Vegan Meatloaf - Ellie Likes Cooking

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:1 5

Rest Time:50

Servings: 5

Ingredients

Vegetables

200 grams shiitake mushrooms¹ roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion roughly chopped
1 celery roughly chopped
2 carrots roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp tomato paste

Filling

2 tbsp ground flax
5 tbsp water
1 cup rolled or quick oats
⅓ cup (40g) walnuts
16 oz firm tofu² frozen and thawed (press out excess liquid)
2 cups cooked lentils
¼ cup chickpea flour

Spices and Seasonings

1 tsp dried thyme
¾ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp cumin
⅛ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp pepper
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp miso or soy sauce/tamari
¼-½ tsp salt

Glaze

6 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1½ tbsp soy sauce or tamari
3 tbsp vegetable broth or water

Instructions

Make flax egg: Mix the ground flax with water in a small bowl and set aside.
5 tbsp water, 2 tbsp ground flax
Pulse mushrooms: Add mushrooms to food processor and pulse a few times but not too fine.
200 grams shiitake mushrooms¹
Pulse veggies: Add onions, carrots, and celery to food processor and pulse a few times until crumbly but not too fine.
1 small onion, 1 celery, 2 carrots
Parcook veggies: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook just until the veggies are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the veggies - they should retain some crunch.
1 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves garlic
Toast tomato paste: Add tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Transfer the veggie mixture to a bowl to cool.
2 tbsp tomato paste
Cook mushrooms: Add mushrooms to the same skillet and cook down for a few minutes to release the liquid. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Pulse oats and walnuts: Add oats to food processor and pulse to form a flour. Add walnuts and pulse a few times until crumbly but not finely ground. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
1 cup rolled or quick oats, ⅓ cup (40g) walnuts
Pulse tofu and lentils: Add tofu and lentils to food processor and pulse a few times until crumbly but not finely ground. Add to the mixing bowl.
16 oz firm tofu², 2 cups cooked lentils
Combine mixture: To the same mixing bowl, add the flax egg, chickpea flour, cooked veggies, and all the spices and seasonings.
Tip: If you want to taste the mixture for seasoning/salt, do so before adding the chickpea flour. Chickpea flour should not be consumed raw nor does it taste good!
1 tsp dried thyme, ¾ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp coriander, ½ tsp cumin, ⅛ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp pepper, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tbsp miso, ¼-½ tsp salt, ¼ cup chickpea flour
Make glaze: Mix tomato paste, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and broth/water. Add about half of the glaze to the meatloaf filling, and mix until everything is well combined.
6 tbsp tomato paste, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1½ tbsp soy sauce or tamari, 3 tbsp vegetable broth or water
Rest: Cover the bowl and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken.
Prep oven and pan: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides for easy removal.
Other pan sizes: Two 8x4-inch loaf pans, one 8x4-inch loaf pan plus two mini loaf pans (5.5x3-inch), or 12 muffins.
Add mixture to pan: When ready to bake, press the mixture into your prepared loaf pan(s). Pack it down tightly.
Bake and glaze: Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, until golden on top. Brush half the remaining glaze on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the glaze dries out.
For mini loaves, bake 30 minutes uncovered, glaze, and bake another 10 minutes. For mufins, bake 25 minutes uncovered, glaze, and bake another 5 minutes.
Rest: Remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush the remaining glaze on top. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes (5-10 minutes for mini loaves or muffins) to firm up before slicing.

Notes

1) Mushrooms: I recommend shiitake mushrooms for the best flavor and texture, but baby bella and white button mushrooms will also work.

2) Tofu: If you don't have frozen tofu, you can use extra firm tofu, but press it first to remove liquid. You may need to increase the amount of chickpea flour or oats to account for excess moisture.