Our vegan lentil and vegetable loaf recipe is the ultimate comfort food; filled with tender lentils, seared vegetables, fire roasted tomatoes, and savory spices. It’s dairy-free, egg-free, and you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs to make it gluten-free. Serve our veggie lentil loaf with our garlic mashed potatoes and spicy green beans for a delicious and healthy dinner.
Published Nov. 16, 2015 and updated November 7, 2019.
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Hi there! We’re Linda and Alex, the mother daughter duo and creators of Veganosity. Thanks for visiting us, we’re so happy you’re here. If you’re looking for Southern inspired vegan comfort food recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
We love vegan comfort food and we’re really good at making it. Take a tour through our site and you’ll find all of the recipes that scream, stretchy pants required!
The good news, they’re all plant-based recipes, so you don’t need to feel guilty eating them. Now sit back, relax, and eat happy. 🙂
Also, in case you didn't know, we're published cookbook authors. We've written two vegan cookbooks that will help you make amazing vegan BBQ (you don't even need a grill) and everyday meals, from breakfast to dessert.
Click on the titles to check them out. GREAT VEGAN BBQ WITHOUT A GRILL
and THE ULTIMATE VEGAN COOKBOOK
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A HEALTHY VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN MEATLOAF RECIPE
When I was growing up, meatloaf used to be a staple in our house. My dad loved it, and my mom made it for him at least every other week.
Although I don’t miss eating ground meat, I do miss the memories and flavors of her loaf.
When Alex and I went vegan, we knew that we had to recreate a flavorful and healthy vegan loaf that would be perfect for a hearty weeknight meal, or for a vegan holiday main course, and so we did.
This lentil mushroom loaf with veggies has so much flavor. We added onion, garlic, celery, Italian seasoning, and liquid smoke to give it a wonderful savory and smoky taste. Then we topped it with fire roasted tomatoes to add some tanginess.
It’s so good, and it doesn’t fall apart!
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WHAT ARE THE BEST LENTILS TO USE FOR A VEGAN LENTIL LOAF?
There are three kinds of lentils; green, brown, and red.
We suggest using green or brown lentils for this hearty lentil loaf, and here’s why:
GREEN LENTILS
Green lentils take the longest to cook and are the firmest. They hold their texture and have a slightly peppery taste, which we like for this lentil loaf recipe.
BROWN LENTILS
Brown lentils also hold their shape well, and they have a slightly earthy flavor. We don’t mind that, we just prefer the taste of green lentils in our veggie and lentil loaf.
RED LENTILS
These don’t hold up well in our loaf recipe; however, they’re great for thickening soup, dals, or curry.
CAN I USE PACKAGED LENTILS OR SHOULD I USE FRESH COOKED?
You can use pre-cooked lentils. We prefer the kind that come out of a vacuum sealed bag rather than a can because they don’t have extra liquid.
If you cook dried lentils, we suggest making more than needed for this recipe and freezing the leftovers for soup, salad, or another lentil loaf.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN LENTIL LOAF WITH VEGETABLES
STEP ONE
Combine the flax seed and the water until creamy. Let sit for at least 15 minutes. This is your egg substitute and will provide you with healthy omegas and extra protein.
STEP TWO
In a medium sauce pan cover the lentils with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until soft. Add more water if needed.
Drain the excess water in a fine mesh colander, push down on the lentils to get all of the water out.
Put the lentils and oats in a food processor and pulse until they’re mostly creamy, you should see bits of pieces of the lentils. Put them in a large mixing bowl.
STEP THREE
While the lentils are cooking, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the carrots, celery bell pepper, and onion and sauté for five minutes, stirring once or twice to avoid scorching.
Add the mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
STEP FOUR
Put the vegetables in the mixing bowl with the lentils. Add the bread crumbs, flax egg, liquid smoke, vegan Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup fire roasted tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Make sure to taste the loaf batter, there’s nothing in the batter that you couldn’t eat as is, and depending on your tastes, you may want to add more salt and/or pepper.
Stir until well combined or use your hands to mix it. Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper if needed.
STEP FIVE
Put the lentil loaf mixture in the pan and firmly press it into the pan, make sure it reaches all four corners.
Bake for 1 hour. Remove the loaf from the oven and cut three ¼ inch deep slices into the loaf and evenly pour the remaining cup of tomatoes on top. Don’t drench it, it should just cover the loaf. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tomato firms up.
