed most of their water and it has evaporated, another five to six minutes over medium-high heat. Now add the flour and stir until it gets absorbed into the mushrooms.
• Stir in the rosemary, then pour the vegetable stock in, stirring constantly, so the flour dissolves in it. Bring the stock to a boil. It will look very soupy at this stage, but don't worry — you need to let the stock reduce to about four cups, which will take about 10-15 minutes over high heat. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom.
• Once the sauce has reduced and is quite thick, season with salt and pepper. Wait until the sauce has cooled a little or, if doing this while the sauce is still hot, very carefully strain it into a large bowl.
• Pour the sauce back into the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Stir in the liquid aminos or soy sauce and cashew cream. Turn off the heat and pour over the meatballs. Garnish with parsley and serve hot or warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Potassium: 900mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 613IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 4mg