This Easy Vegan Meatloaf with Lentils and Chickpeas is perfect for a healthy and filling holiday main dish that everyone can enjoy!
There are a few different options for a filling vegetarian/vegan holiday main dish, but this Easy Vegan Meatloaf with Lentils and Chickpeas has to be my favorite one! It’s packed with plant based protein and goes so well with all your favorite side dishes!
How is it almost November already?! It’s funny because I feel like this pregnancy is going by pretty slowly, and at the same time the months are moving quickly. I’m making sure to soak up all the beautiful fall weather I can though!
This time of year, especially being pregnant, I could live off of comfort food. To me, comfort food is a slice of this Easy Vegan Meatloaf with Lentils and Chickpeas, a big spoonful of mashed potatoes and some roasted broccoli. I’m one of those people who likes to get a bite with everything in it so I can enjoy all the flavors together. 🙂
I chose to use both lentils and chickpeas in this vegan meatloaf but you could certainly use either one or the other. I like the creaminess that the chickpeas bring to it and heartiness that the lentils add. It also makes for a nice flavor combination that works well with all the other ingredients for this vegan meatloaf.
If you want personal servings of this Easy Vegan Meatloaf with Lentils and Chickpeas you can also bake it in a muffin tin. I would recommend using about 1/4 cup of the mixture in each tin and then you get perfect little person servings of meatloaf! If you choose to do it this way you can follow the directions in this post.
Recipe tips for Easy Vegan Meatloaf with Lentils and Chickpeas:
- I used both lentils and chickpeas in mine but you could also use one or the other if you prefer.
- I like to brush the entire meatloaf with olive oil before adding the ketchup to the top because it helps it from drying out while cooking.
- I added some balsamic vinegar to my ketchup for the top because I like the zing but you can just use ketchup if you like.
- If you want to make this ahead of time, I would suggest just making the mixture ahead of time and then baking right before you want to eat. If you make the entire thing ahead of time and then try to re-heat it will probably get dry.
Get the recipe for the my Best Cheezy Roasted Broccoli with Garlic here. Vegan Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes recipe coming on Thursday!
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Easy Vegan Meatloaf with Lentils and Chickpeas
Prep Time: 30 mins- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner, Vegan, Gluten Free
- Cuisine: American
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This Easy Vegan Meatloaf with Lentils and Chickpeas is perfect for a delicious and filling holiday main dish!
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for brushing on top
- 1 small red pepper, small diced
- 1/2 yellow onion, small diced
- 3 cups cooked brown lentils
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons water, let sit for 2-3 minutes)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs, gluten free if necessary
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Topping:
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, red peppers, onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the pepper mixture to a food processor along with the lentils and chickpeas. You might have to do this in two batches to make sure everything gets blended. Blend until most of the mixture is completely broken up but there are still some chunks.
- Add mixture to a large bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients. Mix until completely combined, you may want to use your hands to ensure it’s mixed well.
- Line a large baking sheet with a non-stick mat or parchment paper and add the meatloaf mixture. Use your hands to shape it into a loaf shape.
- Add the topping ingredients to a small bowl and mix until combined. Brush the meatloaf with a small amount of olive oil and then spoon topping over. Use the back of the spoon to spread out the ketchup to make sure it’s covering the entire top of the meatloaf.
- Bake meatloaf until firm, 20-25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and then cut into slices and serve. Top with chopped parsley for a garnish, if desired.
Penny says
October 29, 2018 at 7:30 pmLooks delicious! I hope I can try it out soon. Thank you!
She Likes Food says
October 29, 2018 at 11:37 pmThanks, Penny! I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try 🙂
Sarah says
October 30, 2018 at 9:19 amCould you bake it in a loaf pan, rather than shaping it on a baking sheet?
She Likes Food says
October 30, 2018 at 11:05 pmI think that you could, you might have to bake it for longer though. 🙂
Raymond Culbert says
December 16, 2018 at 3:55 pmHave you tried this with dried beans of both varities?
She Likes Food says
December 16, 2018 at 10:24 pmHi Raymond, no, I have not. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Jack | BBQRecipez says
November 1, 2018 at 2:01 pmI made this last night, we absolutely loved it.
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
November 2, 2018 at 5:40 pmAwesome! I’m so glad to hear!
Heather says
November 2, 2018 at 11:24 amCould you freeze this, and if so would you do it before baking it? Thanks l
She Likes Food says
November 2, 2018 at 5:39 pmHi Heather, yes I do think you can freeze it. I’d probably recommend freezing before baking, otherwise I worry it would dry out a little bit. I hope that helps 🙂
Nancy | Gadgetspicker says
January 31, 2019 at 8:46 amOne of the best lentils and chickpeas recipes I’ve made so far. Loved it!
