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The Ultimate Vegan Lentil Meatloaf

This vegan lentil meatloaf  is hearty and super delicious. It is the best vegan meatloaf I have ever made. It’s filled with nutritious ingredients and it’s incredibly tasty

This vegan lentil meatloaf  is hearty and super delicious. It is the best vegan meatloaf I have ever made. It’s filled with nutritious ingredients and it’s incredibly tasty! It’s great for the holidays but also to prepare ahead for the week.

Best vegan meatloaf, lentils and potatoes with gravy

I love lentils because they are so versatile! They have the perfect texture and taste to recreate vegan meat dishes. This lentil loaf tastes so good, has a great texture and is very filling. It is made with good for you and whole-foods ingredients.

It is vegan but non vegans will love it! I have had skeptical non vegans try it and they really liked it! It is perfect for everyone and a great meal for the centre of the table on holidays, whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s made with simple and classic ingredients that will please anyone. The gravy on top makes everything so good!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS VEGAN LENTIL MEATLOAF 

This Lentil Loaf is:

  • Hearty and comforting
  • Easy and accessible
  • Nutritious
  • Perfect for the holidays
Vegan lentil walnut loaf with gravy

WHAT INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

  • Lentils
  • Soffritto: onion, carrot, celery
  • Spring Onions
  • Mushrooms
  • Walnuts
  • Olive oil
  • Herbs: oregano, parsley, rosemary, chives
  • Soy sauce
  • Breadcrumbs

HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY LENTIL LOAF

  • SautĂ© the soffritto. In a pan heat up some olive oil. Then add carrot, celery, onion and spring onion. Cook until softened, for about 5/8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Add some water if it starts to stick).
  • Boil the potatoes. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and boil them in boiling water until tender (I recommend cutting them into small pieces so this will be quicker). When it’s done mash them with a fork.
  • Pulse lentils, mushrooms and walnuts. Put the cooked lentils in a bowl and with a hand blender slightly crush them. (You can do this with your hands too). Do the same with the mushrooms, and then the walnuts, pulsing a few times in a blender or cut them really finely with a knife.
  • Combine the ingredients. Once the ingredients cooking in the pan are soft add lentils, mushrooms, finely chopped walnuts, mashed potatoes and mix well. Add mixed herbs, salt and pepper and soy sauce and stir to combine. Let it cook for 2 minutes then add 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs and mix well.
  • Pack into a loaf pan. Now it’s ready for the oven. I used a loaf tin to get the right shape, I put the mixture in it then turned it upside down in a normal tin. Feel free to give it any shape you like. Sprinkle with olive oil and some fresh oregano.
  • Bake in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes at 190C. Enjoy with a side of potatoes or roasted vegetables and vegan gravy!

HOW TO MAKE THE GRAVY

Making the gravy to pair with the lentil loaf is super easy:

  • Combine vegetable broth, soy sauce, onion powder, nutritional yeast, mustard, all purpose flour in a small pot
  • Place on the hob on low/medium heat and stir until it reaches your desired consistency.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND TIPS

  • LENTILS – In this recipe I use cook lentils to speed up the process. You can use any type of lentils although brown lentils work best, and you can use dry ones if you prefer, but you need to cook them beforehand.
  • WALNUTS – These help give the loaf a great texture and an umami flavour. You can substitute them with other nuts, such as almonds, macadamia, cashews or seeds, like sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
  • POTATOES – These are important to hold together the lentil loaf. But you can use any type of potato.
  • MAKE IT OIL-FREE – To make it oil-free instead of oil, use vegetable broth when sauteing the vegetables
  • MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE – Use gluten free breadcrumbs or use oats or a gluten free flour
  • Seasoning – don’t be afraid to change the seasoning, add your favourite herbs and spices!

HOW TO STORE IT

  • In the fridge: Put the leftovers in an airtight container and they will last for 5/6 days. Reheat as needed.
  • In the freezer: If you want to make this ahead or simply store it for a longer, store in the freezer for up to 2/3 months. I suggest to cut it into slices before freezing, putting into a container that is safe for the freezer and put some baking paper in between the slices to avoid sticking.
  • To reheat: Reheat in the microwave for a few minutes or in the oven at 200 for 5 – 10 minutes.

MORE COMFORTING RECIPES

Mushroom and leek quiche

Pasta e fagioli

Spinach and tofu ricotta quiche

Lentil meatballs

Creamy spiced pumpkin and carrot soup

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below, give it a rating or share your recreation on Instagram and tag me at  @recipesandplaces or use the hashtag #recipesandplaces

I love to see recreations and share them!

Vegan lentil loaf

The Ultimate Vegan Lentil Meatloaf

This vegan meatloaf is hearty and super delicious. It is the best vegan meatloaf I have ever made. It's filled with nutritious ingredients and it's incredibly tasty! It's great for the holidays but also to prepare ahead for the week.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 8 slices

Equipment

  • Pan
  • Oven
  • Food processor/blender (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 3 medium potatoes (350 g)
  • 2 small carrots chopped finely
  • 1 medium onion chopped finely
  • 2 celery stalks chopped finely
  • 2 spring onions chopped
  • 150 g mushrooms
  • 350 g lentils cooked
  • 60 g walnuts chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • 1 tsp rosemary
  • 1 tsp chives
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Gravy

  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • a pinch of onion powder
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp mustard
  • 1/4 all purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 190C. In a pan heat up some olive oil. Then add carrot, celery, onion and spring onion. Cook until softened, for about 5/8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Add some water if it starts to stick). In the meantime, peel the potato and boil them in boiling water until tender (I recommdnd chopping them so this will be quicker). When it’s done mash it with a fork.
  • Pour the drained lentils in a bowl and with a hand blender slightly crush them. (You can do this with your hands too). Do the same with the mushrooms, pulsing a few times in a food processor or cutting them really finely with a knife.
  • Once the onions etc are soft add lentils, mushrooms, finely chopped walnuts, mashed potatoes and mix well. Add soy sauce and stir to combine.
    Let it cook for 2 minutes then add 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs and mix well. Now it’s ready for the oven. I used a loaf tin to get the right shape, I put the mixture in it then turned it upside down in a normal tin. Feel free to give it any shape you like.
  • Sprinkle with olive oil and some fresh oregano. Cook for 30 minutes. Enjoy with a side of potatoes or roasted vegetables and this delicious gravy!
Keyword Lentils, vegan loaf
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Vegan Lentil Meatloaf
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By Francesca

Francesca is a passionate vegan home cook. On Recipes and Places she shares easy plant based recipes and naturally vegan dishes from all over the world.

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