Chickpea Wild Rice No-Meat Loaf

The countdown is on -- Thanksgiving is less than 48 hours away! 

In case you missed my Thanksgiving menu, you can find it here. 

I'm sharing my Chickpea Wild Rice No-meat Loaf, as promised. This will be our main dish for Thanksgiving dinner, but it also works well as another side option! 

This vegan loaf is packed with plant protein. The main ingredients are chickpeas, wild rice, and walnuts! Fresh herbs and dried cranberries are also lovely additions that truly give this recipe a holiday flavor. 

Top this loaf with cranberry sauce for a sweet/tart option or mushroom gravy for a savory option!

I hope your holiday is filled with love, laughter, and good food! 

Chickpea Wild Rice No-Meat Loaf 

Serves: 6-8 

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes 

Ingredients

1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup raw walnuts, finely chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries, unsweetened, finely chopped

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

2-3 small garlic cloves, minced

2 flax eggs (2 TBSP ground flax seeds + 3 TBSP warm water)

1/4 cup bread crumbs, gluten free if preferred

1/4 cup vegan parmesan*

2 sprigs fresh oregano leaves, chopped

2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 tsp sea salt

fresh ground pepper, to taste

Warm water, for moisture

Notes:

*Vegan Parmesan: 1 cup raw walnuts, 1 TBSP nutritional yeast, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tsp sea salt. Blend together in a high speed blender until a sand-like texture forms. 

Recommended topping: cranberry sauce, mushroom gravy, additional walnuts or herbs

 

Method

Cook wild rice. Add 1/2 cup rice to a medium saucepan with 1 1/4 cup water. Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, cook for 40-45 minutes. Rice should be tender and water should be absorbed. Set aside to cool.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, lightly grease with coconut oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare remaining ingredients while rice is cooking.

Make flax egg: place flax seeds and warm water in a small bowl or jar. Stir well. Allow to thicken for about 5 minutes.

Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to a food processor. Blend into a rough paste. Add walnuts into the processor, pulse again until only small pieces remain. Now add dried cranberries, pulse again until finely chopped within the mixture. The mix may look dry at some point, if it does, add warm water, 1 TBSP at a time to moisten and encourage even blending. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Place a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil and finely diced onion. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until onions become translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

To the large bowl with chickpea mixture, add cooled wild rice, thickened flax egg, cooled onion/garlic, bread crumbs, vegan parm, chopped oregano and thyme, salt, and pepper.

Now, with clean hands, mix ingredients well. Taste for additional salt/pepper. When the ingredients are fully incorporated, transfer to the prepared loaf pan. Press gently into the pan, ensuring the top is flat for even cooking.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan. Serve immediately, or alternatively, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days and reheat to serve. This also freezes well for later enjoyment!

Nutrition:

Serving Size: 1/6 recipe (1 thick slice)  Total Calories: 223  Total Fat: 15 g

Saturated Fat: 1 g  Sodium: 200 mg  Total Carbohydrate: 20 g 

Fiber: 5 g  Sugar: 1 g  Protein: 10 g