I don’t hear much talk of tempeh these days–but lest it be forgotten, tempeh is a wonderful source of protein and texture for those transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Tempeh is made from whole soybeans and is way less processed than tofu, so it is a great plant-based, whole food product.
Over the years, I have tried more than a few vegan loaf recipes and I keep coming back to the same few over and over. These are the ones that make it to the blog.
I don’t know what’s taken me so long to add this one. It comes from the Everyday Happy Herbivore Cookbook by Lindsay Nixon. It holds together exceptionally well, due to the addition of quick-cooking oats (which also makes it gluten-free, if you buy the gf certified oats).
It has a great flavor and I like to add a tomato glaze, making it more like the kind I grew up with. There is no added oil, so that’s also another plus. This loaf makes great sandwiches as well.
Enjoy!
Tempeh Meatloaf
1 c instant oats
1 8-oz pkg tempeh, shredded, using a cheese grater
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1⁄2 tsp browning sauce (optional)
Tomato glaze (optional, see recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a standard bread pan and set aside. Mix all ingredients together and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to the bread pan and pack it down tightly, making sure it gets into the corners. Top with tomato glaze, if using. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until firm and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before trying to pry it out and cutting slices. The longer you wait, the better it will hold.
Tomato Glaze
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
Blend together and spread over top of loaf before baking
Images courtesy Chef Melanie daPonte
This looks delicious! I for one love tempeh and I think it deserves more attention! This loaf got my attention for sure, great recipe Melanie!
Thanks, Larice! I wish there were a campaign touting the goodness of tempeh. It’s all about how you handle it. It can be delicious or it can be terrible (just like tofu) 🙂
I agree! And there’s so much you can do with it!
Looks delicious! Anything with Tempeh always gets my attention 😊
I just love Tempeh and the idea of making a meatloaf out of it sounds just incredible! Can imagine how delicious this will taste 🙂
It’s so good!!
Mel, I haven’t thought of making vegan meatloaf with tempeh. Actually, I have made vegan meatloaf for my last Christmas dinner. It tastes great as well.
I like to adapt your tempeh idea for the coming festival. Thanks!
Oh, that sounds great! I hope you try it 🙂
A wonderful recipe. I like the addition of nutritional yeast. We took yeast tablets along with cod liver oil and one iron tablet every morning before going to school. The iron helped us pump those neurons. Heh heh heh!
Thanks for stopping by!
This sounds amazing! I just know I will be making this many times over the long winter!
So good, Skat! Makes great sandwiches, too!
As soon as I get some tempeh, I will try it. Thanks! Your choices are always so good.😊
This is a find! Thank you for sharing!❤️
My pleasure 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I thought I’d made every possible vegetarian meatloaf, but I never thought of shredding tempeh! Tempeh is one of the alternatives that my husband really likes, so I will give this a try!
Oh, I hope you do try it. This one is definitely husband-approved! Just be careful not to over-bake, being that there is no added fat here. If you have a box grater ( I’m guessing you certainly do) you can alternate large and smaller holes for textural interest. Thanks for stopping by 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Love this
Thanks! Stop by anytime 🙂
This is fantastic!
Indeed :-)Thanks for stopping by!