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.
Looks delicious! I hope I can try it out soon. Thank you!
Thanks, Penny! I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try 🙂
Could you bake it in a loaf pan, rather than shaping it on a baking sheet?
I think that you could, you might have to bake it for longer though. 🙂
Have you tried this with dried beans of both varities?
Hi Raymond, no, I have not. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I made this last night, we absolutely loved it.
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear!
Could you freeze this, and if so would you do it before baking it? Thanks l
Hi 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 🙂
One of the best lentils and chickpeas recipes I’ve made so far. Loved it!
★★★★★
Awesome!! Thanks! 🙂
I’m making this during the weekend. It looks amazing!
Delish – I did freeze it and it worked out just fine
★★★★★
Awesome! And glad to hear it froze well!
Love 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!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it!!
I tried this and it never got firm. It stayed mushy. Is there anything I can do to change that? Not sure what happened.
I’m sorry it was mushy for you. Maybe try cooking it a little longer? Or adding some extra bread crumbs
I’m having the same problem. It’s going on an hour now and still total mush. Smells good, though! How wet vs dry should the mixture be before it goes on the baking sheet (for future reference)?
Hi Kim, I’m sorry about that. I will retest this recipe soon and see if I can fix that problem that some people are having. You want it fairy dry before baking, dry enough to form into a loaf.
can you use a real egg instead of the flaxseed egg?
Yes!
I served this with mushroom gravy and it was so delicious!
★★★★★
Yum!! So glad you enjoyed this!
Hi, 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
I just cooked them for about 30 minutes until they were tender 🙂
do canned chickpeas work for this recipe?
yes!
Hello!
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?
Definitely!!
I 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.
★★★★★
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
HELP! 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!
I’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.
Just made this and my entire family approved…even the carnivores
Yah!!!
Mine has been cooking for almost 2 hours and is still mush, like refried beans.
I’m sorry it’s still mushy, hmm.. I just made it for Christmas and mine came out great. Did you change anything?
Can you use another egg substitute instead of the flax egg
Definitely! Use whatever kind of egg substitute you usually use 🙂
I 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.
★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it!!
I can’t find dried lentils. When you say cooked- would canned work? Do you drain? I’ve never worked with lentils before. Thanks!
Yes, canned should work just fine and do drain them first 🙂