Vegan Meatloaf is a hearty vegetarian meal that will impress your dinner guests. Featuring a satisfying mixture of lentils and walnuts, it tastes just as delicious as the traditional version!
Instead of relying on fake meat substitutes, this lentil loaf recipe is made with simple, real-food ingredients. It has a satisfying texture you’ll love, and it contains plenty of plant-based protein.
It pairs perfectly with classic holiday side dishes, like mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and vegan gravy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instead of breadcrumbs as a binder, this recipe uses oats to keep it gluten-free. (Be sure to buy certified gluten-free oats to avoid cross-contamination during the manufacturing process.)
The addition of tamari (a gluten-free soy sauce) gives this recipe an umami flavor and is easier to find than vegan worcestershire sauce. Feel free to use regular soy sauce if you don’t need a gluten-free recipe.
If you don’t want to make your own glaze for the topping, you could also use store-bought BBQ sauce, instead. Or use ketchup as the base, to replace the tomato paste and maple syrup.
Want to switch up the veggies?
You can use mushrooms instead of the carrots and celery, if you prefer. Be sure to roughly chop them, to give them a “ground beef” texture for this vegan meatloaf.
How to Make Vegan Meatloaf
Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the onion, carrot, and celery soften, about 8 minutes.
Then, add the garlic and thyme and stir for one more minute.
Add the walnuts to the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade and pulse briefly until crumbly. Then, add the lentils, oats, olive oil, flax seeds, tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Add in the cooked veggies, then pulse several times until the mixture starts to stick together.
You can test this by pressing it between your fingers. It’s ready to go into the loaf pan if it sticks together. (You don’t want the meatloaf mixture to be totally smooth, or it could become gummy in the center.)
Don’t have a food processor?
You can mix this loaf in a large bowl instead. Simply use a potato masher or fork to mash the ingredients until they stick together.
Prepare a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan by spraying it with oil. Then, press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, then press firmly to pack it in. Bake in the oven, uncovered, at 375ºF for 20 minutes.
While the loaf is in the oven, stir the glaze ingredients together in a bowl. When the timer goes off, spread the glaze evenly over the top of the loaf.
Return the pan to the oven to bake for ten more minutes. When it’s done, let it cool for at least 15 minutes.
Then, use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Slice and serve warm with your favorite sides. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Looking for more vegan holiday recipes? Try Vegan Mac and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Glazed Sweet Potatoes, and Wild Rice Stuffing.
Lentil Loaf:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil , divided
- 1 cup yellow onion , chopped
- ½ cup carrot , chopped
- ⅓ celery , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 ½ cups cooked lentils (green or brown; see notes)
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats (certified gluten-free, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 2 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
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Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. (I like to use a spray oil on the pan first, so that the parchment paper will stick in place.)
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In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Stir occasionally until softened, about 8 minutes, then add in the garlic and thyme and stir for 1 more minute.
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Add the walnuts to the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, and briefly process them into a crumbly texture. Then add the cooked lentils, oats, flax, tamari, cayenne, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. When the vegetables are tender, add them in, along with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. (The oil will help make the loaf easier to slice, but you can omit this if you prefer.)
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Pulse several times, just until the mixture starts to stick together when you press it between your fingers. You don’t want it totally smooth, for the best texture. (See the photos in this post for reference.)
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Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, then press firmly to pack it together. Bake uncovered at 375ºF for 20 minutes.
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While the loaf is baking, stir the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. When the timer goes off, remove the loaf from the oven and spread the glaze over the top. Return the pan to the oven to bake for 10 more minutes.
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Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Slice and serve warm.
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Leftover slices can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, but the leftover loaf will be a little more dry in texture when you reheat it, so you might want to serve it with gravy for added moisture.
Veggie Note: You’ll need 1 small yellow onion, 1 large carrot, and 1 large celery rib to get the amount called for in this recipe. (Unless you scale the recipe, which will change the measurements.) Use any other veggies you love in this recipe, such as mushrooms, instead of the carrots and celery.
Food Processor Note: If you don’t have a food processor, you can prepare this in a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the ingredients into a texture that sticks together when pressed between your fingers.
Lentil Note: Use one 15-ounce can of cooked lentils in this recipe to save time. If you prefer to cook your lentils from scratch, you’ll need to cook 3/4 cup of dry green lentils with 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Measure the lentils after cooking them to make sure you only use 1 1/2 cups in this recipe.
Update Note: This recipe received a minor update in November 2024. I added a tablespoon of oil to the lentil loaf to make it easier to slice. I also added the smoked paprika to the glaze and changed the timing of when to add it. If you prefer the original recipe, you can find that here.
Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 526mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1585IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 4mg
If you try this vegan meatloaf recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
