Celebratory Vegan Meatloaf with Lentils + Walnuts

Whether it’s Sunday dinner or the holidays, this lentil and walnut loaf is the perfect protein-rich main when you need something special for the table. Prepare to have your mind changed about lentil loaf…this one is SO flavourful and moist, with plenty of veggies and an umami-bomb glaze made from tamari and ketchup!

As a kid practically raised by TV sitcoms, I’m all too familiar with the trope of the dry, bland meatloaf that no one wants to eat. Well, my friends, not on my watch. Let me just say that this incredibly tender, flavourful lentil loaf is the exact opposite of that!

Folks who are skeptical of hippie food are going to eat their words when you serve them this lentil + nut roast because it’s so dang satisfying. It’s not quite a traditional nut roast because it’s more lentils than walnuts…but there are a whole bunch of reasons why you might like this version even better. 

Lentils are more affordable than nuts, plus they add much needed moisture (no dry vegan meatloaf here!) and there’s less fat so it’s a bit lighter – which I kind of love for an already rich holiday spread. 

And….if you need help in the meal planning department, if I were planning a cozy, comforting meal, I’d definitely serve this with roasted Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes and my mushroom gravy.

Love this recipe? It’s actually from my award-winning cookbook Good For Your Gut…where you can also read more of my nerdy dietitian advice on how to improve your gut health.

You’ve got a walnut lentil loaf to make…let me help you with that!

Not gonna lie: this one takes a bit of time. There are, ahem, more ingredients than one of my typical recipes. But like, I’m not making this on a Tuesday, you know? And you can totally prep this baby ahead of time (morning of/day before) so all you’re doing is popping it in the oven before dinner.

This is one of those recipes where a little bit of attention to detail makes a difference, so to make the absolute best version of this vegan lentil meatloaf you can, here’s what you need to know!

Got special dietary needs? You can totally make this gluten free with GF bread crumbs and tamari. And if you’re nut free, swap sunflower seeds for walnuts. Each slice has about 15g protein and 10g fiber.

If you want to make ahead, you’ve got options:

1. Do all the chopping ahead of time. 2. Prep the entire loaf, without cooking. 3. Bake the loaf and simply reheat before the meal! It’s delicious at room temperature too. So you can just make it a bit early.

Super important: be patient with cooking. The edges of the loaf/glaze should look crisp. If not, it’s not cooked enough (there will be too much moisture).

More plant-based protein-forward mains:

Celebratory Vegan Meatloaf with Lentils and Walnuts

6 servings

Prep Time: 40 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Oven Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Whether it’s Sunday dinner or the holidays, this lentil and walnut loaf is the perfect protein-rich main when you need something special for the table. Prepare to have your mind changed about lentil loaf…this one is SO flavourful and moist, with plenty of veggies and an umami-bomb glaze made from tamari and ketchup!

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Lentil Walnut Meatloaf

• 2 cups soft cooked brown lentils
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• ¼ pound mushrooms, diced
• 2 ribs celery, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup breadcrumbs, gluten free if needed
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup rolled oats, gluten free if needed
• ¼ cup ground flax
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, gluten free if needed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• freshly cracked pepper

Glaze

• ⅓ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

• Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Grease a loaf pan and place a strip of parchment down the middle for easier removal. Essential!!

• Toast walnuts in a large dry skillet on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from heat and toss into food processor.

• Whisk ground flax with ½ cup hot water in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

• Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and mushrooms for about 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms release their water and onions start to soften and brown.

• Add the celery, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until carrots are fork tender about 5-7 minutes…or longer if the vegetable pieces are larger.

• Deglaze pan with tamari and balsamic vinegar, stirring until most of the moisture is absorbed. Season vegetables generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes before placing in food processor.

• Pulse vegetables with walnuts and parsley until very finely chopped and starting to come together like a dough.

• Scrape vegetable mixture into the large bowl with the flax, and add the lentils, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, rolled oats, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, thyme, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix with hands until well blended.

• Taste and make sure it has enough salt, adjust if necessary. Press loaf mixture firmly into pan. Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.

• Meanwhile, whisk ketchup and tamari together, then spread glaze over loaf and cook until edges lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes more.

• Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. The loaf contains a lot of moisture and firms as it cools. I recommend waiting a few minutes more and then slicing with a serrated knife.

You can get 6-8 servings out of each loaf, depending on how large a serving size you choose!