No one will miss the meat in this savory, mouthwatering Vegan Lentil Loaf! Makes a wonderful main dish on a holiday, and is easy enough to make any day of the week. Pair with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans for a comforting, classic meal.
I was never crazy about lentil meatloaf because I just couldn’t seem to get it right. Too often my loaf was mushy, sometimes even kind of gummy tasting. I remember one Thanksgiving making a recipe I was so excited about, and it just wasn’t good at all!
Well, no more! I will teach you how to make the best lentil loaf ever. My recipe is meat-eater approved, just like mom used to make but vegan. It’s the perfect vegetarian main dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other holiday.
It holds together well when you slice it and did I mention it tastes incredible? The topping is probably my favorite part.
You might also enjoy The Best Vegan Meatloaf, which features chickpeas instead of lentils. Don’t forget to make a batch of Vegan Dinner Rolls to go with this healthy lentil mushroom loaf!
Ingredients you need (with substitutions)
- Olive oil – Just a tablespoon to sauté the veggies. Use water or vegetable broth for oil free.
- Onion
- Mushrooms – Even if you dislike mushrooms, I encourage you to try them here. They add bulk and texture but you can’t really taste them.
- Carrots
- Walnuts – If you have an allergy, leave them out. Or use sunflower seeds.
- Lentils – Brown or green. Don’t use red, they are too mushy when cooked. I like to use canned to make the recipe a breeze.
- Ground flaxseeds – They help add structure so the loaf stays together well. May leave out if needed.
- Ketchup – For flavor.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce – I can usually find a vegan version at a store near me, such as Annie’s brand.
- Salt
- Dried thyme
- Breadcrumbs – The key to a non-mushy loaf!
How to make Lentil Loaf
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
If you are cooking your own lentils from scratch, start them now. Add 1 cup of green/brown lentils to a medium pot with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Drain well.
In a large pan, cook the onions, mushrooms and carrots for about 5 minutes, until softened. Set aside.
In a food processor, add the walnuts and pulse until a bit crumbly. If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop the nuts small on a cutting board with a large knife, then use a potato masher to lightly mash the lentils once they are done.
If using a food processor, add them to it and pulse just a few times.
Transfer the lentils/walnuts into a large bowl, then add all the other loaf ingredients except the breadcrumbs. Stir well, then add 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs and mix. Mix in the last 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs if the mixture is still quite wet, but not if it’s dry. If it happens to be too crumbly and dry, add a few tablespoons of water. This will largely depend on the moisture level in your lentils.
Push the mixture evenly into the pan, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil, top with the ketchup topping, and pop it back in for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What kind of lentils should I use? Brown or green. Do not use red lentils, they turn to mush when cooked. But I love them for my Best Vegan Lasagna and Red Lentil Dahl!
- Can I use a different topping if I don’t like ketchup? Yes! Sometimes I leave off the ketchup topping and serve with my Easy Vegan Gravy instead. I usually do this for holiday meals when I make The Best Dang Vegan Mashed Potatoes. Gravy. On. Everything.
- Is there a make ahead option? Yes, you can prepare the loaf up to two days ahead of time. Put it together in the pan, but don’t bake it. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, bake it according to instructions.
- How long do leftovers last? In the refrigerator, leftover healthy lentil loaf will keep for 4-5 days. Store in covered containers. It makes the best vegan meatloaf sandwiches!
- Can I freeze lentil loaf? Yes, it freezes well. Let it cool completely, then wrap well and place in a freezer safe container or ziplock bag and freeze. I prefer freezing it in individual slices for easier warming up.
How can I prevent a mushy lentil loaf?
There are a few tips to prevent a mushy loaf. The problem is too much moisture, most likely from the lentils.
I prefer using canned lentils if I can find them, both because it makes the recipe much easier and because when drained, canned lentils aren’t as mushy. I find them to be more consistent.
If you don’t want to use canned that’s fine, but make sure you don’t overcook the lentils and drain them well, even patting them with paper towels, to remove excess moisture.
If the mixture seems really wet, add more breadcrumbs. You don’t want it to be too dry and crumbly, but it shouldn’t be too wet either.
