This Lentil Sweet Potato Loaf is my new go-to plant-based meatloaf.
This vegan meatloaf loaf brings traditional savory flavors together with a hint of sweetness from the potatoes. The ingredients are wholesome and nutritious, and yet it is not labor-intensive.
This recipe can also be found in Dreena’s Kind Kitchen. I created this recipe as an easier version of my no-fu loaf. I love the no-fu, but I wanted something that I could prep even quicker. Something quick like my Autumn Dinner Loaf.
The quick prep comes from batch-cooking – sweet potatoes, in particular.
You know my love for sweet spuds!
The sweet potatoes add a slight sweetness, as well as a moist texture and a beautiful color to this lentil loaf.
Once you have the sweet spuds cooked, you can reach for ready-cooked lentils (like Trader Joe’s) and let the processor do the rest of the work. (well, mostly!)
If you are also a fan of my popular No-Fu Loaf, I think you will love this sweet potato meatloaf. It is a little easier and incorporates those beautiful sweet spuds… just look at the color!
I shared a demo of this vegan meatloaf recipe, watch and get some extra tips (plus enter to WIN a copy of Dreena’s Kind Kitchen) by commenting on the video.
Recipe follows… happy cooking! x Dreena
Lentil and Sweet Potato Meatloaf
This loaf brings traditional savory flavors together with a hint of sweetness from the potatoes. It holds together well and is surprisingly easy to prep. With batch-cooking sweet potatoes and having lentils at the ready, the food processor takes care of the rest of the work!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked brown lentils divided
- 1 cup cooked orange sweet potato flesh cooled
- 1/2 cup cooked red or Yukon Gold potato flesh cooled
- 1 medium-large clove garlic peeled
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes
- 2 tablespoons flax meal
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 11/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray or wipe a glass loaf pan with a smidgen of oil and line with parchment paper, letting the paper overhang the sides of the dish.
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In a food processor, combine 1 cup of the lentils, the potatoes, garlic, tomato paste, tamari, onion flakes, flax meal, balsamic, tahini, oregano, thyme, celery seed, and black pepper. Puree briefly, until fairly well combined but not completely smoothed out. Add the remaining 1 cup lentils, the oats, and the pumpkin seeds and pulse a couple of times, scraping down the bowl as needed, until the mixture is fairly well combined but still has texture—take care not to overprocess. Remove the blade and use a silicone spatula to mix a little more by hand.
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Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan. Smooth out with a spatula to evenly distribute the loaf in the dish. For the topping, you have a couple of options. You can mash the additional sweet potato and spread it over the top, then sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Or, you can go with a more traditional topping of ketchup or barbecue sauce, spreading it on top with a spatula or brush.
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Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 6–7 minutes, until the topping is set. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes. Lift the loaf out of the dish using the parchment. Slice and serve!
Notes
- Break up leftovers into bite-size pieces and roll into “meatballs.” Bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes, or until heated through and browning in spots (or another few minutes for a crispier texture), and serve with pasta.
- Use in sandwiches or tortilla wraps for lunches.
