by I’ve been searching for years for a Vegan loaf that I liked. I tried making a Lentil Loaf recipe… it was a LOT of work, and a bit mushy. However, the other day, I ran into a recipe for one using chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and it was finally what I had been searching for. It was quick, easy, and also had a great flavor and texture!
I made this loaf just for myself, so I made a mini loaf. It was perfect; it ends up being enough for about 3 meals. So, if you are cooking for 2, this mini loaf would probably still be enough. However, you can easily double the recipe and bake it in a 9″ loaf pan instead (just increase the bake time by about 10-15 minutes), if you need a bigger loaf.
I love all the veggies that are in this loaf… the original recipe called for carrots, onions, and celery…but I’ve found that if you have any red pepper on hand, it also makes a great addition in the loaf!
Almost of of the time needed for this recipe involves prepping the veggies.
The veggies do need to be diced super small, and then sautéed for about 5-10 minutes. However, once you complete that part, the rest of the loaf comes together in a snap.
This loaf really had a great texture to it. I’ve made it 3 times now, and even though it turned out a little different each time, it always turned out great!
One thing to note, though- if you use whole wheat bread crumbs, you may need to either cut back on the bread crumbs or add a little water to the loaf. I used whole wheat bread crumbs the last time I made it, and it was just a little on the dry side. The first 2 times I made it, I used Italian style bread crumbs, and the texture and moisture was perfect.
Vegan Meatloaf- Mini Loaf
Ingredients
Vegetables for Sautéing:
- ¼ cup Onion diced small
- 1 Carrot diced small
- 1 Celery Stalk diced small
- ¼ cup Red Pepper diced small (optional)
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Water
Ingredients for rest of Loaf:
- 15 ounce Can Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) drained and rinsed
- ½ cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Flaxseed
- 1½ Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup
Ingredients for Sauce
- ⅓ cup Ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Vegan Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C), and lightly spray a mini loaf pan (i.e. 5½"X3"/ 14 cm x 7.6 cm)
- Dice all of the veggies in very small pieces
- Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, red pepper (optional), garlic, and water in a small skillet over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are softened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) to a large bowl, and mash. Or pulse a few times in a food processor. and then add them to the bowl. (You want them well broken up, but not mushy)
- Add the cooked vegetables and the remaining ingredients to the bean mixture, and stir until well combined.
- Press the loaf mixture in the prepared loaf pan, pushing down with a spatula to make sure that it is well-packed.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
- After 20 minutes, remove the foil, spread some of the sauce on top of the loaf, and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove from the oven, and allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with extra remaining sauce on the side.
Notes
- If you use whole wheat breadcrumbs, you may need to cut back on the amount. I have found whole wheat breadcrumbs make the loaf a bit dry if you add the full amount.