What to serve with vegan lentil loaf
Just like my Vegan Turkey or Vegan Ham, this healthy vegetarian main dish goes with a variety of tasty side dishes:
- Best Dang Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Easy Vegan Gravy
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Instant Pot Kale
- Vegan Caesar Salad or Festive Kale Salad
- Steamed broccoli, green beans, cauliflower or asparagus
More recipes featuring the mighty lentil!
- Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- The Best Lentil Soup
- Lemon Lentil Soup
- Lentil Bolognese
Vegan Lentil Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped small
- 1 medium sized carrot, peeled and diced small
- 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts
- 2 cups cooked green/brown lentils (*SEE NOTE)
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2-3/4 cup breadcrumbs
Topping
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper, for easy removal.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, onions, mushrooms and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and the mushrooms release their juices. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a food processor, add the walnuts and pulse a few times. They should be in small pieces, but not completely a powder. Now add the lentils and pulse a few times.
- Dump the walnuts/lentils into a large bowl, and add the cooked vegetables, ground flaxseeds, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and dried thyme. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Now add 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs and fold in. Add the last 1/4 cup if the mixture still seems wet, but if it’s dry (this will depend on the moisture level of your lentils) don’t add more. If the mixture is crumbly for some reason, add a few tablespoons of water.
- Transfer to the prepared loaf pan, and press the mixture evenly and firmly into the pan. Cover with foil, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Make the topping: Stir all topping ingredients in a small bowl to combine.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil, spread on the ketchup topping and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes. Let cool for about 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- For this loaf, I prefer to buy pre-cooked lentils. They tend to be less mushy than when I cook them myself, plus it makes the recipe faster. I find them at Trader Joe’s in the produce section. You can make your own if you want. You will need 1 cup dried lentils and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes. Drain well, and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you could chop the walnuts with a heavy knife on a cutting board instead, and then use a potato mashed to slightly mash the lentils in the bowl.
- Switch up the topping by making a batch of vegan gravy instead of the ketchup topping.
- Make ahead – Prep the loaf, cover and refrigerate up to two days before. When ready, bake according to instructions.
- Gluten free – Substitute gluten free breadcrumbs or possibly quick oats.
- Storing leftovers – The loaf will keep for 4-5 days covered in the refrigerator. It also freezes well. Cool, wrap well and freeze either a whole loaf or individual slices.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published in 2019 and has been updated with better writing and information. The recipe is unchanged.
I made this today for my vegan Thanksgiving!! So good! Definitely making again.
Very good! My husband also loved it, he really liked the topping mixture. I cooked my own lentils, let them drain over the sink in a sieve for a good 20 minutes. Then I spread them out on the countertop over a double thickness of paper towels and patted them dry. The loaf turned out great, not too wet at all. Packing the mixture into the pan helps a lot. I had to use pecans instead of walnuts which seemed to work out fine. Next time I will use a little less thyme because I thought it stood out a bit much for my taste. Will definitely make this again, thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
I made this on Friday. It’s delicious! I bought your E-book last night. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
This is such a great loaf recipe! I added celery to the veggie mix and a teaspoon of garlic powder when mixing everything together. The only thing is that I didn’t need that much ketchup topping. I’m going to half that part of the recipe next time I make this. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
You’re welcome!
I’ve now made this several times and it’s absolutely delicious! I have a suggestion for Denise K. Instead of using breadcrumbs I use 1/2 cup of rolled oats. It gives me just the right consistency and it’s much healthier.
This was a HUGE win at my house today for Canadian Thanksgiving. I served it with the gravy recipe you linked and served the Ketchup topping on the side (I have a son who is no ketchup fan). Made them both a day ahead (along with the Vegan Pumpkin pie with Vegan Pie Crust that you have on the site – also a HUGE HIT).
Thank you so much, Nora. My kids love the recipes on this site.
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the comment!
Can I make this a day ahead and keep it in the fridge til ready to bake?
Yes, you can.
The taste is great, but I can’t get it to firm up. I added a lot of breadcrumbs, but it still wouldn’t stay together.
Try pushing it down, packing it down in the pan before baking. That will help it be firm and not crumbly. Adding too many breadcrumbs will actually have the opposite effect, so don’t add too many. Hope that helps!
Trying this recipe for the first time and 30 minutes in and the loaf is barely cooked. I’m guessing it’s different for everyone but perhaps cooking time or temp should be adjusted.
