A classic tasting Vegan Meatloaf made with a base of chickpeas that is SO simple to make. This is NOT another mushy vegan loaf. It’s beautiful, savory, hearty and extremely comforting alongside some mashed potatoes and green beans.
*This recipe was originally posted 10/12/17. Updated 9/24/18 with more appetizing photos and slightly updated instructions.
Ah, the Vegan Meatloaf. Have you tried making one yet? You can find many different versions all over the internet, from lentil loaf to tofu loaf, and probably many more.
Some I’ve tried have been quite good, but often even if they taste good, they don’t look very appetizing. I wanted to come up with a Vegan Meatloaf recipe that had more “classic” meatloaf flavors and would also look beautiful. Chickpeas to the rescue!
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The one thing you never want is a super mushy loaf. And it’s pretty hard to avoid, actually. But through some trial and error, I have come up with a non-mushy, flavorful and beautiful loaf that would be just perfect as the main dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other holiday.
I remember one Thanksgiving several years ago that I was super excited to make a popular blogger’s lentil loaf recipe. I wanted to impress our guests with how good vegan cooking can be! Well, the loaf sunk in the middle and was just a complete mushy mess. Ugh. So frustrating.
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN MEATLOAF?
This Vegan Meatloaf is easy to make, and most of the time spent is hands off.
First, saute the vegetables in either water or olive oil for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Mash the drained/rinsed chickpeas in a large bowl (I always use a potato masher, works great!).
Then simply add the cooked vegetables and all the remaining ingredients. Stir very well!
Press the mixture into a loaf pan evenly, cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil, add the ketchup- Worcestershire topping and put back in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let cool a few minutes, slice and serve.
I hope you all enjoy this vegan meatloaf! It’s:
Hearty
Smoky
Fiber-rich
Beautiful
& so Affordable
You can also leave off the ketchup topping and serve with this Easy Vegan Gravy instead!
Want more savory vegan dishes? Try one of these!
Dairy Free Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Inspired by this recipe.
The Best Vegan Meatloaf
Ingredients
Vegetables for Sautéing
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil OR water for oil free
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 2 small carrots, diced small
- 2 celery stalks, diced small
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
For the Rest
- (2) 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (3 cups)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional, but good
For the topping
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a 9 inch loaf pan with oil, or line the bottom with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Saute the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the olive oil or water over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the chickpeas to a large bowl, and mash with a potato masher (or fork). You do not want them to be completely pasty or mushy, but well broken up. Alternatively, use a food processor, but be careful not to over blend them and make them totally mushy. Pulse a couple of times if using a food processor.
- Add the cooked veggies and all the remaining ingredients to the chickpeas. Stir with a large wooden spoon until very well combined.
- Press the loaf mixture in the prepared pan, pushing down evenly with your hand. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce for the topping.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil, spread the ketchup topping evenly on top of the loaf and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the oven.
- Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing if you can, it will hold up better. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired before serving.
Video
Recipe Notes
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Craig
I just made it but it crumbled after I made it. What do you do to make it stick together?
Nora
I actually just made this again last night for dinner. If you press it down firmly into the pan, then let it cool for 15 minutes at least before slicing, it will not crumble. Those are the tricks. If you don’t press it down firmly and evenly, it is much more likely to crumble, as well as if you slice it immediately after taking it out of the oven.
Adam
Made this today. Only had 2 cups cooked chickpeas handy so put in some soaked cashews as well. Good fun to make. Family loved it. Thanks.
Nora
You’re welcome! Glad the family loved it!
Sheila Camuso
Made this yesterday exactly as written- sooooo delicious!! Took me a while to find liquid smoke but it was worth the wait- definitely a game changer. Made vegan meatloaf before, but they were very dense-this texture is much closer to real meatloaf. Topped it with vegan mushroom gravy, yum!
Nora
So glad you liked it!
Sophie
Does it matter if I use normal breadcrumbs instead of panko?
Nora
Not really, regular or panko work quite well.
Ronda
I made this loaf last week for Shabbat.
It was delicious. One is in the oven now. Can’t wait. Also made a fresh loaf of bread from scratch. So tommorow leftovers will be meat loaf sandwich.😁Thank you so much.
Nora
You’re welcome!
Michelle
This is on our COVID 19 lockdown recipes to try. Actually can’t wait for this.
Nora
Nora you’re amazing! I love love all your recipes. My sister is vegan so I’m always looking for the best to cook for her!! I love vegan food but I’m not vegan I don’t like labels 🤭 but I’m better at cooking vegan than anyone I know 🤣🥰. I also love our name. I’m Nora Alina I make a mean banana bread that my family don’t believe is vegan. 🍀💓😀 thank you for sharing 😘
Nora
You’re welcome! And thanks for the wonderful comment!
Judy
Made this today. My husband joked around that I was going to make ‘meatless’ meatloaf. I made it early in the day and let it sit. It was nice and firm and the flavour was fabulous! The leftovers will make great meatloaf sandwiches tomorrow. That’s if they survive the night, haha.
Nora
I’m so glad you liked the loaf! It makes really great sandwiches, we do that a lot with the leftovers, but they never last long.
Peggy
Thank you for the recipe. Can I replace the bread crumbs with oats
Nora
Yes you can, you will just have slightly different results.
gail
loved the recipe!!!!! It did not become as firm as I though it would.
What did I do wrong? I have made many things from your website and this is the first time it was different. Help….my husband loved it even though it was not firm. Thanks!!!
Nora
I’m glad you loved the recipe! It really firms up as it cools off a bit, so I wonder if you just didn’t give it much time. The other thing to do is the really pack it in to the pan, firmly. Thanks!
Heather
My son and I loved this recipe! Sadly, my hubby and daughter are not chickpea fans, but they do like black beans. I’m going to attempt a black bean substitution, and see how it goes!
Nora
Thank you! That would be interesting, let me know how it turns out!
Cody Doll
Have you tried the black bean substitution. I’d love to know how it turned out.