This Vegan Meatloaf is incredibly easy to make & is sure to please with it’s deep & savoury flavour. Serve sliced & smothered in rich, thick gravy for a truly satisfying meal!
I have received a few emails over the past few months asking if I could come up with a Vegan Meatloaf recipe. I think something people find hard when transitioning to veganism, is making alternatives to the quintessential family favourites like meatloaf, shepherd’s pie, spaghetti bolognese, pot roast etc.
WHO NEEDS MEAT?
Vegan versions of these dishes can be just as tasty as their meat filled counterparts and don’t have to be terribly complicated to make, as you will find with this very simple Vegan Meatloaf recipe. Everything can be chopped in a food processor making it so very easy. It can even be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days before baking so is great if you like to batch cook or prepare food at the weekends ready for the week ahead. Leftovers also reheat perfectly. It really is very family friendly.
This meatloaf is incredibly full of flavour and texture. The mushrooms give it amazing depth but not in an obviously mushroomy way. In fact, my husband who does not like mushrooms happily ate this two nights in a row and thoroughly enjoyed it. He was shocked when I told him that they were the main ingredient.
TASTY & NUTRITIOUS
As well as tasting good, this Vegan Meatloaf is so good for you. It is totally oil free, gluten free and packs a massive protein punch with 10 grams per slice. (If anyone asks you where you get your protein from, please throw a slice of this in their face!)
A couple of thick, hearty slices make the perfect partner to crispy roast potatoes or a huge, fluffy pile of mashed potatoes and some delicious steamed vegetables, all drizzled with gravy. Comfort food at it’s best. I have included a recipe for a quick and tasty gravy to make as an accompaniment but if you have any of my Red Wine Vegan Gravy leftover from another meal that also works well.
IF YOU TRY MY VEGAN MEATLOAF LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK
If you give this recipe, or any other a try, please let me know what you think. You can leave your feedback in the comments section below the recipe or share your pictures on Instagram or Twitter. I am @avirtualvegan. Tag me on Instagram with #avirtualvegan so I don’t miss it.
Vegan Meatloaf with Gravy
Ingredients
For the vegan meatloaf
- 1 small onion , finely chopped, golf ball size
- 2 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 198g | 1 cup cooked red lentils (measured after cooked)
- 198g | 1 cup cooked green lentils (measured after cooking)
- 226g | 3 cups mushrooms , finely chopped
- 62g | 1/2 cup walnut pieces , To make nut-free you can sub the walnuts for half a cup of oats or half a cup of sunflower seeds
- 4 tablespoons | 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 45g | 1/2 cup oat , rice, spelt or wholewheat flour (see recipe note for how to make oat flour)
- 1 tablespoon Tamari (or coconut aminos , or soy sauce)
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1.5 teaspoons pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 120mls | 1/2 cup water , you might not need it all
For the gravy
- 2 medium onions , chopped
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch (or just regular all purpose flour)
- 480mls | 2 cups mushroom broth , or 2 cups of water and 3 mushrooms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 370°.
- Make sure the onion, garlic & mushrooms are chopped finely. If you have a food processor you can do this in there with the regular blade.
- Put them in a large bowl then add all other meatloaf ingredients except the water.
- Mix very, very well together. There is a lot of it and it is hard to mix with a spoon so it's much easier to get your hands in there and squidge it all together well.
- Add just enough of the water to bring it all together. You might not need any water at all or you might need up to half a cup. Just get it to the stage that you can squeeze it together and it stays together. I find if I chop everything in the food processor I need less water than I do if I hand chop everything. The flour you use also makes a difference to how much you will need.
- Lay a strip of parchment paper down the length of a loaf tin with enough length either end to act as handles for pulling the finished loaf out ( my tin is 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches. Any tin roughly that size will be fine)
- Spoon in the meatloaf mixture and pack down really tightly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. Keep an eye on it towards the end. You want it to go a bit crusty and brown on the top but not too dark. You can cover it with a piece of foil if it does start going too brown.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin, covered tightly in foil for at least 15 minutes but up to 30 is ok. Then remove and slice.
For the gravy
- Sauté the onion slowly over a low heat until a deep golden brown.
- Transfer to a blender with all of the other ingredients and blend until very smooth.
- Pour into a pan and stir over a medium heat until thickened and piping hot.
- If you prefer your gravy a little thinner just add some boiling water from a kettle and stir well until you get the consistency you like.
- Serve the meatloaf sliced and doused in gravy.
