Homemade Vegan Meatloaf

Looking down on slices of vegan meatloaf on a platter.

Homemade Vegan Meatloaf

Enjoy healthy comfort food with this homemade vegan meatloaf made with lentils, quinoa, and lots of savory flavorings. You'll love the sweet tomato topping, which makes this loaf shine!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 55

Resting Time 2

Total Time 3 15

Servings

Calories 234kcal

Author Marly McMillen

Equipment

10x5 inch Loaf Pan

Ingredients

Sautéed Veggies

1 teaspoon olive oil (substitute vegetable broth for oil-free)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Vegan Meatloaf

2 cups cooked lentils (substitute chickpeas or black beans)
1 cup walnuts
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon sausage seasoning (see notes)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tamari (substitute soy sauce)
1 cup cooked quinoa (substitute cooked brown rice)
1 cup TVP (OPTIONAL — see notes)

For the Topping

½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar (substitute maple syrup)
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F/175*C. Spray a large loaf pan with vegetable spray or line with parchment paper.
Pour the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until it's shimmering. Substitute vegetable broth to make this recipe oil-free. Then add the chopped onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until slightly tender, around 5 minutes. Then add garlic and cook for one minute.
Set aside ¾ cup of the cooked lentils.
In a food processor, combine the cooked vegetables and the rest of the meatloaf ingredients (except for the reserved lentils and TVP). Pulse in short bursts to combine, leaving behind some texture.
Stir in the remaining lentils and TVP. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Press the bean mixture into the prepared pan. Place it in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the edges separate from the pan and it looks crispy on the edges. It should be slightly firm in the middle as well.
In the meantime prepare the topping by combining the ketchup, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir to combine. Note: You can also add a half teaspoon of smoke sauce or a tablespoon of BBQ sauce to this mixture as well.
Remove the pan from the oven and invert the loaf onto a baking sheet. Turn your oven up to 400°F/200°C. Spread the ketchup topping across the top of the meatloaf, allowing it to spill over the sides. Place it back in the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving. You can serve it right away, but the flavors and texture improve as it cools so it's recommended to let it sit for 2 hours to come to room temperature. For even better texture, refrigerate overnight and heat to serve the following day.

Notes

This post, Plant-based Sausage Crumbles, goes into how to make your own sausage seasoning mix. These are the seasonings used to create a sausage flavor. For this recipe you could use the following:

1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
⅓ teaspoon dried thyme
⅓ teaspoon dried sage
⅓ paprika (regular or smoked)

TVP is textured vegetable protein. You can find it at health food stores. Adding some of this creates a firmer texture, but the texture without it is fine as well.

Nutrition