I’ll always remember the first time I tried Ikea veggie balls in the cafeteria, for there was tears involved. Not my tears but tears of a little nine-year old who had his heart set on Ikea meatballs for lunch that day and whether or not there was anything for the vegan in the family was not a consideration.
The day was saved when I vaguely remembered that Ikea had introduced a vegan version of their famous meatballs, officially called GRÖNSAKSBULLAR (Swedish for vegetable balls). Made from just vegetables including chickpeas, peas, carrots, red peppers, corn, kale, pea protein, onions and spices, they’re actually quite tasty. And they’re vegan, soy-free and gluten-free too. You can taste and see the vegetable pieces.
Besides enjoying the plate of 10 veggie balls in store for $4.49, you can also take home a 2.2-lb frozen bag of them for $7.99. Already precooked, they’re easy enough to simply re-heat in the microwave or oven.
My at-home plate only had 9 veggie balls as that’s the serving size stated on the back of the bag. Instead of the sweet potato sauce and steamed vegetables it’s served with in-store, I made a gravy out of nothing but pureed vegetables from Tyler Florence’s Inside the Test Kitchen cookbook. Served with coconut milk mashed potatoes and kale.
Supposedly, the veggie ball ingredients will switch based on the season. I haven’t seen a different ingredient list yet but I did grab one of the last frozen bags at my local Ikea, so maybe the next shipment will be a different vegetable blend. If I’m anywhere near the area, I’ll brave the maze that is Ikea just to get the veggie balls again.
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I’ve heard vegans talking well of the Ikea balls – sadly, given Ikea makes me come out in a cold sweat and fearful shaking, I’ll not be visiting to try them myself. I’ll just have to rely on posts like yours to let me know what I’ve been missing!
Good call on buying a bag to take home. I was soooo disappointed when I tried them in store. The actual veggie balls were really good, but the side veggies were strange, and I missed the lingonberries on the side. I’m so grateful for the option though, and I love how thoughtful Ikea is being. Next time I go I ‘m buying a bag of veggie balls and a jar of lingonberries to take home. I can totes make my own gravy and mashed potatoes :).
Hannah –
You can actually request a side of lingonberries and they won’t charge you. That’s how I like to eat them.
The side veggies are usually just a mix of steamed carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. They were out last time and subbed french fries for us.
They’re also really good with the barbecue sauce from the condiment pumps :P
I’ve been crazy curious about these veggie balls, but too afraid to make the trek out to Ikea and try them myself. They don’t look half bad though, and I’ve heard generally good things… I kind of wish they could just ship them though, since it does feel like a crazy goose chase to get through that store.
The Ikea food store (where they sell the veggie balls) is past the checkouts. So you can, in theory, just park near the exit and run in for those avoiding the mazes of throw pillows and bamboo utensils.
I wish there was an Ikea closer to me, I really want to try these!
“Brave the maze that is Ikea” rang so true for me! I only rarely get to IKEA, and haven’t been there since they introduced the vegan balls, but I’ve lately been thinking of a couple of things I’d like to get there, so maybe your post will inspire me to be brave and consider a visit. To make it more daunting, our IKEA is remodeling and the parking lot is reduced to the point you have to park elsewhere and take a shuttle. Your photos are definitely the most appetizing ones I’ve seen of the GRÖNSAKSBULLAR. They look good!
I’ve tried them twice now and there ugh ok. Not the best but the worst. The one thing I don’t like it that they are not freshly prepared. They pull them from a freezer metal tin – steam cook them and voila there ready! Ugh Yuck! Not sautéed in a pan to get a crispy coating just dumped on the plate. I didn’t trust the Mashed potatoes because when I asked the rep she didn’t know what was in them. I did like sauce but there was not enough of it. Also , remember if you have a gift card to the Ikea it can’t be used in the cafeteria….I had to learn the hard way.
I tried the veggie balls this weekend and LOVED them! I actually ordered the regular Swedish meatball meal and paid the extra $1 for 4 of the veggie balls. Oh. My. STARS! I’ll be getting the veggie balls for now on! In fact, I liked them so much that I bought a frozen bag of them and look forward to having them at home.
So glad you decided to give the veggie balls a try! They sure are tasty. I’ll have to stop by Ikea soon myself and restock the freezer. :-)
I just prepared them at home last night and heated slowly in a pasta sauce (vegan). They were wonderful- firm, tasty. Added rice to the sauce as well. Just had them for lunch as left overs and the meat balls held their shape. We have a gathering at our house today, and vegans will be present, so I’ll cook the remainder of the package for them using the same method. It would be wise for Ikea to market these also through area grocery stores. At least the Round Rock, TX Ikea has the grocery section in the front of the store– just take the short cuts if you enter at the entrance, or come in through the exit and it is right there to your right. 10-12 on weekdays is not too overwhelming.
Sounds delicious! I’ve yet to try the veggie balls in a pasta sauce. Besides rice, noodles would be good too. I see you discovered the secret to going to Ikea, weekdays in the morning. :-)
I just had these tonight, they were crispy and tasted great!You can ask for the lingon berry sauce and potatoes as a side. A fantastic alternative if if you’re not vegan but just want a lower fat alternative to the regular meatballs. I’m going to buy a couple bags to take home.
I love them too. I bought a bag to take home after reading the good reviews about them. I think they may have edemame in them. I wish I had bought two bags. It is a long trip to get to IKEA from where I live. I also bought the potato patties with kale. They are good but cost a lot for potatoes with a little bit of kale in them. The cinnamon buns are still pretty good too. I hope we can get them in a supermarket one day soon.
I dash over to IKEA just to get these. I’ve served many different ways including:
1. Cooked with barbeque sauce and jelly in a crock pot as a fast and tasty appetizer (even non-vegans love them)
2. On a sub roll with marinara and cheese as a “hero sandwich”
3. Cooked in a mushroom sauce and served over hot buttered noodles for a variation to “Beef Stroganoff”
4. Added to spaghetti sauce for a hearty “Spaghetti and Meatballs” dinner
Fortunately the IKEA Market is at the front of the checkout lines so you don’t even need to venture into the maze. Just pop in – grab the vegan options (and a few other items) – and dash out!
I have only warmed the vegan meatballs in the oven.The outer shell crisps up a bit.I made home made pasta sauce using organic tomato sauce,sauteed carrots, pureed it all, with some tomato paste,garlic…I don’t add the sauce onto the meatballs,just stir into quinoa pasta. I hope they don’t change them too much from season to season as I like ’em as is.The ikea market has some really good options. Cinnamon buns are good,no icing though:( Great to have the option to take the stuff home,and make it whenever you want.
Hello, I really want to test these veggie balls but I don’t understand where is the recipe ? Sorry, I’m franch and I thing that I don’t understand everything :) Please answer me
There’s no recipe, it’s a review of the Ikea veggie balls that’s available at their in-store cafe or frozen to heat up at home.