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
January 31, 2019 at 4:54 pmAwesome!! Thanks! 🙂
Haley says
April 3, 2019 at 12:22 pmI’m making this during the weekend. It looks amazing!
Eve says
April 5, 2019 at 12:21 pmDelish – I did freeze it and it worked out just fine
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
April 5, 2019 at 9:20 pmAwesome! And glad to hear it froze well!
Valerie Kinsora says
April 30, 2019 at 12:49 pmLove this recipe! I’ve only made it with chickpeas, as that’s what I have on hand. Instead of precooking veggies I just make sure they’re chopped finely. Often add other veggies, like carrots, as well. Yummy and healthy food!
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
May 2, 2019 at 6:05 pmSo glad you enjoyed it!!
Christiana says
June 2, 2019 at 11:53 pmI tried this and it never got firm. It stayed mushy. Is there anything I can do to change that? Not sure what happened.
She Likes Food says
June 13, 2019 at 5:12 pmI’m sorry it was mushy for you. Maybe try cooking it a little longer? Or adding some extra bread crumbs
Tim says
September 15, 2019 at 11:03 pmcan you use a real egg instead of the flaxseed egg?
She Likes Food says
September 17, 2019 at 3:14 pmYes!
lillian says
September 30, 2019 at 10:28 pmI served this with mushroom gravy and it was so delicious!
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
October 5, 2019 at 2:02 pmYum!! So glad you enjoyed this!
Barbara says
November 3, 2019 at 3:34 pmHi, just signed up and am making this tonight. I didn’t see how long you suggest soaking the lentils? Looking forward to it. Thanks, Barbara
She Likes Food says
November 18, 2019 at 4:54 pmI just cooked them for about 30 minutes until they were tender 🙂
Brigid Erin Hayes says
November 12, 2019 at 7:52 pmdo canned chickpeas work for this recipe?
She Likes Food says
November 18, 2019 at 4:35 pmyes!
Carla says
November 21, 2019 at 2:53 pmHello!
I want to try this recipe at Christmas for my vegetarian guests. If I leave off the ketchup/balsamic topping would this taste good with vegan gravy on top instead?
She Likes Food says
November 21, 2019 at 4:06 pmDefinitely!!
Rosanne says
November 30, 2019 at 12:14 pmI made this for Thanksgiving. I used a regular egg and just a bit more bread crumbs. It’s awesome! Love it and will definitely make agy.
★★★★★
She Likes Food says
November 30, 2019 at 3:15 pmAwesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Stephanie says
December 13, 2019 at 9:20 pmHELP! This tasted SO good! But I couldn’t get it to firm up….the only thing I changed was used Chia seeds instead of flax because I didn’t have any. I over cooked it by 10 minutes and it was still soft. Any solutions? Also, if I cook them in muffin pans is it still the same temp and time? Thank you!
She Likes Food says
December 16, 2019 at 7:05 pmI’m sorry it didn’t firm up for you. It’s not going to be quite as firm as like a store-bought veggie burger but it should be able to hold it’s shape. You could try chilling the mixture for an hour or so before baking. If making in a muffin tin, you can do same temp but I’d cut the cooking time down by about half or so.
Allyssa says
December 29, 2019 at 4:11 pmJust made this and my entire family approved…even the carnivores
She Likes Food says
January 7, 2020 at 6:10 pmYah!!!
Christy says
January 1, 2020 at 3:50 pmMine has been cooking for almost 2 hours and is still mush, like refried beans.
She Likes Food says
January 7, 2020 at 6:09 pmI’m sorry it’s still mushy, hmm.. I just made it for Christmas and mine came out great. Did you change anything?
Morgan says
January 8, 2020 at 4:26 pmCan you use another egg substitute instead of the flax egg
She Likes Food says
January 8, 2020 at 4:39 pmDefinitely! Use whatever kind of egg substitute you usually use 🙂
Kenya says
January 20, 2020 at 12:14 pmI just made this recipe today.I was too lazy to cook the veggies, so I left them out. It still turned out wonderful. I made a vegetarian gravy to go with it and that helped to replace the moisture. I will definitely make this again.
★★★★
She Likes Food says
January 21, 2020 at 3:45 pmSo glad you enjoyed it!!
Adrianna says
March 29, 2020 at 9:26 amI can’t find dried lentils. When you say cooked- would canned work? Do you drain? I’ve never worked with lentils before. Thanks!
She Likes Food says
April 2, 2020 at 3:09 pmYes, canned should work just fine and do drain them first 🙂