Vegan Lentil Mushroom Meatloaf with a BBQ Glaze

This amazing vegan lentil meatloaf is easy, packed with flavor, wholesome and made using simple ingredients. It makes for a hearty and filling vegan main entrée recipe that even meat-lovers will ask for seconds.

I find it fun to recreate meaty dishes in a vegan and healthier way. My husband Chris begs me regularly for these TVP Swedish meatballs and my kids throw me a happy dance in the kitchen when I make my hearty tofu bolognese sauce. We all LOVE so much the wholesome vegan meat alternative kind of dishes.

Plus right now, it is the holiday season, which means all we want are comforting meals that are satisfying and packed with rich flavors. It just felt like natural to share a vegan meatloaf next!

And you won't miss the meat at all in this plant based meatloaf: the umami-rich mushrooms and chewy lentils set a hearty base to carry all the incredible flavors from the seasoning. Also featuring crunchy cashews for texture and a touch of liquid smoke for deeper flavor, I'm sure you will love this recipe! Plus, that BBQ-tomato thick glaze is something you have to taste, so yummy.

Serve alongside roasted miso potatoes or vegan twice baked potatoes and a vegan onion gravy for a delicious holiday meal!

Wholesome plant-based meatloaf

After looking around on the internet, I noticed how many vegan meatloaves were made using fake ground meat. These are great to add flavor and mimic the real meat texture, but also are packed with processed fats, which I wanted to avoid here.

This recipe includes beans (lentils) instead of processed vegan meat and is packed with flavoring ingredients to ensure the loaf is super tasty and as satisfying as a regular meat loaf. Also filled with veggies, it makes for a high-in-protein and fiber rich recipe that's perfect as a comforting vegetarian main entrée.

Ingredients and substitutions

There are a few ingredients needed to make it, which are mostly simple pantry items.

• Produce: Mushrooms, onion, garlic and carrots.
• Flavoring: Nutritional yeast, soy sauce, maple syrup and liquid smoke.
• Binder and texture: Rolled oats, cashews, lentils and breadcrumbs.

Plus, you will need some balsamic vinegar and tomato paste on top of more of the soy sauce, liquid smoke and maple syrup to make the BBQ glaze.

You can use canned lentils if you can find them to speed up the process and the cashews can easily be swapped for pecans or walnuts. Also, if you don't have the liquid smoke, then add a generous pinch of smoked paprika or Worcestershire sauce to both the loaf and BBQ topping for added flavor.

How to make it

Cook the vegetables

In a large pan, start by browning the onions for about 5 minutes in a little oil or water. Then, add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes stirring once in a while. Add the garlic, cook for one more minute and remove from the heat.

Process the ingredients

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a food processor alongside the rest of the loaf ingredients and pulse until it comes together. Try to keep a coarse texture as much as you can, so the loaf isn't too mushy. You are looking for a mostly uniform mixture that holds well when pressed in your fingers, but you want to be able to still see some pieces mostly intact.

Mold

Cover a bread loaf with parchment paper and transfer the mixture to it. Then, use a spatula to gently press and even its surface.

Cover with the BBQ glaze and bake

In a medium bowl, combine together the glaze ingredients and whisk well. Then, spread over the loaf. I love a thick glaze, so I spread over the whole glaze. But, you can also add about half of it and keep the rest for serving.

Then, bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes in a pre-heated oven (350º). Once done, let the loaf rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before unmolding and slicing.

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Watch how to make it

Important notes: what to avoid

• It is essential not to over process the mixture. This could result in a gummy textured vegan meatloaf. So, process or pulse until it comes together while keeping some pieces intact. Feel free to pulse a few times, then transfer to a large bowl and finish up combining using a spatula. That's why I recommend to first chop the cashews and grate the carrots, so you don't have to process for too long until it comes together.
• Do not add the vegetables raw to the loaf mixture, even if you love pungent flavor. The raw vegetables would release some extra moisture while baking in the loaf and could make the it too soft.
• Avoid overcooking the loaf as it could get too dry/hard.

More helpful Tips

• Use old-fashioned oats for best texture, quick cooking oats could make the loaf too mushy.
• You will need green or French (Du Puy) lentils to make it. Black (beluga) or red (orange) lentils don't work well for this recipe.
• If you are looking for a more traditional looking meatloaf, then feel free to shape it more like a dome by pressing on the mixture all along the edges of the bread pan but keeping the center area elevated.
• For a quicker tomato glaze, then simply spread some ketchup or even store-bought BBQ sauce over.

Can I make it gluten-free?

It is quite easy to make this plant-based loaf fully gluten-free: use breadcrumbs that are gluten-free and swap the soy sauce for a gluten-free tamari sauce. Also, be sure to use certified gluten-free rolled oats.

Serving suggestions

I love baking my lentil meatloaf with a tomato sauce topping, but feel free to omit it all together and bake the loaf without it. Then, serve with a vegan gravy instead or simply store-bought ketchup. I love making my homemade BBQ ketchup for this king of hearty meal as well.

If serving this meal during the holidays, then pair with some green beans, cranberry sauce and this beautiful mashed purple sweet potatoes to add some color.

Storage tips

This recipe makes for delicious leftovers. Store the extras in an air-tight container as it can easily dry. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and simply reheat using the microwave.

One of my favorite way to enjoy leftovers is also to add a piece in between 2 slices of bread: it makes for such a fun meatloaf sandwich! It is so delicious, especially with dijon mustard and crunchy lettuce.

What if I don't have a food processor?

A food processor is helpful for this recipe, but not essential. Plus, the whole recipe goes into the machine, which mean you need a large enough one to hold everything.

If you only have a small food processor, then you can work in batches (don't forget to not over process and keep some texture!).

If you don't have a food processor at all, then chop very well the cashews, then transfer in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. You can leave the cooked lentils and the cooked vegetables from the pan whole. Stir and combine using a spatula. If the mixture is too coarse and won't hold well when pressed in between your fingers, then mash a little using a potato hand masher. This might result in a loaf that crumbles easier, but I believe it would still work well.

I do not recommend using a blender, as it can over blend the ingredients and create a sticky loaf.

Other vegan meaty comfort food favorites

• Vegan American goulash
• Lentil shepherd's pie
• Vegan Jackfruit chili
• Vegan hamburger helper
• Chickpea and oat burgers
• Vegan baked ziti
• Vegan Tempeh 'Beef' Stew

I hope you enjoy this vegan lentil meatloaf as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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