Before we get started on this one, let me address the elephant in the room. I am fully aware that any food called “loaf” sounds disgusting. But this isn’t so I’m going to need you to trust me on this one. Good? Good.
Growing up, I loved meatloaf. Meatloaf night was one of my favorites and I remember sitting at the kitchen counter watching my mom mix the ground beef with so much ketchup and saltine crackers. It’s such a classic staple to the American diet and most of us have fond memories (or not so fond) of eating this monstrosity growing up.
I was having a hankering for a classic Sunday dinner and decided to create the same flavor profile mom’s meatloaf but packed with veggies and obviously vegan. And here we are, a protein and veggie-packed take on the classic with familiar flavors but way healthier and meat-free.
I know the ingredient list looks daunting but everything has its place in this recipe. It’ll be okay, I promise.
As far as the lentils go, make sure you’re using brown or green. Red and black aren’t as friendly in this recipe. Also, if you’re looking for a short cut, the vacuum-sealed package of lentils in the produce section work perfectly. No matter what you use, you’ll want to make sure they’re fairly dry. If they’re too wet from cooking, they’ll make this whole shebang soggy and gross.
- 2 cups cooked lentils (green, brown or french) not too wet from cooking
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
- 8 oz mushrooms, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp vegan bbq sauce
- 2 tbsp flax meal
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/2 cup vegan breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with foil and parchment paper.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium heat and saute onion, carrots, celery, pepper and mushrooms until softened. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to remove water content and speed up the process. Add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant, about another minute.
- Remove veggies from heat and add to a food processor along with lentils, tomato paste, bbq sauce, flax meal, parsley, salt, pepper, oats and bread crumbs. Pulse until combined and slightly chunky, you want texture here, not a puree.
- Form the dough into a loaf on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from oven and spread ketchup over top of the loaf. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Allow loaf to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting so it can firm up inside.
Do not use red or black lentils for this recipe. You may also use the vacuum sealed lentils from your produce section to reduce cook time.