Recipe Notes
If you wish your loaf to be gluten free use gluten0free certified oat flour. Oat flour can be easily made by just blending or processing rolled or quick oats until they are a fine powder. This meatloaf can even be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days before baking so is great if you like to batch cook or prepare food at the weekends ready for the week ahead. Leftovers also reheat perfectly. I wrap them in foil and warm through in the oven.
Meatloaf
Gravy
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Ahhhh comfort food! I haven’t made my lentil loaf since christmas!!! It needs to happen! Such a hearty classic! Why wouldn’t anyone want a NONE vegan version!?
A Virtual Vegan says
It really does need to happen Rebecca. it is so delicious and as you said, perfect comfort food!
Kathy Hester says
I love lentil loafs. They are so comforting and make such a hearty meal. I can’t wait to try yours!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Kathy. Everyone needs some comfort food every now and again! Let me know what you think if you try it :O)
Aimee / Wallflower Kitchen says
This looks like one of the best meatloafs I’ve seen! The texture is so meaty and perfect and the flavours sound delicious! I must try this for my next sunday roast 🙂
A Virtual Vegan says
Wow thank you Aimee! That’s certainly compliment. Let me know what you think when you make it :O)
Nicole Dawson says
I’ve scared my family away from meatloaf after 1 failed attempt at a lentil version. I may just have to give it another try now.
A Virtual Vegan says
Oh no. Poor family! Convert them with this one ;O)
Uma Srinivas( simple sumptuous cooking) says
Never tried . Actually I was thinking to make one perfect timing, got your recipes. Sounds interesting!
A Virtual Vegan says
That was good timing. Let me know what you think Uma :O)
Linda @ Veganosity says
I actually love vegan “meatloaf” better than the kind I used to make before I went vegan. This looks delicious, I think I may have to make some for dinner tonight. 🙂
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Linda. Let me know what you think if you do make it!
Edy says
This meal looks wonderful!! Is it vital to the recipe to use red and green lentils?? Would it also work with just brown lentils instead?
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you. I haven’t actually tried it with all green lentils or all brown lentils. My theory behind using a mix of red and green is that the red when cooked are really soft and squishy so are the glue so to speak and the green tend to stay a bit firmer so add texture. Taste wise it would be fine with all green or brown lentils. My only worry would be that it might not stay together well enough to turn out and slice. It would be perfectly edible though so not a complete disaster if you try it and it doesn’t work. You’ll just have to spoon it onto the plate rather than slice it! Let me know what happens if you try it!
Gin says
I’m in love with all this, especially the gravy! I’m seriously going to try this out on Graeme, who loves nothing more than a good ol’ meatloaf. I’m so glad you shared a mushroom gravy recipe, I’ve been wondering how to go about it.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks so much Gin! I hope Graeme enjoys it!
Tracy Nguyen says
Hi there, I don’t have thyme at home. What other herp might I use. Thanks.
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Tracy,
Most herbs are ok with mushroom & lentil flavours. You could try marjoram, oregano or savory or even mixed herbs or italian mixed herbs. They would all be good, as would rosemary and tarragon but go easy with those two as they can be a little overpowering if you use too much. I think I’d just use 1 teaspoon of rosemary or tarragon. 2 of the others.
Hope that helps :O)
Shannon says
I made this recipe night before last. The flavor profile is very nice, though next time I’ll use half as much salt in the loaf- I found it overly salty. I also wasn’t crazy about the walnuts- I chopped them finely to begin with and there were still hard bits in every bite. I don’t think they add anything at all to the loaf.
The gravy was very tasty, but I saved it Just for the mashed potatoes and made my usual bbq balsamic glaze for the loaf.
All in all not a bad meal, though!
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Shannon.Sorry you thought the loaf was salty. I guess everyone’s taste buds are a bit different with regards to seasoning. As for the walnuts, I love them in this loaf. They add a lovely bit of crunch throughout each slice, really adding to the texture. They also add to the flavour too. If you don’t like them though the recipe will work perfectly well if you leave them out. I am glad the gravy was a hit and thanks for stopping by to leave your feedback :O)
Jiwlts says
Is it true that you measure the mushrooms after they are finely chopped? Or before? I found that the meatloaf was too wet, so I am not sure. Other than this question, we found that this was the best vegan meatloaf we have ever had in 15 yrs of being vegan.
