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Chickpea Veggie Loaf with spices and a spicy bbq glaze. Chickpea Cannellini bean Vegan Meatloaf for Thanksgiving and the holidays. Easy and delicious. Vegan Recipe. Nut-free, Soy-free, Can be gluten-free
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It seems to be the year of the chickpeas. This loaf is easy and quick prep if you have cooked/canned chickpeas. It is inspired from my Lentil Quinoa Loaf. This is a great loaf for anyone who finds lentils too earthy.
Cook some veggies. Pulse the chickpeas and beans, add spices, shape and bake. You can also shape the mixture into fat balls or patties and bake. Use your favorite glaze or my spicy bbq sauce glaze. Serve with cranberry sauce or gravy, some mashed potatoes, other sides and the menu is done! I used up some leftover slices in tacos with guacamole and sprinkled with chipotle pepper. Pictured below with Spicy Cranberry Sauce and Butternut, Apple, Pecan, Cranberry Salad with Harissa spiced Pecans.
More Thanksgiving Mains Recipes:
- Lentil Quinoa Loaf
- Cauliflower Steaks with mushroom gravy GF
- Lasagna Bechamel with Sweet Potato and Cauliflower layers.
- Cauliflower Alfredo, Spinach, Artichoke Lasagna. can be GF
- Easy Vegan Veggie Lasagna. Can be GF
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower with creamy makhani sauce .
Steps:
Cook the veggies, process the beans and half the veggies. Transfer to a bowl and mix in spices and sauces. Get in there to mix and mash if needed.
Press into loaf pan. Glaze and bake.
Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan. Cool completely before slicing.
Serve with sides of choice and sauces or gravy.
This amazing loaf is also in my second book Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen
Chickpea Veggie Loaf - Vegan Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
For the Loaf:
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 red onion chopped, 3/4 cup
- 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery , or use other veggies
- 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper , or carrots or both
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries, optional
- 15 oz can chickpeas , or 1.5 cups cooked
- 15 oz can cannellini beans, or other white beans or use more chickpeas or cooked lentils
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 to 4 tbsp my soy free barbecue sauce
- 1.5 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chia seed meal , or 1.5 Tbsp flax seed meal
- 1 Tbsp Tahini, optional
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne , or chipotle pepper powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme , or rosemary or 2 tsp fresh
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 cup or more breadcrumbs or a mix of half oats and half breadcrumbs, (for gf use coarsely ground oats or gluten-free breadccrumbs)
Glaze
- 3 tbsp bbq sauce
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp ketchup
- a generous dash of freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil, onions and garlic and pinch of salt. Cook until translucent. Add celery, peppers, cranberries and cook for 3 minutes, * You can cook the veggies without oil. Cook onions and garlic in a splash of broth or water until translucent, then add other veggies.
- Drain the chickpeas and beans really well. In a food processor, process the chickpeas, beans, cilantro, parsley and half of the cooked veggie mixture. Pulse, process until the mixture is half mashed and half coarsely chunky. You can add a handful of greens in as well at this step. .
- Transfer to a bowl. Mix in the chia seed meal into the bbq sauce + lemon juice in a small bowl and let it sit for a minute. Add spices, tahini, bbq sauce mixture, leftover veggies to the beans bowl. Mix in. Add in the breadcrumbs and mix in. The mixture should be like a veggie burger mixture. If too wet, add more breadcrumbs. If too dry, add a tbsp of aquafaba (chickpea brine). or 1 tsp chia/ flax seed meal mixed in 1 tbsp water. Taste the mixture and adjust salt, spice, seasoning.
- Transfer the mixture to parchment lined loaf pan with parchment sheet hanging out to make it easy to remove the loaf. Even it out(by lightly pressing. too much pressing will make a mashed texture loaf ) If you don't have a pan, use a parchment lined baking sheet and shape into a rectangular log.
- Prepare the glaze by mixing everything and spread over the loaf.
- Cover the loaf with parchment, bake at pre-heated 400 degrees F / 200ºc for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, till toothpick from the center comes out clean. Bake longer for taller loaf or if you want crispier edges.
- Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan. Cool almost completely and slice with a serrated knife.
- Or shape into balls and bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Serve with cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes or other sides of choice.
Video
Notes
Add 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast.
Add 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms with the onions.
Add 1/4 cup walnuts, oats or cooked rice with the beans in the processor for more textured loaf. Freeze: Bake the loaf, cool, slice and freeze the individual slices. To reheat, reheat slice on a skillet like a burger patty or bake for 15 mins. Nutritional values based on one serving ( 2 slices)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It tastes great but it’s quite crumbly and dry. The slices aren’t holding together. I used flax instead of chia seeds. Oh well! Glad I did this 2 days before Thanksgiving. All your other recipes are spot on, I have made so many of them over the years.
Oh no! Maybe it got baked too long. Ovens vary in heating as well as the pan you use would matter. Try bake 10 mins less if you try again.
You can crumble this one up and use it anywhere or you need some kind of veggie meat crumbles
Also the loaf will get moist as it sits. It’s crumbliest right after baking
Can I skip the bbq sauce?
yes in both parts (loaf & sauce) – just use a little less breadcrumbs
My experience with vegan recipes is somewhat new but it’s not the first time I came across your amazing recipes and thanks to you I’m ever so often able to ‘convert’ my family to healthy recipes. Your Salted Date Caramel, Chocolate Pie with Almond Coconut Crust is in all honesty the best sweet recipe I have ever tried. Keep amazing us with your skills!
that’s awesome! thanks for the 5 stars. & keep it up too
I absolutely love this recipe… so easy follow…it turned out so delicious!!
Will definitely be making this again😋!!
Awesome
Fifth time making this so I feel like it’s time for a review. Five stars all the way! The taste, texture and presentation all is 5 star!
The 5th time I made it was for my boyfriend’s Valentine’s Day dinner and I shape the loaf into a heart. . He loves this recipe, it’s his favorite vegan meal!
awesome
I tried my hand at this yesterday and made a few swaps with the veggies did not have any chia seed meal or flax but it still held together really well and it was delicious! Will definitely be remaking this 100%!!
awesome
I made as directed, including the optional ingredients and 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, and it was awesome!
I particularly like your bbq sauce. Actually, I made it without the liquid smoke and it was still super tasty!
Next time I will keep it in the oven a little bit longer to get a slightly drier texture.
This is a great recipe for Thanksgiving…thank you!
Thanks!
We found the glaze to be too rich. What would your gravy recommendation be. The loaf didn’t hold its shape when cutting so I’ll use the Aquafaba next time.
you can use half the glaze or no glaze.Use my mushroom gravy or plain flour gravy veganricha.com/?s=gravy
Can this be made the day before and then bake it the day of? Or does it need to go in the oven right after making?
you can assmeble and refrigerate for upto 2 days and bake when needed
It is cooking as I write this. I am so excited because it tastes and looks amazing. My question is, Will this freeze well?
yes, slice and freeze
We liked this fine the day I made it, but we LOVED it cold the next day for sandwiches!
awesome!