Tempeh Meatloaf (Meatless Meatloaf)

IMG_4153

Vegan Sunday dinner: my new tempeh meatless meatloaf. It might rival my tempeh meatballs as the best thing I have ever made. These loaves start out in a similar way as the meatballs but are then flavored in their own special way.

2105-3017_m

I buy Barry’s Tempeh which comes in 1lb. packages so I make 4 mini loaves at a time for maximum kitchen efficiency. Each loaf serves 2 people. I store the extra in the refrigerator and we end up with meatloaf sandwiches for a few days.

Note: Commercial tempeh comes in 8oz packages so you would have to use 2 packages for this recipe. I can’t vouch for that kind of tempeh though. You can also add 1 or 2 shredded carrots to the mix. If your breadcrumbs do not have parsley, chop some and add it to the mix. And, finally, to make this gluten free, use almond meal/flour.

1 lb. soy tempeh
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon tamari
1 small onion
1 big clove of garlic
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chickpea or sweet white miso

Sauce for the Top
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons really good balsamic vinegar

Break up the tempeh in crumbles. They don’t have to be too fine, just so that the block is broken up. Add to a pot along with the water and tamari. Mix it all together to try to coat the tempeh with the tamari. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Every few minutes go in with a wooden spoon and break the tempeh up even more.

Let the tempeh sit and cool. In the meantime, dice an onion into a small dice and mince the garlic. Place in a pan and water or oil sauté until soft.

In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and miso. Add the tempeh, onions and garlic, and breadcrumbs, Mix well.

Separate the mixture into four equal amounts. Press each portion together very well and then, one by one, press them into each mini loaf cavity. Press the mixture down to make it compact and to reach the edges of the cavity, about 3/4 of the way up to the top.

IMG_7508

Make the sauce for the top by whisking together the ingredients. Spoon it over the top and spread it out evenly.

IMG_7509

Bake in a 350 oven for 45 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before attempting to take the loaves out.

IMG_7510

Use two spatulas to carefully remove the loaves. Slice, serve and enjoy!

IMG_4156

3 thoughts on “Tempeh Meatloaf (Meatless Meatloaf)

  1. This turned out delicious! I’ve made a lot of lentil/mushroom/walnut/chickpea loaves in the 13 years since I went veg and this as got to be the best one so far! The glaze is delicious and the texture is so much better than lentils, which always end up mushy. I added some chopped mushrooms and celery as well as fresh parsley. Since I added more moisture with the mushrooms, I added some extra breadcrumbs. I also added dried sage, rosemary, and thyme since I was testing out the recipe to serve at Thanksgiving.

    I made these in muffin tins and had to let it rest quite a bit to get it out of the pan in one piece as it was quite soft at first and even after 30 mins I had to be extremely careful with it. I think next time I’ll add a couple flax eggs. Thanks for the recipe!

Leave a Reply