Vegan Meatloaf

Meatloaf anyone? I never liked the standard meat-based meatloaf. I always thought it was too bland. Without the gravy it is usually soaked in, it is literally tasteless.  But this meatloaf right here, is what I call the ‘Ultimate Vegan Meatloaf’, it is ‘A Work of Art’ if I do say so myself. Now it does call for a lot of ingredients, but the final product is glorious. The good thing is that you can make a large batch and freeze for months (that’s what I always do). I use this same meat-base for my vegan burger, meatballs, and any recipe that calls for ground beef in general.

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The Vegan ‘Meat’ Base

To begin, you need to preheat your oven at 350F. Next chop the mushrooms, bell peppers and herbs. For the recipe I used a medley of mushrooms (cremini, oysters mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms), but you don’t need to. Whatever mushrooms you have on hands will do. Just make sure you don’t cut them too small as the mushrooms shrinks as they cook. We’re adding mushrooms solely for texture, this will not impact the overall taste of the meatloaf. This will also be a good time to cook the quinoa.

Heat a skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms. You don’t need to add any oil or water, as the mushrooms will release water as they cook. Stir for 3 to 5 minutes until they shrink in size.

Next add the chopped onions, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, basil, tarragon, bell peppers and sauté for another 2 minutes; then add some salt and pepper to taste.

I’ve seen vegan meatloaf with lentils or beans, and I’m sure they’re great too, but beans and lentils easily get mushy when processed even when we just pulse on them for a few seconds due to the higher water content. However, chickpeas are a bit more rebellious and that’s what we want. They don’t easily get pureed unless that’s what you’re trying to achieve. Chickpeas are a key ingredient to get the right consistency and texture on the ultimate vegan meatloaf. Add the chickpeas in the food processor and give them a couple of pulses. As I mentioned, it’s important not to over process the chickpeas. We want them crushed and not pureed. 

Place your crushed chickpeas in a large mixing bowl and set them aside. In the same food processor add the walnuts and cashews and give them a couple of pulses as well to crush them. Now you don’t have to use these two types of nuts, any nuts you have on hands will do. They are added purely for texture. If you have a nuts allergy, you can replace them with more bread crumbs.

Flax ‘Eggs’

Prepare a flax egg by mixing your ground flax with water. Let it sit in the fridge for about 5 minutes until thickened.

Add your crushed chickpeas to a large mixing bowl, along with the flax egg, coconut milk, tomato paste, Annie’s vegan worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, crushed nuts, cooked quinoa, garlic powder, cayenne pepper (optional), salt and pepper. Mix well to incorporate

Add the sautéed mushrooms to the chickpeas base and mix well to incorporate.

Line a loaf pan with some parchment paper, then transfer your ‘meat’ base to the loaf pan, making sure to press is down as much as you can to fill in any space. Fill the loaf pan to the top for a thicker meatloaf.

The Glaze

Drizzle the barbecue sauce on top of your loaf, make sure to spread it for full coating. Then place the meatloaf in the oven to bake for 1hour.

Let it cool down for about an hour, and the ultimate vegan meatloaf is ready to enjoy! I’ve shared this meatloaf with family and friends and they couldn’t believe it. The texture and aroma are just amazing. This is the only meatloaf me and my family ever eat and it is a MUST on our holidays table menu every single year. Like I said earlier you can make it batch and freeze it for months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, you simply let it thaw for a few hours at room temperature and warm it up in the oven again for a few minutes. I Hope this recipe blesses you and your family as it blessed us.