This is the best vegan lentil loaf you will ever eat! This savory vegan meatloaf is healthy, delicious, and packed with protein! Perfect for a hearty meal or a vegan holiday dish. Use this base recipe and add veggies, and mushrooms, or swap out the lentils for chickpeas for endless variations.
We love lentil dishes like red lentil chickpea curry, creamy lentil soup, and red lentil pumpkin soup, but this lentil loaf is one of our family favorites that has been in our meal rotation for about 20 years now. If my husband is in charge of making dinner, he usually chooses to make this lentil loaf. It's just one of those hearty satisfying meals that you never get sick of.
The rice and lentils bake together to form the perfect texture and the herbs and spices flavor it perfectly.
Jump to:
- ❤️ Why you'll love this lentil loaf
- 🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- 🔪 Helpful tools
- 🥄 How to make a lentil loaf
- 🌟 Variations of lentil loaf
- ❓ How to make a lentil loaf without a food processor
- 👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- 🥡 Storage
- 🔥 How to reheat lentil loaf
- 🍽️ What to serve with a lentil loaf
- 🌟 More vegan holiday dishes
- 📋 Vegan lentil loaf recipe
❤️ Why you'll love this lentil loaf
- It's vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free.
- Lentil loaf is easy to make with a few simple ingredients.
- It's full of plant-based protein.
- Lentil loaf is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but easy enough for a random weeknight meal.
- This recipe is versatile - change up the spices or veggies that you add to it and make it different every time.
- It's packed with flavor!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Lentils - cooked lentils. Any color will work. I usually use green or brown lentils, but red lentils will also work.
- Rice - to bind the loaf together. You can use white or brown rice. Cold, day-old rice works well in this recipe or you can use fresh.
- Onions - for flavor. (You can also add any other finely chopped veggies if you'd like).
- Garlic - for flavor. (optional)
- Salt and Pepper - for flavor.
- Soy Sauce - or tamari or Bragg's liquid aminos for gluten-free.
- Nutritional Yeast - for an umami flavor. This gives it a more savory slightly cheesy flavor and adds vitamins, but it is optional if you don't have any.
- Poultry Seasoning - or dried sage for flavor.
- Fresh Herbs - like oregano, marjoram, or thyme. (optional)
- Flax Meal - use ground flaxseeds to help bind the loaf and hold it together better. Mix with water to make a flax egg. (If you don't have flax meal, it will work without it, but it will hold together slightly better with it added). You can also swap out the flax meal with 1/4 cup of oats.)
- Ketchup - for flavor and to make the top of the loaf pretty. You can also use barbecue sauce instead.
🔪 Helpful tools
- Food Processor - this will have you mash up the rice and lentils quickly and easily. If you don't have one, you can do this by hand with a large fork or a potato masher, it just takes a little more effort to do it by hand.
🥄 How to make a lentil loaf
Step 1 - Cook rice according to package directions.
Step 2 - Make a flax egg by mixing 1 tbsp of flax meal with 2 1/2 tbsp of water and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
Step 3 - Boil lentils in 2 quarts of water for 18 minutes until tender, then drain.
Step 4 - While the lentils are cooking, dice 2 onions, and saute them in olive oil over low heat.
Step 5 - Sprinkle the onions with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, add minced garlic then continue to saute over low heat for 10-12 minutes until translucent.
Step 6 - Add 2 cups cooked rice, cooked lentils, cooked onions (and/or other cooked veggies), 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos, 1/2 tsp salt, and flax egg to a food processor and pulse a few times until everything is combined and partially mashed together. (Be sure not to over-blend. It should look like the image below).
Step 7 - Fill an oiled bread loaf pan with the mixture then pack it down tightly and top with a layer of ketchup. (You can also line the loaf pan with parchment paper instead of oil.)
Step 8 - Bake at 350° F for 60 minutes. Then allow cooling for about 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
🌟 Variations of lentil loaf
- Bean Loaf - Swap out the lentils with chickpeas, black beans, or any other beans.
- Veggie Lentil Loaf - add 1 cup of chopped vegetables of choice to the onions. Carrots, celery, mushrooms, and zucchini work well.
- Mushroom Loaf - add 1 cup of finely chopped mushrooms to the onions after they have cooked for about 5 minutes.
- BBQ Lentil Loaf - top your lentil loaf with a glaze of vegan BBQ sauce instead of ketchup.
❓ How to make a lentil loaf without a food processor
If you don't have a food processor, simply put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mash them together by hand using a potato masher or a large fork. This will take a little extra time and muscle power, but it will still work.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Make sure to fully cook the rice and lentils before adding them to the loaf. They need to have enough moisture content to make them stick together.
- Don't over-mash the rice and lentil mixture. Bend it enough to combine everything and get it to stick together, but not so much that it's mushy.
- Cook for the full 60 minutes and then allow it to cool and set for about 15 minutes after you take it out of the oven so it will not fall apart when you slice it.
- Add a fresh layer of ketchup on top for a bright red color.
🥡 Storage
Refrigerator - Store any leftover lentil loaf in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer - To freeze, cook your lentil loaf and allow it to cool completely, then wrap it in an air-tight freezer bag. Try to get out as much air as possible, so that air is not coming in contact with your loaf. You can also keep your loaf in the loaf pan to help give it support and keep it from getting crushed in the freezer.
🔥 How to reheat lentil loaf
If your loaf is frozen, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat slices in the microwave. To reheat the whole loaf, cover it with foil so it doesn't dry out, and put it in the oven at 300° F (150°C) for 20 minutes.
