Making vegan meatloaf can be a long, tireless task. That’s why I wanted to create vegan meatloaf that was easy and didn’t require endless hours of chopping and layers of prepping and cooking.
Vegan meatloaf is the perfect alternative to regular meatloaf and saves you big $$ as well as helps the planet! Making sure you have the perfect amount of herbs and spices is key to making the perfect meatloaf, one that is full of flavour and keeps guests wanting more.
To cut down on chopping time (because I hate chopping vegetables) I used a food processor to make the consistency nice and smooth. Alternatively, you could spend more time chopping and not need to use a food processor if you don’t have one or prefer more texture to the meatloaf.
I also used dried lentils and boiled them for this recipe. You could use canned lentils but the texture might be a bit off and it may not bind as well as if you boiled them yourself.
Lastly, my favourite part about vegan dishes is that you get to TASTE everything before you cook it. I always make sure to do the taste test before I pop anything into the oven so I can adjust it prior (so much easier than trying to add sauces, etc. after the fact).
I hope you enjoy!
The Best Lentil Vegan Meatloaf


- 1 cup dry green lentils
- 4 cups water
- 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 sweet onion, roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (use gluten-free is needed)
- 1/2 cup oat flour*
- 2 Tbsp tamari or gluten-free soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
- 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- Rinse the lentils in a large mesh strainer. Add 4 cups of water to a large pot with lentils and a dash of salt, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils absorb most of the water and become tender. Drain lentils and set aside.
- While the lentils cook: Mix ground flaxseed and 1/3 cup water to a small bowl and place in the refrigerator while you make the rest of the loaf.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with olive oil.
- Once oil is hot, add in garlic, onion, bell pepper, carrot,and cilantro. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until onions are translucent and carrots begin to soften.
- Add in spices and cook for 1 minute longer, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Using a blender or food processor, blend the cooked lentils. Add the vegetables from he frying pan to the food processor and blend until combined (20 seconds). Be careful not to over-blend.**
- Transfer the contents of the food processor into a large bowl and add the oats, oat flour, and flax egg. Stir to combine well.
- Add the Tamari or soy sauce, salt and pepper. Taste and add more spices or salt and pepper if desired.
- Add the meatloaf to prepared loaf pan, pressing and smoothing to the sides to make sure it bakes evenly.
- Quickly prepare your glazed by combining all ingredients in a small bowl then spreading half of the sauce on top.
- Bake loaf for 50 minutes. Remove from heat and top with remaining sauce, allowing it to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it from pan and cutting it.
- Cut into 6 slices and serve!
- *Make your own oat flour by grinding up 1/2 cup oats in a coffee grinder for 10 seconds
- **If you prefer more texture to your meatloaf, you can mash the lentils by hand and just make sure to chop the vegetables more finely before cooking them.
xoxo