Yes! One of my fave things to do in the world: take a somewhat “unhealthy” Italian favorite and give it a complete makeover. Last week it was stuffed shells, today it’s meatloaf.

Honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan of meatloaf. It’s probably because I wasn’t really exposed to it as a kid; if my mom was making something with ground meat you better believe it was meatballs. And plus, the name just throws me off a little bit.

And yet, when I made my healthy spin on this classic dish, a vegetarian quinoa meatloaf, I loved it. In fact, I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed it. Normally I’m not big into leftovers, especially after I’ve spent a long day testing the recipe, but this was pure gold. I had it for lunch and dinner the next two days.

Now I know some people might be a little put off by the sounds of this recipe. Meatloaf without the meat? Is it going to be any good?

Of course, I would never share anything that wasn’t delicious BUT this lentil loaf surprisingly has a very meat-like texture. The combination of lentils, mushrooms, walnuts and quinoa make it tender and juice, but it still has structure so it’s not just a slice of soggy mush.

I’ve found that when you’re thinking about recreating a meat-based dish into something that’s vegetarian and vegan friendly, you really want to start with ingredients that have a meat-like quality. Things like mushrooms, lentils and nuts can all do this, especially when you’re going for a ground meat consistency.

As I was thinking about this quinoa meatloaf, my main goal was to get the texture right, but I also wanted to make sure I could jam in as many nutrients as possible. Luckily, when you have a plant-based meal like this, it kind of naturally just happens. This loaf is packed with protein, fiber and  healthy fats, doesn’t use any oils or refined sugars AND it’s topped with a dreamy tomato glaze that’s way tastier than the traditional ketchup ones.

When they’re all ground together, along with quinoa and a few other ingredients, the texture really does come out like meat. It’s tender, juicy and flavorful, is still packed with protein and healthy fats, and yet does’t have any animal products. Win-win in my book.

I mean just look…aren’t plants amazing? Vegan meatloaf that looks like real meatloaf. It’s incredible what you can do with them!

For this recipe, we start with a sauteed medley of carrots, mushrooms, shallots and garlic which helps to elevate the flavor of the entire loaf. If we were to just add the veggies in raw, we would miss out on the smokiness they get from being cooked together on high heat.

After the veggies, comes the lentils which bring a nice earthy, especially when paired with the buttery walnuts. The walnuts, quinoa and oats also help give the loaf a little crunch. Remember…we’re avoiding sogginess at all costs here, so the crunch was more than welcome.

Then I have the classic addition of tomato and Italian spices, as well as a little nutritional yeast which gives just a hint of cheesiness (with the actual cheese of course).

So whether you’re looking for a meatless meal or just want to change up your normal routine, this protein-packed quinoa meatloaf is definitely a recipe you need to add to your list. It’s super easy to make, freezes well and makes for awesome lunch leftovers.

And also, since we’re celebrating National Nutrition Month, this recipe includes FIVE of my 10 best ingredients list:

1. lentils
2. quinoa
3. oats
4. nutritional yeast
5. flaxseed meal

Pretty great, don’t ya think!?

Your turn…

Have you experimented with turning any meat-based meals meatless? I’d love to hear what your favorite tips and tricks are in the comments below! And if you end up making this recipe, I’d love for you to snap a pic and tag @simplyquinoa on Instagram OR send me a snap (@alyssarimmer)! LOVE seeing your creations

xx A

 

 

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The post Vegan Lentil + Quinoa Meatloaf appeared first on Simply Quinoa.