What binds a meatloaf together?

Traditional meatloaf recipes typically use eggs and breadcrumbs as a binder. Our healthy lentil meatloaf uses flaxseed meal and quick oats instead of these traditional ingredients. Work just as well, yet is vegan-friendly and much more nutritious.

How do you keep a vegan meatloaf from falling apart?

There are 3 things to do to ensure your vegan meatloaf does not fall apart and is easy to slice. 1. Chop the ingredients finely. This allows the ingredients to blend together seamlessly and prevents the meatloaf from being chunky. 2. Pack it into the loaf pan. If you do not press the lentil meatloaf ingredients into the pan and form it into a tight loaf, it will not hold together well. 3. Allow it time to cool. The longer it cools, the less likely it will fall apart when slicing. If an option, make your vegan meatloaf 1 day in advance and slice when cool.

Why is my lentil meatloaf mushy?

The vegetable mixture was likely too moist. Just like when making our vegan Wellington , it is important to cook the vegetable mixture until the excess moisture from the vegetables has evaporated out, and the vegetables are pretty dry. Doing this will prevent the lentil meatloaf from being mushy.

Vegan Lentil Meatloaf

Name: Easy Veggie Meatloaf (Gluten-Free)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h 6 min
Total time: 1 h 11 min
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 1/2 medium (113g) onion, finely chopped; 1/2 cup (73g) finely chopped carrots; 1/2 (75g) green bell pepper, finely chopped; 1 rib (30g) celery, finely diced; 4 cloves (7g) garlic, finely minced; 16 oz. baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped; 1 1/2 cups (112.5g) cooked brown lentils, cooled* (see notes); 1 cup (111g) gluten-free quick oats * (see notes); 3/4 cup (78g) finely chopped walnuts; 2 tablespoons (15g) flaxseed meal; 1/4 cup (68g) ketchup; 2 tablespoons (36g) tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free); 1 tablespoon (15mL) vegan Worcestershire sauce (we used the Portland brand); 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary; 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage; 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 3 tablespoons ketchup; 4 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce; 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Description

Who knew you could make a meatloaf out of vegetables? This easy to make Veggie Meatloaf requires simple ingredients and just about an hour of your time. It’s free from gluten and added oil, and makes the perfect holiday entree.

Ingredients

Veggie Meatloaf

1/2 medium (113g) onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup (73g) finely chopped carrots
1/2 (75g) green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 rib (30g) celery, finely diced
4 cloves (7g) garlic, finely minced
16 oz. baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups (112.5g) cooked brown lentils, cooled* (see notes)
1 cup (111g) gluten-free quick oats * (see notes)
3/4 cup (78g) finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons (15g) flaxseed meal
1/4 cup (68g) ketchup
2 tablespoons (36g) tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
1 tablespoon (15mL) vegan Worcestershire sauce (we used the Portland brand)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Topping

3 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly oil a 9-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add in 3 tablespoons of water. Once warmed through, add in the onions, carrots, bell peppers, and celery, and cook for 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 3 minutes more or until fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons of water if needed to prevent burning since we are not using oil.
Add in the mushrooms. At this point, the pan might seem dry, but don’t worry! The mushrooms will release a lot of moisture while they cook down. Cook until no moisture remains and the mushrooms have browned, mixing often, about 5 minutes.
Once everything has cooked through, remove from heat and using your cooking utensil, push everything to one side of the pan. Add the cooked lentils to the empty side of the pan and using a fork or a potato masher, mash all of the lentils until they become similar to a refried bean texture. Mix everything together and then mash the vegetables in a few times for good measure.
Add in the quick oats, walnuts, flaxseed meal, ketchup, tamari, vegan Worcestershire sauce, fresh herbs, paprika and black pepper. Mix everything together until uniform.
Pour the veggie meatloaf mixture into the lined pan, spread it out evenly and gently pack it down into the pan to ensure that it stays together when slicing after it is cooked. Cover the pan with foil and place it into the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, make your topping. In a small bowl, add in the ketchup, vegan Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder, and mix everything together until uniform. Set aside.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and discard the foil. Add the topping onto the meatloaf and spread it out evenly until the whole surface is covered.
Place it back into the oven to bake for an additional 25 minutes.
Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before slicing as it will crumble less when it is cooled. We recommend that you it completely before slicing for best results.
Sprinkle the top with fresh parsley and serve with a side of gravy if desired.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from our Vegetable Wellington.
It is recommended that you cook the lentils the night before and cool them completely before using. To make things easier, we used precooked canned lentils.
If you can’t find gluten-free quick oats, simply purchase gluten-free rolled oats and pulse them in the food processor until they reach a coarse texture similar to quick oats.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 6 minutes
Category: Entree, Thanksgiving, Holiday
Method: Oven, Stovetop
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-free