Hi there! Well, everything in the loaf is already “cooked” technically, and you don’t want it to get too dry by over baking it in the oven. If you cook it for 30 minutes, then put on the topping and cook for about 10 more minutes, then let it sit for a while, it will be fine. But it’s not like meat that needs to cook through. Hope that helps!
Greetings! I’m new to this lifestyle and would love to try this recipe, but my SONshine is allergic to walnuts, actually all tree nuts but almonds. Do you think almonds would make a good swap for the walnuts? TIA
Yes, I think that would work very well! Hope you both enjoy the recipe!
If I use can lentils do I need to rinse them?
I don’t think you would need to rinse them, no.
I have made this recipe twice now and it’s fantastic! Even my husband who’s not vegan liked it. You don’t miss the meat!
That’s so great to hear!
I’m a relatively new vegan and have loved all of your recipes so far! I’m excited to try this one, but at what point would you recommend freezing it in the recipe? I’m trying to stock my freezer a little.
I would probably freeze it after cooking it completely, but you could just put it together and instead of baking, freeze.
What’s a good substitute for the flax seed, I unfortunately can’t have it for health reasons.
Ground chia seeds would work, or leave out if needed.
Can I omit the mushrooms or are they necessary? I want to make this but the only ingredient I don’t have on hand is the mushrooms
You could leave them out, they just add a bit of texture. It will still be good though!
I made this loaf for the second time yesterday and this time I made sure I packed the mixture firmly in the meatloaf pan. After cooling for a brief period it sliced beautifully. So I’m revising my rating from 4 to 5 stars.
I’m so glad that helped. Thanks!
This recipe was very good; delicious and tasty. The topping was fantastic. The only problem I had was that the meatloaf didn’t slice well. It would fall apart. I used lentils that I had cooked, cooled and dried. I followed the recipe and pulsed them once or twice in the food processor. I’m wondering if maybe I didn’t need to pulse them at all. The mixture looked like it had a nice consistency when I put it in the loaf pan. I’ll definitely make it again but need to know what to do or not to do so that it will be firm and slice well. Any suggestions?
A few things help it not to fall apart when sliced. First, make sure you pack the mixture firmly into the pan. If it’s loose in the pan, it will be more likely to fall apart. Second, after the loaf cooks, give it a little time to cool, which helps it firm up more. The second point might be the most important. Sometimes we are in a rush and just slice it immediately which tastes just as good, but then it might break a bit before it gets to a plate. 🙂 Hope that helps!
Absolutely delicious; certainly looking forward to the leftovers! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. ?
I have a family of five and would like to double this in a bigger dish. What would you suggest for baking time?
It will really depend on the size of your dish, and if it’s going to be shallow, or tall and deep. I’ve never done this, so I can’t really say. I would probably just make two loaves myself instead. It probably will work though, but I’m guessing it will take a lot longer to cook, perhaps an extra 30 minutes, but it’s really guesswork on my part without testing it first.
What can you substitute for nuts. Allergic
You can leave them out completely, or sub chopped up sunflower seeds.
I made this tonight and the flavor was delicious ? I can’t wait to have it again for lunch ?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
So I have made this a couple of times and it is AMAZING ?. It is easy to make and believe it or not it gets better the next day. I’ve used canned lentils and ones I cooked myself and it was Delilah. Tonight I made an Indian twist and used garam masala and coriander as the seasonings. Smells amazing and can’t wait to dig in. Thank you?
Sounds like a delicious twist!
I love this recipe but I am allergic to walnuts. Can I substitute cashews for walnuts?
Yes, no problem.
I followed your recipe & suggestions exactly; it turned out perfectly. The flavors from the seasonings, mushrooms & the texture from the walnuts made this outstanding. The topping was the icing on the cake so to speak for us, absolutely loved it. I made this last night for our dinner, with a baked potato & steamed broccoli. My husband kept saying, this is so delicious, you have to make this again soon ?????
Thats so great! Thanks for the comment.
Is tgwre a good sub for flax that is geneeally on hand? Oil etc. Thanks!
It really depends on the recipe, there is no one good sub!
Best Vegan Loaf yet! I love the consistency. I’ve made many a mushy loaf. This one even looks like the traditional meatloaf I grew up with. I love the topping too
I’m so glad you like it!