Friends, I have officially leveled up in the vegan game. That’s right, yours truly has mastered the elusive Vegan Meatloaf.
May I present, for your Thanksgiving and Holiday pleasure, a BBQ Glazed Lentil Loaf that’s sure to impress your friends and family. This vegan meatloaf has everything you expect from the dish- it’s hearty, savory, flavorful, with a bit of crunch. It’s seriously so good.
When I made this BBQ Glazed Lentil Loaf, my friend even said it tastes like real meatloaf. I loved hearing that, as I’ve spent some time away from the kitchen during my pregnancy and afterwards. It’s nice to know I still got it! Mind you, she is a vegan and hasn’t had meat in years, but still- this vegan meatloaf is to die for!
Aside from finding stolen moments away from the baby to cook (this recipe was made when my mother-in-law came over to watch her), life as a new mom has been incredible! I love looking into the eyes of my daughter knowing she will be raised to love, value, and respect all living beings. No burgers and zoos for this kid!
Also, as a side note, I got mom shamed online for “inappropriate” clothing choices! I feel like I’m a real mom now. Like, you haven’t experienced parenthood ’til some jerk tells you you’re doing it wrong. The jerk in question had a problem with a photo I shared on this blog’s FB page. She declared that Carrots and Flowers is about health and nutrition, so I shouldn’t share personal photos on the page.
She must have missed my stories on Birth Empowerment, the Magic of Burning Man, Overcoming Depression, the 30 Day Fun Challenge, etc. Or this blog’s tagline- Make Art. Have Fun. Eat Plants. Vegan food is a lot of what this blog is about, but it certainly isn’t everything.
Freedom of self-expression is one of the reasons I started this project. Also to become an expert at vegan food- Hello, vegan meatloaf! I’m not going to change who I am or the content I share. I’m going to share what makes me happy! Yesterday, that was a photo of me and my daughter. Today that is the most delicious vegan meatloaf ever. So back to that:
This BBQ Glazed Lentil Loaf is the best vegan meatloaf ever! It is:
Hearty
Meaty
BBQ-y
Flavorful
Savory
Just a bit crunchy
Studded with toasted walnuts
Protein-rich
Perfect for a Holiday entree!
This vegan meatloaf is part of a spread I made to showcase the ultimate vegan Thanksgiving feast! I already shared the most amazing 1-Bowl vegan cream cheese stuffed cornbread muffins.
Stay tuned for the best vegan stuffing later this week and the full spread this Monday. To save this BBQ Glazed Lentil Loaf recipe, pin the photo below!
If you make this incredible vegan meatloaf, be sure to leave a comment and rate it below! Don’t forget to post a photo to Instagram with the tag #carrotsandflowers! We LOVE seeing your creations!
- ⅓ onion, diced fine
- 1 cup celery, diced fine
- 1 cup mushrooms diced
- 1 cups toasted walnuts
- 3 cups cooked french lentils
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp ground flax + 5 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp vegan worchestershire
- 2 oz tomato paste (1/2 can)
- 1 cups oats
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
- for the glaze
- 2 oz tomato paste (1/2 can)
- ½ cup tomato based BBQ sauce
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
- Dice the mushrooms, onions, and celery. To save time, pulse the mushrooms in a food processor, if desired.
- Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet for 7 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Add the mushrooms tomato paste and spices. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms release some of their moisture. Add the celery and sauté for 5 more minutes.
- Set aside ½ cup lentils. Pulse the remaining 2½ cups of cooked lentils in a food processor until semi-mashed, about 7-8 pulses. Add the walnuts and pulse 4-5 more times.
- Transfer the lentil mixture to a large bowl. Add the oats to the food processor. Process until you reach a flour consistency, then add to the lentil mixture.
- Stir in the veggies, whole lentils, and flax eggs. Mix well. Taste and add more spices, if desired.
- Transfer to an oiled 9x13 pan. Press down with your hands or the back of a spoon. Top with the glaze and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
*Replace walnuts with pumpkin seeds if you have a nut allergy.
My beautiful family and the “inappropriate” top I was mom shamed for.
YOU GO GIRL! This lentil loaf is SO good and the fact that you came up with something so delicious while caring for a newborn is incredible!
Love your top — keep wearing what makes you feel good! Looking forward to trying the Lentil Loaf. I’d love to see your complete Veg. Thanksgiving/Holiday menu — but only if you have time. Taking care of self and baby comes first!
This looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it!
And that too… you look incredible! If I had a body like yours, I’d wear nothing at all!
Oops, top I meant
This recipe sounds great. Nothing wrong with your top or sharing personal stories, especially when they are authentic and well-written like yours. That’s what makes these blogs fun, rather than just reading a dry article in a health magazine. Yes, your blog focuses on health and nutrition, but it’s written by a human being, not a robot. It’s fun to see the human elements. And your photos demonstrate your vitality. I know someone who sells supplements through a MLM company on Facebook. She never shows full length photos of herself—it would seem that she would, to demonstrate that the weight loss products work, but then again, they don’t work, so she doesn’t do it. Keep on doing exactly what you are doing. Ignore the unhappy, jealous people. Just have a little compassion for them since they are not coming from a good place. And your critic isn’t paying to read your blog, so s/he doesn’t own you and can just move on to a blog which s/he finds more appealing or write his or her own. Jeesh! I’m just grateful for what you and similar bloggers do. It’s amazing!
HA! Welcome to the world of parenting where EVERYTHING you do is wrong. You look fabulous. The B is just jealous she doesn’t look that good so soon after having a baby. Your recipes save our dinner times weekly. Thanks a million Megan!
You all are a beautiful family and don’t let anyone bully you about clothing or anything else! Thanks for the lovely vegan recipes.
My husband and I got done eating this a bit ago. Very tasty, and delightfully hearty! The BBQ sauce glazed on top was a perfect compliment to the loaf. My husband rarely eats seconds, but he made a baked potato just so he could have the excuse of eating another piece of this alongside it!
I’m so happy to hear that, thanks so much for the comment Vanessa! 🙂
The recipe sounds great, but can it be mounded into a loaf shape instead of pressed into a pan?
Hi Lynn! So sorry to be seeing this after so long! I’m sure it would be delicious shaped into a loaf. Do let me know how it turns out if you try it! 🙂
About the 1/2 cup of lentils set aside… where/when do those get incorporated into the recipe?
They are added to the processed lentil and veggie mixture. Just updated the recipe to include that! My apologies for the omission- I need to step up my copyediting game since I had a baby, I’ve been such a space cadet!
Hey I think I made this recipe once and it was very good. But didn’t you have a recipe for lentil loaf with red wine in it?
I have a Shepherds Pie recipe with red wine in it! It’s soooooo tasty!
Oh my goodness I just realized it is your shepherds pie, which I have made and loved, that has the red wine in it. Anyway what is the difference between French lentils and regular lentils? Thank you very much
“Shame is the lie someone told you about yourself.”
– Anaïs Nin
Rock on!
This lentil loaf looks so yummy. I’d love to make it but I don’t eat grains. Is there anything I use in place of the oats to hold it together ? Would chick pea flour or coconut flour work ?
Hey Deb!
I would probably recommend swapping the oats for cooked quinoa. Since it’s technically a seed, can you use quinoa? To help the loaf stay together when swapping the oats, I would also use psyllium husks instead of ground flax seed. Be careful not to over pulse the ingredients. Having a bit of chunk to the loaf will help it stay together. Hope this helps!
Megan
What I sub in for the mushrooms?
Hey Nicole! I would add extra lentils or extra veggies. You can also just leave them out. Hope this helps!
Chinese eggplant is an excellent sub for mushrooms any time. Consistentency makes it so.
My local stores don’t stock French lentils. I read online that they are sometimes called green lentils and that they have harder shells, so don’t get as mushy during cooking. My stores have red lentils and some that are just labeled “lentils” and they are light brown. Can I substitute one of those, or should I search more for the French variety?
I just found this recipe on pinterest, and as soon as i find vegan worcestershire sauce, i can’t wait to try it. I made a vegan rice/lentil loaf on christmas, and it did not ever firm up, and yours looks like my mom’s meatloaf!!! I have a question about the lentils, though. Is it 3 cups lentils that you cook, or is it 3 cups cooked. I just don’t want to have the wrong ratio of lentils. Hope to hear from you soon, Thank you
Is the Worcestershire sauce part of the spice mixture added early, or part of the glaze? It doesn’t appear in the directions. Thanks!
I just made this. Even though I was a little challenged in my efforts it still came out fantastic!! I’m planning to make it for Thanksgiving!! Thank you:-)