After a long and tiring day, there is nothing more rewarding than a comfy, healthy meal to relax and enjoy at home. However, time constraints, exhaustion and laziness can quickly become our worst enemies when wanting to eat incredible meals and try new things. It is not rare that we end up ordering take-out or fast food to find a quick and easy solution to this inconvenience that dinner time has become.
That is why today we bring you a recipe that will help you tackle this problem. This is something you can make in advance and have in your fridge to reheat on those lazy nights and still enjoy a meal like grandmas and grandpas used to make.We are talking about a vegan mushroom meatloaf made with, you guessed it, mushrooms, rice, beans, veggies and a homemade vegan barbecue sauce.
It may sound complicated… but fear not! Following our directions and taking your time to make it, you will succeed in making this delicious vegan loaf (which, in addition to being incredibly delicious as it is, also makes for a great addition to any sandwich).
Meatless Vegan Loaf
If you want to try a different plant-based recipe packed with flavor and nutrients, you are going to love out meatless vegan loaf.This is what you will need:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of cooked brown rice.
- 2 cans of kidney beans or any red bean.
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms.
- 1 large onion.
- 4 cloves of garlic.
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
- 1 cup rolled oats.
- ½ cups raw cashews.
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce.
- ½ cup roasted sunflower seeds.
- Olive oil.
- Dried thyme.
- Black pepper.
- Sage.
- Salt.
For the sauce:
- ⅓ cups of ketchup.
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar.
How to make it:
- Before you start, we recommend you organize all your ingredients. This way, the whole process ends up being easier and faster. Measure all your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Finely chop your mushrooms, onions and garlic cloves. Set them aside.
- Place a Dutch oven or a large pot that can resist the heat of an oven, over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic and cook them for about seven to ten minutes. Add soy sauce, a little bit of salt, and two tablespoons of tomato paste. Combine all the ingredients and let it all simmer until the liquid is absorbed by the mushrooms. Set aside.
- Combine your oats, raw cashews and sunflower seeds with two tablespoons of cornstarch. Season with some salt, black pepper, and ground sage, and put it all in a food processor. Ground it for about a minute and add it to the mushroom mixture. Set aside.
- Now is the time to add cooked brown rice and your beans into the food processor as well. You want to break the grains but retain some texture. Bear in mind that, if you don’t have a food processor, you can use a fork or a potato masher.
- Combine the rice and beans with your mushroom, onion and garlic mixture. Transfer it all to your Dutch oven or your oven-safe dish. Press the mixture evenly into the pan. Smooth the top and cover it with aluminum foil.
- Bake it all for about an hour.
- While this is baking, it is time to make the sauce. Add ⅓ cups of ketchup, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar into a bowl and whisk to combine all ingredients. You can even put this into the microwave in intervals of about a minute, to dissolve all sugar crystals.
- After an hour has passed and the vegan loaf is ready, remove it from the oven and uncover the dish. Spread our sauce on top and return to the oven until it has caramelized. This should take another ten to fifteen minutes.
- Remove your incredible vegan loaf from the oven and let it cool before serving. Enjoy!
Helpful tips:
- If you make this recipe and want to store it in the fridge, first leave it to cool completely. After that, you can store the loaf in a container with a lid. It can last for up to four days.
- This vegan loaf makes for a great sandwich filling. Try it with ciabatta bread, some greens like arugula, avocado, tomato, and balsamic vinegar, and enjoy!