Remove from the oven and let it set for ten minutes.
THE BENEFITS OF LENTILS
Here are a few of the many benefits that you’ll get from one cup of lentils:
- Folate – One cup provides you with 90% of the daily reference intake.
- Fiber - You’ll get 56% of the RDI!
- Iron – One cup provides 37% of the RDI.
These are just a few of the many nutrients that you’ll get from lentils. To learn more, click HERE.
MORE VEGAN COMFORT FOOD MEAT SUBSTITUTES YOU’LL LOVE
SMOKY SOUTHERN-STYLE MEATLESS MEATLOAF
SOUTHERN-STYLE VEGAN CHICKEN & BISCUITS
THE BEST VEGAN SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
AUTHENTIC VEGAN SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Make our vegan lentil loaf recipe and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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VEGAN LENTIL AND VEGETABLE LOAF
Equipment
- food processor
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ground flax seed plus 5 tablespoon water whisked until combined
- 1 ½ cups of uncooked or 3 cups cooked green lentils SEE NOTE
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup carrots finely chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper stem, core, and seed removed and finely chopped
- 1 cup celery finely chopped
- 1 large red onion finely chopped
- 6 large Portobello mushroom caps stems and gills removed and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups bread crumbs use gluten-free if desired
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce use Wizard’s brand for a Gluten-Free version
- 2 cups fire roasted tomatoes divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 9x5x3 inch (23x13x8 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoon ground flax seed and the 5 tablespoon water until creamy. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.
- In a medium sauce pan cover the 1 ½ cups of lentils with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until soft. Add more water if needed. Drain the lentils in a fine mesh colander, push down on the lentils to get all of the excess water out. Put the lentils and 1 cup oats in a food processor and pulse until they’re mostly creamy, you should see bits of pieces of the lentils. Put them in a large mixing bowl.
- While the lentils are cooking, in a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the 1 cup of carrots, 1 cup of celery and the onion and sauté for five minutes, stirring once or twice to avoid scorching. Add the mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the garlic and 2 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Put the vegetables in the mixing bowl with the lentils. Add the 1 ½ cups of bread crumbs, the flax egg, 2 teaspoon of liquid smoke, 1 tablespoon of vegan Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup of fire roasted tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well combined or use your hands to mix it. It should be firm and sticky. IMPORTANT: Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Put the lentil loaf mixture in the pan and firmly press it into the pan, make sure it reaches all four corners.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until the loaf begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and cut three surface slices (approximately ¼ of an inch deep) slices into the loaf and evenly pour the remaining cup of tomatoes on top. Don’t drench it, it should just cover the loaf. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tomato firms up.
- Remove from the oven and let it set for ten minutes before removing from the pan. Let sit another 5 minutes before slicing so it doesn’t fall apart.
Notes
- You can used cooked packaged lentils; we suggest you purchase them in a vacuumed sealed package instead of in a can. Canned lentils tend to be packed in water, which can make the loaf too wet.
- Make extra lentils if you cook them, then freeze so you have cooked lentils for soup, salad, or another loaf.
Nutrition
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Patt K says
This recipe looks wonderful. Portobello mushrooms are often hard to find in my area, but creminis (the "baby" version) are plentiful. Are they a suitable switch? Should I use 1 pound or 8 ounces if they are. Many thanks for your reply and for your endlessly inspiring website!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Patt,
Thank you for your kind words. We truly appreciate it. 🙂
Yes, you can substitute with creminis. I would chop up one pound, because as you know, they shrink a lot. Enjoy!
Naomi Guttman says
Linda,
I'm thinking of making this for American Thanksgiving. Does it freeze well or should I make it the day of?
Naomi
Linda Meyer says
Hi Naomi, it does freeze well. Just make sure to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking or reheating. Happy Thanksgiving!
Heidi says
This looks and sounds delicious! Just wanted to double check on the mushrooms, 6 large portobello as in the kind you would make mushroom burgers with?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Heidi! Thank you so much! Yes, exactly. 🙂
G. Meyer says
Awesome!
Dsvid says
I made this today and we really enjoyed it.
My wife detests celery so I substituted grated parsnip for it, as usual. It worked very well.
Another 2 loaves will be made this week to lurk in the freezer for unexpected visitors.
