Vegan German Meatballs & Cabbage with Creamy Mustard Sauce
Smoky tofu meatballs are served atop tender cabbage and sauerkraut in a to-die-for creamy (but totally dairy-free!) mustard sauce to make this scrumptious vegan comfort food meal!
Servings: 4
Calories: 463kcal
Ingredients
For the Tofu Meatballs
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup roasted sunflower seeds
- 7 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, drained
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, or oil of choice
For the Cabbage
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cups chopped green cabbage
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- ¼ cup sauerkraut
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
- Chopped fresh chives
Instructions
To Make the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the oats and sunflower seeds into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade, then blend them to a powder.
- Break the tofu into a few large chunks and add it to the food processor, along with the onion, garlic, soy sauce, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and marjoram.
- Pulse the food processor until the ingredients are finely chopped and well mixed. Do not overblend the mixture.
- Taste-test the mixture and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
- Roll the tofu mixture into 1-inch balls (you should get about 20 of them) and arrange them on the baking sheet and brush them with olive oil.
- Bake the meatballs for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. They are finished baking when they're lightly browned.
To Make the Cabbage
- While the meatballs bake, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's soft and just beginning to brown.
- Add the cabbage to the skillet. Continue cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes more, until the cabbage begins to soften up.
- Clear a spot near the center of the skillet and add the garlic. Cook it for about 1 minute, until very fragrant, then stir the garlic into the cabbage mixture.
- Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and stir to coat the cabbage with the flour. Continue cooking and stirring the cabbage for about 2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and broth, a bit at a time, stirring well between each addition. Then stir in the mustard.
- Bring the liquid up to a simmer and cook everything for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the cabbage is tender. Stir the mixture occasionally as it simmers.
- Stir in the sauerkraut and remove the skillet from the heat.
- Tastes-test the cabbage and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the cabbage onto plates and top it with the meatballs. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.3g | Protein: 13.7g | Fat: 31.8g | Saturated Fat: 15.8g | Sodium: 739mg | Potassium: 655mg | Fiber: 8.5g | Sugar: 11g | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 26mg