We love this dish so much that we’ve decided to ask ourselves what vegetables goes well with Swedish meatballs. Swedish meatballs are delicious and decadent. This creamy and meaty dish has won the hearts of the citizens of the world, thanks to Sweden.
Swedish meatballs are very Swedish in the sense that it is Sweden’s most popular culinary dish. Ikea, you guessed it, is a Swedish world-famous brand that offers this decadent dish on their menus all over the world. Through Ikea, the world learned about how amazing this simple dish is.
Swedish meatballs are an everyday kind of dish and delicious on any occasion. If you asked a Swedish local where to find the best Swedish meatballs, they’ll most likely point you towards the direction of their grandmother’s house.
The recipe of these meatballs has been passed down from generation to generation, to different households. Swedish meatballs are typically a mix of beef and pork mince with cream, onion, and eggs. These are served with creamy mashed potatoes and a thick brown gravy. To finish it off, it is served with pickled cucumber and lingonberry jam.
This special dish is decadent as it sounds so some people like having it with a few greens on the side or some vegetables.
We’ve put together a list of vegetables that would complement the flavor of this special dish.
Table of Contents
1. Broccoli
Broccoli looks like tiny trees and they’re absolutely delicious. With Swedish meatballs, we love lightly salted steamed broccoli florets. We want to retain the natural flavor of the broccoli as much as possible and have its freshness with the decadent Swedish meatballs.
2. Potato
Potatoes are versatile and we know that there’s so much you can do with them. It’s so good that it’s actually a staple to serve alongside Swedish meatballs. Creamy mashed potatoes with Swedish meatballs are a must and we’re not complaining. The creaminess of the mashed potatoes meshes so well with the flavor of the pork and beef meatballs. The meatiness soaks the mashed potatoes and it’s a harmonious bite each time.
3. Corn
Buttered corn on a cob is excellent with Swedish meatballs. There’s something very enjoyable about eating corn (if your teeth are strong enough for it). It’s always a challenge to wipe the kernels off the cob. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you can grill your corn on the cob and baste it with some lemon butter and dust it with cayenne pepper. This little zing adds excitement to the dish.
4. Green Beans
Green beans are versatile and very easy to prepare. There’s so much you can do with green beans. However, we like our green beans plain and steamed with Swedish meatballs. We love the crunch of lightly salted steamed green beans. They add texture and freshness to the dish, all the while highlighting the flavor of the meatballs.
5. Asparagus
If there was a Switzerland of vegetables, it would be asparagus. It is definitely neutral and delicious with a lot of dishes. It’s very easy to turn asparagus into an agreeable side with any dish and Swedish meatballs aren’t shy about this. We like cheesy baked asparagus to go with our Swedish meatballs because we can’t get enough of the richness. The added cheese enhances the flavor of the creamy meatballs and the asparagus gives a good crunch to the dish.
6. Eggplant
Eggplants are versatile and they’re simply great! To change things a little, we opt to bread and fry the eggplant to serve with the meatballs. Eggplant is typically grilled to serve with Western dishes. However, we learned that the breaded and fried version tastes so well with the meatballs. The added texture to the dish takes it a long way. To make it even extra, add some Parmesan to the breading.
7. Capsicum
Capsicum is one of those vegetables that you just have to add in a mixture of roasted vegetables. Capsicum has a sweetness that is hard to resist and it goes so well with a lot of dishes. We like preparing our capsicum confit and adding it to a Swedish meatballs dish as a condiment. The sweetness adds character to the dish.
8. Zucchini
Zucchini is a slightly bitter vegetable that we enjoy eating. Roasted vegetables taste amazing with Swedish meatballs because of the variety of flavors and the slightly charred ends of the veggies. Zucchini grilled with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a hint of lemon zest does wonders with Swedish meatballs because of the zing and bitterness cut through the richness.
9. Cabbage
Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that is widely used in Western Europe. There are many ways to prepare this veggie and with Swedish meatballs, we learned that butter sauteed cabbage leaves work well. The simpler the preparation, the better, is our philosophy with decadent dishes such as this.
10. Peas
Green peas are plump, vegetal and a little starchy. Since we’ve established that potatoes taste great with Swedish meatballs, we decided to explore green peas to add to the decadent dish. Green peas are simple to prepare, delicious, and versatile. With Swedish meatballs, we tried pureeing green peas and adding it as a side with the mashed potatoes and the gravy. It was so delicious that we had to share it with you.