Thank you very much for yet another great recipe and dish.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, David. We're so happy you and your wife enjoyed the recipe. We love that you made it your own with the parsnip substitution. Have a wonderful holiday season.
David says
Hjust to ring the changes, substituting sweet potato for celery also worked.
A completely different flavour, but good.
Linda Meyer says
Hi David! Thanks for letting us know, that sounds great.
Christa S. says
Hi there! Do you have a recommendation for preparing this a day or two ahead? Can I assemble but then put in fridge and not bake until ready?
Thank you!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Christa! You can definitely prepare the loaf mixture ahead of time and bake it the day of. You can also bake it ahead of time and reheat it the day of, just make sure that you wrap it in foil so it doesn't dry out. Reheat in a 350F (176C) oven for approximately 30 minutes. Check to make sure it's heated through before serving.
Fabiano says
Delicious!! Thank you for such precious content!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, our pleasure!
Tiago Oliveira says
This recipe looks so delicious, i just saved this article to my favorites one!! This weekend i will make this for dinner! Thanks for sharing
Linda Meyer says
Thank you for the kind words! We can't wait to hear back from you. 🙂
Loiuse says
Perfect post!! looks like it was made for me!! Thanks!!!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Loiuse, our pleasure!
Elizabeth says
Holy moly. This. Is. Delicious. I finally got around to making this loaf today, and the (carnivore) fam is still raving. Made exactly as directed - though the mushrooms and onions got a bit further towards carmelized because the phone rang- but the loaf came out perfectly. The texture is spot on, not mushy or pasty-tasting at all. The depth of flavor in this thing is amazing. Roasty and downright meaty, and served with your mushroom gravy. Thank you so much for these recipes!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Elizabeth!! This totally made our day! We couldn't be happier to hear that your carnivore family enjoyed it too. Thanks for taking the time to let us know how much you like the loaf and the gravy. We truly appreciate it!
rosie says
Hi
I am allergic to mushrooms
can i leave them out?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Rosie! Happy Thanksgiving! Yes, just add extra carrots or any other vegetable that you like to replace them. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Erika Cristina says
I thought it would be very difficult to do. But with your explanation. I found it super easy and fast. I loved it and I can not wait to do it! Love so much
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Erika! I'm so happy you like the recipe. Thank your for taking the time to let us know.
Ricardo says
Got hungry in just looking the pictures... Will definitely try to bake this... Thanks for sharing
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Ricardo! Let me know if you try it. 🙂
Angélica says
I loved the recipe, I find it very easy to do. Thank you for sharing.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Angelica! We're so happy you enjoyed the lentil loaf and appreciate that you took the time to let us know. 🙂
Carmen says
Maravilhoso! Ótimas dicas
Linda Meyer says
Gracias!
Fernando says
Looks delicious! Congratulations! 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Thank you!
mundoligadosempre says
Congratulations, the recipe is great,
Linda Meyer says
Thank you!
Gabi Marquez says
Perfect recipe, looks like it was made for me, I have to do it urgently, I was looking for something like that, thank you very much for the recipe.
Linda Meyer says
You're very welcome, Gabi.
Alice says
Perfect, exactly the recipe I was needing, I've seen this in some places but I've never done it because I thought it was difficult but now that I've seen in your article that it's simple to do, that's great thank you.
Linda Meyer says
I'm so happy you like it, Alice. Thank you!
Sarah says
I just made this and holy yum!! It wasn't totally "cooked" on the inside and came out a bit mushier than expected. Any tips for next time?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Sarah, Well let me start by saying that I'm happy you liked the taste of it. 🙂 I can think of one or two things that may have played a role in your loaf being mushy on the inside. The first thing is that your oven may not be calibrated correctly. If the temperature wasn't right it may have needed another 15 or so minutes to bake. Also, as I'm sure you know, you should always bake food in the center of the oven.
The second thing that may have happened is that the onions and mushrooms weren't completely caramelized. If they are still releasing their water when you put them in the loaf it will result in too much moisture.
If this is your first time making a lentil loaf please know that the texture should be slightly moist and tender, not dry, but also not mushy. I hope that helps, Sarah. Let me know if you have any more questions. Enjoy your evening. 🙂
Belinda says
Only reading the ingredients and directions for the recipes is making my taste buds burst!!!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Belinda! Please let me know what you think if you make it. 🙂