Easy Vegetarian Meatloaf with Mushrooms Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
This easy vegetarian meatloaf with mushrooms is a hearty twist on a classic meatloaf recipe. It has the flavor of homestyle meatloaf even though it’s made with portobello mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini. It’s the perfect comfort food that packs in plenty of flavors making it a satisfying healthy choice for any mealtime.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Simple and Savory
Although I’m not a vegetarian, I enjoy plant-based meals, and this one is a top pick in our house. It has all of the flavors of a homestyle meatloaf that every meatloaf lover will love!
Why you will love this recipe
- Flavor! This is a hearty veggie meatloaf with a meatloaf glaze that tastes like old-fashioned meatloaf.
- The mushrooms and walnuts give this meatloaf a meaty texture almost like ground beef.
- It’s great for meal prep. It can be made ahead of time and also easily frozen in single portions.
Here is what you will need
This is an overview of the ingredients to make this recipe a long with a convenient (affiliate) link to Instacart. Scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
How to make this vegetarian meatloaf recipe
Prepare the ingredients: Wipe off the mushrooms with a damp cloth and roughly chop them. Roughly chop the carrots, zucchini and onion. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
- Place the mushrooms into the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 4 times until they appear crumbly; remove them from the bowl and place them into a mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining vegetables to the food processor and process them until they become crumbly. Remove the vegetables and place them in a large mixing bowl with the mushrooms.
- Process the walnuts in a food processor until they become crumbly and set them aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat; add the veggie mixture and mushrooms to the pan. Cook for approximately 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and release their liquid. Drain the excess moisture from the sautéed veggies and place in large bowl. Stir in the chopped walnuts, oatmeal and tamari sauce; refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, add the beaten egg and parmesan cheese. Press the mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Mix the ketchup, honey, and mustard together and spread it over the meatloaf. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Substitutions and variations
Vegetables – You can use any combination of vegetables that you like in this recipe. Mild-tasting ones work best, try using diced asparagus, diced red bell peppers, cooked baby turnips, sweet potatoes or beets too.
Mushrooms – Portobello mushrooms are meaty and work really well in this recipe. You can replace them with 12 to 14 ounces of coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, or king oyster mushrooms.
Walnuts – These have a mild flavor and provide a healthy dose of omega 3’s. You can substitute them with an equal amount of cashews, pecans, or almonds.
Vegan – You can easily make this a vegan meatloaf recipe by replacing the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water) and instead of parmesan cheese, use an equal amount of nutritional yeast. For the glaze, replace the honey with an equal amount of maple syrup.
Individual veggie meatloaves – Instead of forming a loaf, press the mixture into muffin cups that are coated with oil or cooking spray and bake for 30 minutes.
Barbecue topping – Save a few minutes and use 1/8 cup of your favorite bbq sauce for the topping.
Make ahead instructions
This is a great recipe for meal prep and making ahead of time. You can make it a few days ahead of time according to the recipe instructions up to the refrigeration step. Store the meatloaf in the refrigerator for up to two days. Just before serving add the egg and cheese; pop it in the oven and bake.
You can also double this recipe, and bake them both. Once the meatloaf is cool, slice leftovers and freeze them into individual portions for a quick dinner.
Thaw frozen meatloaf slices in the refrigerator overnight, or reheat them directly from frozen in the oven or microwave.
What to serve with veggie meatloaf
This delicious meatloaf tastes great as a main dish with just about any side dishes you would serve with traditional meatloaf such as baked potato, mashed potatoes, green beans, a side salad or roasted brussels sprouts.
How to store and use leftovers
Store leftover vegetable meatloaf in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the oven or microwave.
Leftover veggie meatloaf tastes great in a meatloaf sandwich, crumbled in a salad, or in a wrap.
Grab your Free copy !
How to make dinner with what you have!
Get dinner on the table fast! Use this guide to help you whip up a tasty dinner with food you already have in your kitchen!
Tips
- The easiest way to shape veggie meatloaf is to use a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Once the meatloaf is cooked through, lift the paper out of the pan and allow the meatloaf to cool before slicing.
- If your veggie meatloaf is mushy, stir in 1/4 cup of bread crumbs or rolled oats or quick oats for a little more texture.
You might also like these vegetarian recipes
- Vegetarian Taco Lettuce Wraps
- Easy Black Bean Sheet Pan Nacho Salad
- Mushroom Veggie Tofu
- Veggie Burrito Bowls
- Veggie Mushroom Burger
Do you like this recipe or have a question?
Please leave a comment or question and a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating below. I answer all your questions!
Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Veggie Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 4 portobello mushrooms approximately 12 ounces
- 3 carrots
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs or oats
Instructions
- Pre-Heat the oven to 350. Wipe 4 portobello mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and roughly chop them along with 3 carrots , 1/2 medium onion , 1 small zucchini .
- Place the chopped mushrooms into the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 4 times until they appear crumbly; remove them and place them into a mixing bowl.
- Add the chopped carrots, onions, garlic and zuccchini to the food processor and process until crumbly add to a mixing bowl and gently toss.
- Process the walnuts in the food processor until they become crumbly and set them aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat; add the mushrooms and veggie mixture to the pan; cook for approximately 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften, and they release their liquid.
- Transfer the veggie mixture back to the mixing bowl, stir in the chopped wlanuts and oatmeal; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Once the mixture is cool, stir in the beaten egg and parmesan cheese.
- Mix together the ketchup, honey and mustard in a small bowl – spread over the meatloaf
- bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Video
Notes
- Replace the Parmesan cheese with an equal amount of nutritional yeast.
- Use a flax egg instead of an egg: 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water.
- Swap out the honey for an equal amount of maple syrup
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
Recipe FAQs
You can add a quarter cup of breadcrumbs or rolled oats to help bind the meatloaf together. Also baking it in a loaf pan will help it to hold its shape.
As written this recipe is gluten-free. If you add breadcrumbs, it will not be.
Sign Up for Easy Recipes Straight in Your In-Box!
Hi Collern Thanks for your comment. The meatloaf will be fragile, maybe let it cook a little bit longer (5 to 10 minutes) and allow it to cool off before removing the loaf from the pan. It also helps to use a serrated knife to slice it.
This looks amazing and am looking forward to making it! Just was wondering about the portabellas. I have small ones in my fridge and wanted to know maybe the ounces of your mushrooms?
Thanks again for your awesome recipes!
Hi Nikki
The portobello mushroom caps weigh approximately 3 ounces each, so you would need about 12 ounces of mushrooms. you can also use baby bella mushrooms as well or a combination of both!
Hi, when you say to sautée the vegetables, is that including the mushrooms? Also, do u think an extra egg would help hold it together better? Thanks! Cooking this rn.
Hi Katie yes saute the mushrooms too. And an extra egg won’t hurt but I have not had any problems with the recipe as written. As long as I use a loaf pan I hope it turned out ok!
This was so good! When I was a meat eater, meatloaf was my favorite. Since going vegetarian 2 years ago, all the « meatloaf » i’ve tried so far didn’t make it for me. But this one, finally, was so good! I replaced the zucchini with cauliflower. It will become my new » meatloaf » recipe 🙂
I’m glad you liked it Val and I love the addition of cauliflower!
This”meat” loaf is really really good! It’s delicious and easy to make.
I highly recommend it!
Thank you Carol! I’m glad you liked it!