Vegan Meatloaf

This vegan meatloaf is hearty, flavorful, and NOT mushy! It’s packed with plant-based protein from tofu, lentils, and walnuts.

This vegan meatloaf is a labor of love but so worth it! It’s super hearty, comforting, protein-packed, and tastes amazing! It’s perfect for holiday gatherings, but I also like to make it as meal prep for the week since it’s so filling and easy to pack into lunch boxes. Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or throw it in a sandwich with a side salad or roasted/steamed veggies on the side for a complete meal.

Key Ingredients

• Mushrooms, Lentils, Tofu, and Walnuts ⟶ This is the “meaty” base that’s hearty, chewy, and packed with plant protein!
• Onions, Carrots, and Celery ⟶ For flavor and texture! Be careful not to overcook them since you want to retain a bit of crunch.
• Ground Flax, Oats, and Chickpea Flour ⟶ To soak up excess moisture and hold the loaf together.
• Tomato Paste, Ketchup, and Worcestershire Sauce ⟶ These make up the sweet and savory glaze that really makes the meatloaf shine. I highly recommend Japanese Worcestershire Sauce/Chuno Sauce if you can find it!
• We also add a bunch of spices for flavor and a tiny bit of miso for some umami.

Tips for Success

Coarsely chop mushrooms, lentils, and tofu ⟶ You don’t want them finely chopped otherwise your meatloaf will turn out mushy. They need to retain some shape and texture. Use a food processor to save time, just be careful not to over-process them.

Cook down veggies to remove liquid ⟶ Briefly cook the veggies to take out the raw flavor and release some of the liquid. This will help ensure your meatloaf doesn’t turn out mushy.

Use frozen and thawed tofu ⟶ Freeze a block of firm tofu overnight, then thaw before using (for a quick thaw you can microwave or boil it). Press out excess liquid from the tofu (there will be quite a bit). Freezing and thawing the tofu will remove a lot more liquid than just pressing firm tofu.

Rest mixture for 30 minutes ⟶ Place the meatloaf mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours). This gives the mixture time to thicken, so your meatloaf will hold together better.

Pack the mixture tightly in the pan ⟶ Really press down on the mixture to pack it into the loaf pan so there aren’t any air gaps. This will also help your meatloaf hold together and make it firm and hearty.

Rest after baking ⟶ Let the meatloaf rest for 20 minutes after baking, during which time it will firm up more and be easier to slice. If you try to slice it right out of the oven, it will fall apart.

Vegan Meatloaf FAQ

What is vegan meatloaf made of?
This vegan meatloaf is made with a base of lentils, tofu, walnuts, and mushrooms for a hearty and protein-packed main.

Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes! Instead of breadcrumbs we use oats and chickpea flour. Just be sure the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce you use are gluten-free.

What can I use instead of chickpea flour?
You can try all purpose flour or rice flour for a gluten-free option. Anything to soak up some of the excess moisture.

What can I use instead of Japanese Worcestershire Sauce?
You can use regular vegan Worcestershire sauce, or replace the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce with a vegan BBQ sauce.

Can I make this nut-free?
Sure, instead of walnuts you can use sunflower seeds (toast first for more nutty flavor).

Why is my meatloaf mushy?
This is likely due to excess moisture in the loaf and/or over-processing of the veggies/lentils/tofu. Be sure to coarsely chop these ingredients – don’t grind them into a flour-like consistency. Also make sure you use frozen and thawed tofu with excess liquid removed. Your meatloaf mixture should be thick and pretty firm even before baking. If it looks very wet, add more flour.

More Hearty Vegan Mains

• Chickpea Noodle Casserole
• Hearty Vegan Lasagna
• Lentil and Tempeh Bolognese
• Meaty Vegan Chili
• Japanese-Style Sweet and Sour Meatballs
• Japanese Cabbage Rolls

If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

Vegan Meatloaf

This vegan meatloaf is hearty, flavorful, and NOT mushy! It's packed with plant-based protein from tofu, lentils, and walnuts.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Rest Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Vegan

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

Vegetables

• 200 grams mushrooms (white button, baby bella, or shiitake)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

Filling

• 1 cup rolled or quick oats
• ⅓ cup (40g) walnuts
• 16 oz firm tofu, frozen and thawed (press out excess liquid)
• 2 cups cooked lentils
• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour

Spices and Seasonings

• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ¾ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp cumin
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp Japanese Worcestershire/Chuno Sauce*¹
• 2 tsp miso

Glaze

• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 tbsp Japanese Worcestershire/Chuno Sauce*¹

Instructions

 

• Pulse mushrooms: Add mushrooms to food processor and pulse a few times but not too fine.
• Cook veggies: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until onions turn translucent and the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes.
• Toast tomato paste: Add tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
• Pulse oats and walnuts: Add oats to food processor and pulse to form a flour. Add walnuts and pulse a few times until crumbly but not finely ground. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Pulse tofu and lentils: Add tofu and lentils to food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add to the mixing bowl with oats and walnuts.
• Combine mixture: To the same mixing bowl, add the ground flax, chickpea flour, cooked veggies, and all the spices and seasonings. Mix well to combine.
• Rest: Cover the bowl and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken.
• Prep oven and pan: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides for easy removal.

  Other pan sizes: Two 8×4-inch loaf pans, one 8×4-inch loaf pan plus two mini loaf pans (5.5×3-inch), or 12 muffins.
• Add mixture to pan: When ready to bake, press the mixture into your prepared loaf pan(s). Pack it down tightly.
• Bake and glaze: Bake for 45 minutes uncovered. Mix the glaze ingredients together and brush the glaze on top of the loaf. Bake for another 20 minutes.

  For mini loaves, bake 30 minutes uncovered, glaze, and bake another 10 minutes. For mufins, bake 25 minutes uncovered, glaze, and bake another 5 minutes.
• Rest: Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes (10 minutes for mini loaves or muffins) before slicing.

**Notes

1) Check the ingredients to ensure it’s vegan-friendly. Some Worcestershire sauce contain fish/anchovies. Japanese Chuno Style Worcestershire Sauce is usually vegan-friendly. 

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