This Vegan Meat-free Loaf is the perfect dish for a cool fall evening. It works beautifully as a main course for your holiday table. Great hot or cold!
The garlic mashed potatoes were supposed to be on the plate, but I got excited to get the picture and forgot to add them first. So fill in that blank spot with your favorite side dish.
This loaf satisfies my need for a main dish that is full of flavor and has some chew to it and the oats give it that chewy mouth-feel and the lentils hold it all together. I like white mushrooms in this, but any variety will do well, I think. You could even leave the mushrooms out.
The spinach can be replaced with another hearty green, like chard or kale. I recommend chopping them into small pieces.
I have found that this loaf is even better the next day. If you make it as recommended in the two pans, it will be cooked well and will slice nicely after resting for about 15 minutes. But, if you wait until the next day you can slice it thin enough to make “meet loaf” sandwiches. We generally eat the first loaf and save the other one for future meals.
Be sure to pick a barbecue sauce that you like. I like a spicy one, so I make one loaf with my favorite and the other with a mild one for my mom. She’s not a fan of spicy.
Let’s Begin…
Get out two loaf pans and set aside.
Start by cooking your lentils (you can also purchase cooked lentils. I get mine at Trader Joe’s in a vacuum pack that lasts months in the fridge, so I try to always have them on hand).
After cooking (or opening the package…ha ha!) dump them into a bowl and mash them a bit.
Get a large frying pan and cook your onions until they are tender. Add your chopped mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender.
Add the lentils and mix it all up. Stir in the tomatoes with the juices from the can and the spices.
Turn off the heat and add the oats and combine thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Line the bottom of each loaf pan with half of the barbecue sauce (divide it between the two pans) and evenly divide the loaf mixture between both pans. Use the remaining barbecue sauce to top each loaf.
Bake it in the pre-heated oven for about 50-60 minutes. The loaves should get crispy/caramelized around the edges.
Remove from the oven and let them rest about 15 minutes. Use a spatula to slice and serve.
If you make this, let me know how you liked it!
This is a vegan meat-free loaf that is delicious served hot or cold.
- 1 1/2 cups lentils, uncooked If using pre-cooked lentils use about 3 cups
- 2 1/2 cups water to cook the lentils Ignore this ingredient if using pre-cooked lentils
- 1 large onion, chopped about 1- 1 1/2 cups, chopped
- 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 2-4 cloves garlic I like 4!
- 4 cups spinach, chopped small can sub other greens
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, including the juice
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp seasoning salt or a salt-free seasoning mix
- 2 1/4 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
- 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce I used Jack Daniels brand
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Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees, get out two loaf pans.
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Bring lentils to a boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until water is mostly absorbed and lentils are tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and mash a little bit.
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In a large pan, cook onions until tender (add a splash of veggie broth, water or wine to deglaze the pan when/if the onions start to stick and brown).
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Add mushrooms and garlic and continue to cook and deglaze the pan until mushrooms are tender.
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Add mashed lentils to the pan and mix thoroughly.
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Add spinach and stir to incorporate evenly.
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Stir in tomatoes (with the juice from the can) and spices.
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Turn off the heat and add the oats and combine completely.
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Spoon half of the barbecue sauce into the bottom of the loaf pans (dividing it between the two pans) and evenly divide the veggie mixture between the two pans.
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Top each loaf with the divided remainder of barbecue sauce.
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Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until the barbecue sauce gets crispy around the edges.
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Remove from the oven and let rest on a rack for about 15 minutes.
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Slice with a spatula and serve.
This loaf is even better the second day. It slices nicely and is good cold as well as re-heated.
Some people have baked this in a shallow casserole dish with success. It just depends on the size/shape that you want. I like it in two loaf pans so that I can cut it in slices for cold sandwiches.
This is delectable, very very satisfying. I have made it several times and given the recipe to others who love it also. I have made it with both fresh spinach and frozen chopped spinach (just guessed a quantity that time ). Fantastic hot or cold, alone, mixed in a salad, or as a sandwich filling.
Thank you, Anne! I am so happy that you like it and have let us know about using frozen spinach too!
I made this today for lunch and it was super good. We have tried other meat loaf type recipes and this is the only one my whole family loves! Will definitely be making this again!
I’m so glad you and your family like it! I will be making it for my family’s gathering this Christmas. I love that I can make it ahead and freeze it.
Hi, As a diabetic I avoid sauces like the bbq ones because of sweeteners or sugar. Can this be left out or does it need it for the flavour. Any suggestions as to what else I could use please ?
I often leave the bbq sauce off. Sometimes we serve this with gravy, but it is also just fine served with no topping at all. I hope you try it and enjoy it!
This is delicious!!! Seriously good. I followed the recipe pretty exactly. I have other loaf recipes that I like very much but this was is entire different, not just another loaf version of the same idea. I love the chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and spinach. I didn’t chop the spinach and left the onion and mushroom pieces a bit larger than a true dice. Love the texture of this. Thanks so much!
Susan, thanks so much for this review! It’s always nice to hear that other people love a recipe as much as I do.
This is so delicious!! I baked it in an 13×9 cake pan and it turned out beautifully! Thank you!!!
The 9×13 pan is a great idea! Did you adjust the cooking time?
Can this be frozen after cooked? Thank you!
Hello! Yes, it freezes well. I usually slice it (in the pan) and then cool and freeze. Thaw in the fridge. I’ve re-heated in the microwave, oven, and even re-heated slices on the stovetop using a piece of parchment paper in the pan. Thanks for asking!