A Virtual Vegan says
Wow, the best in 15 years? That is so awesome. Thank you so much! As for the mushrooms, yes you do measure them once chopped. I have never had a problem with it being wet once cooked but different pans conduct heat differently and ovens vary a bit in temperature which could all affect how moist the loaf turns out. Also different flours can absorb more or less moisture. Adding a little less water will be the answer and I have changed the directions in the recipe to say only add as much as you need to bring the ingredients together. Try that next time rather than just adding the straight 1/2 a cup as I originally said. That will help make it a little drier.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback. I really appreciate it :O)
Saffron says
Hi, does this freeze well? If not, how long do you think it would keep in the fridge before losing texture/taste?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never frozen it although I suspect it would be fine. I can’t guarantee that though. Next time I make it I will try it and add it to my recipe notes. I have prepared it 2 or 3 days in advance and left it in the loaf pan, covered in foil in the fridge. It was absolutely fine. I have also cooked it and stored it in the fridge for 2 or 3 days then reheated it in the oven and it was fine. Leftovers too reheat really well. I wrap them in foil and reheat them in the oven. Hope that helps :O)
Kim says
Truly family friendly meal thank you so much. Just a note, I am allergic to walnuts and used 1/2 cup oatmeal instead. Perfection!
A Virtual Vegan says
You are welcome Kim :O) I am so glad you are enjoying the recipe. I will add a note to the recipe mentioning subbing oats for the walnuts. It’s a great idea and might help someone else with an allergy out. Thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback. I appreciate it!
SFerd says
Are the lentils measured before or after they’ve been cooked?
A Virtual Vegan says
Measure them after they have been cooked.
Noreen says
I am after making this a few times and my daughter LOVES it!! I don’t use any water and omit the salt as we find it a bit salty for our taste. I also make the gravy a bit differently too. I don’t use any mushrooms, use half water and half vegetable broth and I do not process the onions after cooking them, we love it the look of them! LOL
This is a keeper for sure!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I’m so glad you and your daughter are enjoying it Noreen. It’s one of our go to meals here too. Thank you for stopping by to leave feedback!
Violet59 says
This recipe is delicious and easy – even with my food processor on the fritz! Made the loaf but not the gravy (this time). Thanks so much for sharing this. It’s a keeper!
A Virtual Vegan says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know!
Pongodhall says
Really tasty and nutritious.
I love food that I can just put together with a blender or food processor, perfect recipe for me.
A Virtual Vegan says
That’s so good to hear. I am thrilled you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to come back to leave feedback!
Rebecca M says
I love meatloaf but I detest mushrooms! It seems a lot of recipes call for muchrooms. What can I substitute for the mushrooms?
A Virtual Vegan says
Such a large percentage of this recipe is mushrooms that it wont be possible to sub them. However, my husband hates mushrooms and happily eats this. He still doesn’t know they are in it and we eat it a lot. It really doesn’t taste mushroomy and they are chopped so small you can’t see them either. They help with the meaty texture and flavour. If you really don’t want to give it a try though I know of this recipe. It is mushroom free. It’s not mine but it’s from a great blog. http://www.connoisseurusveg.com/almost-classic-chickpea-vegan-meatloaf/
Rosemarie says
This sounds great! Can this be frozen, and if so for how long? My son has turned to a Vegan diet for health reasons and I want to stock his freezer when I visit. I don’t know much about Vegan meals so any suggestions for freezer meals would be great!!
A Virtual Vegan says
That’s so supportive and kind of you. He’s very lucky to have you! I haven’t tried freezing the meatloaf but think it would be fine. You could even make it, cook it yourself, then cut slices and freeze them in 2’s or 3’s so he can pull them out as he needs them. He could wrap them in foil and reheat them in the oven. This chili makes a massive big pot and freezes brilliantly https://avirtualvegan.com/three-bean-sweet-potato-chili/ and these lentils are awesome and freeze well too https://avirtualvegan.com/keema-lentils/ . These too https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-barbecue-baked-beans/ Great for serving with a baked potato or on toast. And this https://avirtualvegan.com/slow-cooker-spicy-lentil-soup/ Veggie burgers also freeze very well and are great for a quick meal or snack. I make these and freeze them a lot https://avirtualvegan.com/zesty-black-bean-burgers-2/ . I have lots of soup recipes too that would freeze really well. Muffins and pancakes also freeze well. Pancakes can just be popped in a toaster to warm through. I have a few options in the breakfast section of my recipe index. Hope that helps!
Tia says
What if you’re allergic to mushrooms? Do you have a substitute?
A Virtual Vegan says
There are far too many mushrooms in this recipe to be able to sub them effectively. I will try to come up with a mushroom free loaf at some point so watch this space!
Zena says
Do you put the lentils in the food processor as well?
A Virtual Vegan says
No just the onion, garlic and mushrooms so they are really finely chopped up. Then you transfer them to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and mix by hand.
Ash says
I tried it my restaurant really it came out very good .thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it!