Are you looking for a vegan lentil meatloaf to make your meatless Mondays special? Well, here comes a super-rich and nutritious chickpea meatloaf recipe to take your vegan menu to a new level! Unlike other lentil or chickpea meatloaves, it does not have that dense bean texture that is typical of many similar recipes. Instead, a lot of veggies and mushrooms are added to the meatloaf to give it a light and airy texture, which tastes great. I am glad that I was finally able to come up with this amazing combination of vegetables, mushrooms, lentils, chickpeas, and basic seasonings. All these ingredients together complete the nutritional profile of this veggie meatloaf recipe, making it a perfect meal for both large and small families. Let’s explore all about its major ingredients and see how to make vegan meatloaf.
The Nutri-Packed Chickpeas & Lentils
It’s not just the taste and texture of the chickpeas and lentils that are suitable for this meatloaf, but it was their nutritional profile that attracted me the most. When you are on a vegan diet, you often look for a protein-rich meal as a substitute for meat, and both these ingredients prove to be the perfect alternative. They are rich in proteins and loaded with minerals and vitamins as well. Chickpeas are known to control your appetite, and they help improve digestion [1]. Here we will be using canned chickpeas, and their liquid, so all the nutrients are preserved and packed in the meatloaf. Canned beans are soft, and it is easier to get a mushy meatloaf mixture out of them.
The Healthy Mix of Veggies
The hearty combination of vegetables that I have used for this meatless meatloaf recipe includes kale, onion, carrot, and garlic. Perhaps, these are some of my go-to veggies mainly because they are super nutritious and healthy. Kale, for instance, is amazing for you! It is loaded with phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, pre-biotics, and fiber, which are great for body metabolism and digestion [2]. The onion, carrot, and garlic together can meet your 80 percent of fiber needs in a day [3]. And by adding these juicy veggies to the meatloaf, you get a variety of flavor in your vegetarian chickpea meatloaf.
Let’s Not Forget About Mushrooms!
Another secret ingredient of my meatloaf recipe is the mushrooms. I have used fresh portobello mushrooms for this recipe as they taste great with this combination of veggies. Yes, you can always make a vegan meatloaf without mushrooms, but by adding them to the recipe, you will only increase the nutritional value of your meal. They are well-known immunity boosters. Beta-glucan present in portobello mushrooms can help boost immunity. They also have vitamin B and D and have excellent anti-inflammatory properties [4]. So, don’t think twice before adding the mushrooms to your chickpea’s meatloaf.
[1] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chickpeas-nutrition-benefits#section7
[2] https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4408/Eating-Kale-Top-10-Health-Benefits.html
[3] https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/carrots-source-fiber-1466.html
[4] https://www.treehugger.com/surprising-health-benefits-mushrooms-4864212
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Savory Neatloaf
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Large Sauce Pan
- Small Bowl
- Silicone Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 cups Lentils cooked
- 1 can (15 oz) Chickpeas reserve liquid
- 2 cups Kale chopped
- 1 whole (medium) Onion diced
- 3 whole Carrots skin peeled
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 4 oz Mushrooms finely diced
- 1/4 cup Aquafaba liquid from chickpea can
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tbsp Mustard preferably Dijon
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 cups Panko
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp Pepper or to taste
Topping
- 1/3 cup Ketchup
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Grease a cookie sheet or baking pan.
- Heat a pan over medium high with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the diced carrots to the pan. Cook for a minute.
- Add the diced onions and minced mushrooms and cook for a couple minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and kale and cook until kale is soft and onions are translucent – about five more minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix the aquafaba, baking powder, mustard, ketchup, paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Add the lentils, chickpeas, panko, vegetables in pan, and the mixture in the small bowl to a processor. If your processor is small, you may have to process in batches.
- Pulse until beans are able to bind together with the veggies (enough to form a block on the cookie sheet), while still leaving somewhat chunky. This may take about ten pulses. Hand mix it the rest of the way to make sure everything is well combined.
- Using your hands and a silicone spatula, remove the processed mixture onto the greased cookie sheet and form into a rectangular loaf. It should resemble a traditional meatloaf.
- With the silicone spatula, evenly spread remaining ketchup over the top of the loaf. Sprinkle brown sugar over the ketchup.
- Bake 30 minutes.
Notes
I love any recipe with lentils, this looks delicious!
Lentils are awesome! I hope you like it!