🍽️ What to serve with a lentil loaf
This lentil loaf is delicious topped with ketchup, barbecue sauce, vegan gravy, vegan brown gravy, or vegan nacho cheese sauce. You can serve it as a main course with vegan stovetop stuffing, mashed potatoes, Balsamic Roasted Veggies, Kale Salad with Cranberries, or Vegan Broccoli Salad on the side!
🌟 More vegan holiday dishes
- Vegan Turkey
- Vegan Ham
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan Wellington
- Easy Vegan Spanakopita
- Vegan Potato Casserole
- Vegan Cauliflower Cheese
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan lentil loaf recipe
Vegan Lentil Loaf
Equipment
- food processor helpful but not necessary
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon flax meal (If you don't have flax meal, it will work without it, but it will hold together slightly better with it added.)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons water to mix with the flax
- 2 cups dry lentils (about 3 cups cooked lentils)
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoons salt (divided)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (Tamari or soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or sage, Italian seasoning, or other herbs of choice.
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup Ketchup or other sauce of choice.
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Make a flax egg by mixing 1 tbsp of flax meal with 2 1/2 tbsp of water and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
- Boil lentils in 2 quarts of water for 18 minutes, then drain.
- While the lentils are cooking, dice 2 onions, and saute them in olive oil over low heat.
- Sprinkle the onions with 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp poultry seasoning, and 2 cloves minced garlic. Continue to saute over low heat for 10-12 minutes until translucent.
- Add 2 cups cooked rice, cooked lentils, cooked onions (and/or other cooked veggies), 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos, 1/2 tsp salt, and flax egg to a food processor and pulse a few times until everything is combined and partially mashed together.
- Fill an oiled bread loaf pan with the mixture and pack it down tightly and top with ketchup or other sauce of your choice.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 1 hour. Top with another layer of ketchup. Allow cooling for about 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Make sure to fully cook the rice and lentils before adding them to the loaf. They need to have enough moisture content to make them stick together.
- Don't over-mash the rice and lentil mixture. Blend it enough to combine everything and get it to stick together, but not so much that it's mushy.
- Cook for the full 60 minutes and then allow it to cool and set for about 15 minutes after you take it out of the oven so it will not fall apart when you slice it.
- Add a fresh layer of ketchup on top for a bright red color.
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
Nice texture and flavor throughout. I like to serve it for my GF and vegan diet friends.
I'm so happy that you like the recipe, Kathy.
This has become a family favorite. Comfort food that’s plant based. Thank you!
I'm so happy that you and your family like the recipe! 🙂
Excited to try this, but would prefer a higher protein grain. can this be made using millet or quinoa instead of rice?
Yes, you can swap out the rice for another grain, but it just won't hold together quite as well since the rice serves as a binder and is a little stickier.
Hello Monica! I printed out this recipe to use at a 4-day retreat for about 65-70 people. The whole retreat is vegan, and I needed a loaf for the 2nd day. I forgot to add the garlic, didn't have flax seed there, so used oat flour and psyllium husk instead, and I purposely omitted the oil, and made it in quantity sufficient for the group. This loaf was a huge hit! There were absolutely NO LEFTOVERS! People asked me for the recipe (I gave everyone the link) Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! It will be in my recipes I keep. Blessings.
I'm so happy that this recipe worked so well for you! Your vegan retreat sounds like tons of fun! I'm glad that you were able to make it work with what you had! And thanks for sharing the link to my site! 🙂
Can this loaf be frozen after cooked?
Yes, it will freeze well! Enjoy! 🙂
I made this recipe tonight and my family loved it. Texture and flavor is fantastic. I completed the meal with vegan mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley with green and yellow squash with sundried tomatoes. It paired so well. Thank you for sharing your recipes!!
I'm so happy that you and your family liked them, Crystal! 🙂
This recipe is so so good. Plant-based recipes that are tasty need a shout out! Well, I’m telling you ; this recipe has flavor, excellent texture, and the taste of meatloaf. I added my homemade spaghetti sauce topping, instead of ketchup. The loaf did not turn soggy! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I'm glad that you liked it, Liv! Your spaghetti sauce topping sounds delicious! 🙂
This is literally the first ever vegatarian/vegan meatloaf recipe I have ever made that actually tastes like meatloaf, cuts like meatloaf and serves like meatloaf. Well done!
Thanks! I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
how long can i store this in the fridge???
It will keep well for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Can I prepare this ahead of time ( the day before or morning of) store in the fridge
And cook at dinner time?
Yes, definitely. Just keep in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. Enjoy! 🙂
Is it 2 cups lentils cooked or is it 3 cups cooked.
Sorry for the confusion. You need 2 cups of dry lentils. It will be about 3 cups when cooked. Enjoy! 🙂
What type of lentils do you use?
I just use standard green lentils in mine, but you can use yellow or red lentils too. Just don't cook them quite as long since they are smaller.
Hi, I cannot use yeast can I use baking powder instead and how much will work? Thank you, Ria
Nutritional yeast is different than baker's yeast. It is only for flavor, so you can just leave it out altogether. Enjoy!
is it 21/2 tbsp. or tsp water to mix with flax meal . u got both there
I'm so sorry for the typo, it is 2 1/2 TBSP of water. It has been fixed in the recipe now.
Hi Monica,
Looks like we will be trying this and the gravy soon. We love lentils and that looks like a great use for them. I just wanted to add something (not to be mean or anything) but in your recipes you always use the term "kcals" like this:
Calories: 300.96 kcal
I wondered what a kcal was vs a regular calorie and 1 kcal = 1000 calories. Yikes. Then I realized it couldn't be true or a serving of gravy would be over 40,000 calories. 🙂 Keep up the most excellent work and although I don't always have time to comment, we eat many more of your recipes than you may think. Delicious!
Dave