Dinner/Mains

August 4, 2021

Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf

As I mentioned in my previous post, it’s at a point in the year where we are between seasons - winter is winding down, and with it, winter vegetables are past their prime; spring hasn’t arrived, and there is very little to harvest right now. I am relying on my pantry and freezer for most meals. Enter this Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf.

This vegetarian meatless loaf is made from pantry staples like canned chickpeas, brown rice, breadcrumbs, sun-dried tomatoes, and dried herbs. Out of the freezer comes ground flaxseed and frozen spinach, and from the fridge, crumbled feta for a salty, creamy bite. This recipe calls for cooked rice - next time you make rice, reserve one cup of the cooked rice, place it in a freezer-safe container, and freeze it for use later to make this loaf. This no-meat loaf is held together with the help of the liquid from one can of the chickpeas - this liquid is called aquafaba, and is often used as an egg replacement in vegan cooking. That is the purpose it serves here, as a binder for this chickpea-rice mixture. This Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf isn’t vegan, but it can be - just substitute nutritional yeast for the crumbled feta cheese.

Serve this Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf topped with my Roasted Red Pepper Sauce to really take it over the top, and to make it feel extra-comforting. Pair it with roasted vegetables or a side salad for a complete meal!

Ingredients assembled for Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf
Assemble your ingredients.

Stages of making the loaf - mashing chickpeas, then adding remaining ingredients
Start by mashing the chickpeas well. Then add remaining ingredients, and mix until combined. Gradually add reserved liquid from one can of chickpeas until the mixture begins to bind together.

Baked Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf in a white glass loaf pan
Transfer the mixture to a prepared loaf pan, pressing it in firmly, then bake as instructed.

Two slices of Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf on a white plate
Let the cooked loaf rest about 10 minutes before slicing.

Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf slice topped with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and served with roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots on a white plate
This Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf is especially delicious topped with my Roasted Red Pepper Sauce! Serve it alongside roasted vegetables or a salad for a complete meal.


Original publication date: March 11, 2021

Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf

Serve this Mediterranean No-Meat Loaf topped with my Roasted Red Pepper Sauce to really take it over the top, and to make it feel extra-comforting.

Author:

Kira Freed - The Joyful Plateful

Prep:

20

min

cook:

25

min

total:

45

min

Ingredients

2 cans chickpeas, drained - reserve the liquid from one can

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed, well-drained, packed

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (sub 1/3 cup nutritional yeast for vegan option)

1/4 chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 Tbsp. low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)

1 Tbsp. minced dried onion

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9” loaf pan, and set aside.
  2. Place the drained chickpeas in a large bowl. Mash with a fork or potato masher until very few whole chickpeas remain.
  3. Add remaining ingredients to the chickpeas, and fold to combine. The mixture will be dry at this point.
  4. Gently stir the reserved chickpea liquid into the mixture - start with half of the liquid, and add more as needed, until the mixture is moistened and holds together. (In testing several times, I consistently used the whole amount).
  5. Transfer the chickpea mixture to the prepared loaf pan, pressing the mixture in firmly, and smoothing out the top.
  6. Cover the loaf with aluminum foil, and bake the loaf at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
  7. Remove the cover, and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
  8. Remove the loaf from the oven, and let rest 10 minutes.
  9. Slice and serve with roasted vegetables and/or a side salad. Also delicious topped with my Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, which I highly recommend!
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