Vegan Lentil Meatloaf (2024)

This delicious vegan lentil meatloaf is packed with a meaty texture and hearty flavor from mushrooms, walnuts, and lentils. It is the perfect holiday centerpiece and can even be frozen for quick weeknight meals!

If you're looking for a vegan main dish for the holidays or any day of the week, look no further than this vegan lentil meatloaf. It's packed with whole-food ingredients and doesn't skimp on flavor.

This lentil loaf is basically just a vegan version of meatloaf. It's the quintessential plant-based centerpiece because it is a fiber-packed, flavorful dish that's filled with protein and perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Why this recipe works

• Texture: The lentil loaf is soft, moist, meaty, and holds together when sliced. Ingredients like mushrooms, lentils, and walnuts create a great "meaty" texture.
• Flavors: The lentil filling has a rich, umami flavor and the loaf is topped with a classic sweet meatloaf sauce for the perfect combination of sweet and savory.
• Versatile: This lentil meatloaf is perfect as a holiday centerpiece but it can also be frozen for a quick meal.
• Nutritious: Because lentils are packed with plant-based protein, they are a great healthy meat substitute. Combining lentils with chickpeas and walnuts adds extra texture and protein.

If you're not convinced that vegan meatloaf is the right Thanksgiving centerpiece for you, you might like this Stuffed Acorn Squash or these Panko Tofu Cutlets instead.

Ingredients

Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list. Most of these ingredients are pantry staples that contribute to the overall flavor of the lentil meatloaf.

• Brown lentils are my go-to variety of lentils because they cook in just 20 minutes, but this recipe does work with French green lentils. I recommend cooking lentils in vegetable broth for extra flavor. Red and orange lentils do not work here because they are too soft.
• Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce add depth and savory "meatiness" to the lentil meatloaf. Use tamari in place of soy sauce for a gluten-free option. Choose a vegan Worchester sauce without anchovies.
• Rolled oats (also known as old-fashioned oats) and flax egg are the main binders in the loaf. An equal amount of breadcrumbs also works in place of oats. Use ground flaxseed, not whole flaxseed, to make the eggs. I haven't tested this recipe with instant oats.
• Mushrooms and white onion are pulsed together in the food processor to make a flavorful base. I use white mushrooms but baby bella also works here.
• The sauce is made with ketchup, light brown sugar, garlic powder, spicy brown mustard, onion powder, and apple cider vinegar. An equal amount of white vinegar and white sugar can be substituted as needed.

Step-by-step instructions

Equipment note: Making the lentil meatloaf requires a skillet (I use my cast iron skillet), a food processor (this is the one that I use), and a loaf pan.

For the mushrooms and lentils

1. Cook the lentils: Add dry lentils and vegetable broth to a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cover until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Make sure to drain off excess water!
2. Process vegetables: Add roughly chopped onion and mushrooms to a food processor. Pulse until mostly broken down into tiny pieces.
3. Saute vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle in olive oil. Add the mushrooms, onions, and salt. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Process the walnuts: Add walnuts to the food processor. You do not need to clean out the food processor between steps. Pulse until mostly broken down, then add the processed walnuts to the skillet with 3 tablespoons of tomato paste. Cook another 2 minutes.

Assembly

1. Process the lentils and chickpeas: Pulse together the lentils and chickpeas until mostly broken down. They should be crumbly, not be a paste. Make oat flour by blending or processing rolled oats until fine, with a coarse flour-like texture.
2. Stir together: Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. I find it's easiest to mix together the lentil meatloaf filling using my hands, but you can also use a spatula.
3. Bake: Transfer the filling to a lightly oiled 9x5-inch loaf pan. Form into a loaf shape. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, until golden on top.
4. Glaze: Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from the bread pan. Gently turn out onto a clean surface. Use your hands to lightly press the loaf together so that it is perfectly shaped. Brush with the meatloaf sauce. Enjoy!

Expert tips

• Lentil cooking tips: Cook lentils in vegetable broth for extra flavor. Make sure to really drain excess water off of the lentils to keep the lentil loaf firm.
• Lentil texture: Don't overprocess the lentils and chickpeas. The lentils and chickpeas should be mostly broken down but not a paste. I recommend pulsing in the food processor instead of just processing. This allows you more control over the final texture.
• Meatballs: The lentil filling is actually great for vegan meatballs too. Simply roll the loaf up into balls and follow the instructions on my mushroom meatball recipe.
• Glaze timing: Some readers have noted that they prefer baking the loaf with the glaze for a more traditional meatloaf approach. If doing this, I recommend brushing the glaze on during the last 10 minutes of baking the loaf.
• This lentil meatloaf makes a dreamy vegan meatloaf sandwich. It's also delicious doused in vegan mushroom gravy.

FAQ

Looking for more recipes?

Check out my lentil shepherd's pie, lentil quinoa soup and red lentil pasta sauce for more ways to use lentils in meatless cooking.

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