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- Serves 6
- Serving size: ⅙ of recipe
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Most vegan “meat loaf” recipes call for beans, grains, or processed soy foods and taste nothing like mom’s. This homey version features millet, an ideal meatloaf ingredient that takes on the flavor of whatever spices you cook with it. Because millet loses its binding power as it cools, be sure to put the mixture into the baking dish as soon as you finish incorporating the spices.
Editors note: Based on reader comments, we went back to Chef Del Sroufe, who revisited the recipe and agrees the water-to-millet ratio should be 2:1. We've edited the ingredient list to reflect this change. Thanks to our audience for helping us continually fine-tune our recipes.
Recipe from Forks Over Knives — The Cookbook
By Del Sroufe,
Ingredients
- 1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
- ¾ cup millet
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage
- 1 tbsp snipped fresh thyme
- 12 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- ¼ cup hot water
- ¾ cup tomato sauce or ketchup
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan bring broth to boiling. Stir in millet. Return to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cover pan, and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until millet is tender.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. In a large saucepan cook onion over medium heat 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time as needed to prevent sticking. Add sage, thyme, garlic, pepper, and nutmeg; cook and stir 1 minute.
- Dissolve the miso paste in ¼ cup hot water, and stir into onion mixture. Stir in ¼ cup of the tomato sauce and nutritional yeast, if using the yeast. Stir in cooked millet. Season with salt.
- Immediately press mixture into a 9x5-inch nonstick loaf pan. Top with the remaining ½ cup tomato sauce. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Per serving (⅙ of recipe): 125 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 2.7 g protein, 0.8 g total fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 281 mg sodium, 1.9 g fiber, 3.2 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Comments (56)
(5 from 19 votes)I love the taste, but the loaf did not hold together as a loaf. I did wait 10 full minutes before trying to remove it from the loaf pan. I'm thinking of adding a flax egg, as some others have suggested. I love the taste of this "loaf."
What's the trick to getting the entire loaf out of the loaf pan in one piece?
This was delicious, even to a nonvegan like I am. I doubled the recipe and cooked in 2 loaf pans. Could I add mushrooms to the recipe?
This is one of my favorite dishes my wife makes now. We're going to put halved vegan meatballs on top for Thanksgiving.
Here's what I'd sub for miso: an equal amount of tomato paste. Or soak dried shitaki mushrooms, add them and some of the soaking water to a blender, and use the same amount as you would miso. Both options will give a savory, umami boost. Good luck!
I am considering this recipe but need a substitute for the miso paste because I'm allergic to soy. Any suggestions?
I see this has miso paste in it, I can't have soy, what can I use instead?
Hi Kelly, You could try chickpea miso paste, which is a soy-free product that many people use instead of soy-based miso paste.
I’ve made several different variations of vegan “meat” loaf, which I’ve enjoyed, but this millet loaf is a WINNER! Quite honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I looked at the ingredients list. I LOVE garlic but I was apprehensive about using 12 cloves of garlic. However, I followed suit and added it. The only adjustment I made was with the tomato sauce. I used 2 tablespoons of double concentrated tomato paste mixed inside of the millet loaf instead of tomato sauce and I glazed the top of the loaf with bbq sauce instead of tomato sauce. Compliments to the chef for creating this recipe. It’s very delicious. I will make this again and again and again… (smile).
Should be 1 1/2 cups of broth/water. Probably is a typo.
Hi Ann, We reached out to the author, and yes, it looks like it's a typo and should read 1.5 cups. Thanks for weighing in, we've updated the recipe.
An absolute favorite. Have made it several times...so hearty with such flavour. Had some mushrooms so I added them to the pan. Gave it such a meaty texture. 5☆
I will keep this recipe. It is delicious 🙂
I kept checking the millet and it was still soggy! I kept cooking it and cooking it - twice as long as recommended or more... I was thinking the meatloaf would be a soggy mess, but after cooking the millet until all the broth was absorbed, the meatloaf came out beautifully! Way better than I expected. I left it in the oven for 30 minutes after turning it off, which seemed to help. Great flavour and a good solid texture.
Hi Wendy, Thanks so much for your feedback. Based on reader comments we went back and checked with the author. The recipe has been updated to read 1.5 cups broth or water. We hope you have better luck next time!
I’d like it better with added beans or lentils for more protein
I would love to try this recipe, however the comments are all over the place. Delightful to disaster. Would someone please correct/modify the ratio of millet to liquid? Thanks! I don’t want to waste all my ingredients on a soupy mess. Much appreciated~
Soo... The ratio of liquid to millet DOES NOT work. It becomes a soup. My suggestion: use a 2:1 ratio of broth to millet.
Thanks for the tip! I noticed that other reviewers were challenged with a soggy/mushy loaf.
This was the best plant based loaf by far... I love garlic and thought 12 cloves would be too much but it was Fantastic!!! I definite keeper!!!
This was delicious! I sprinkled some fresh basil on top and served with air fryer asparagus. It came out perfectly; would not change a thing.
I love the ready to go package from Wellness Forum, so very yummy and easy to cook
Amazing, firm and very flavourful loaf. Great for company who aren't wfpb. Easy to prepare. Love with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies!! Thanks FOK!!
I’m curious, the water:millet ratio seems right for the “pasta” cooking method in which you would drain excess water but too much for the absorption method. Lots of people seem to end up with a loaf that doesn’t hold together. Should the directions say to drain the cooked millet before adding to the loaf mix?
If in a real hurry just use onion soup mix most are vegetarian just read the ingredients boil Millet in the broth it makes a very nice loaf with the other ingredients have fun
After reading the comments, I made some additions to the recipe: I "reduced" on the stove, the whole 32 oz container of veg broth to make it more flavorful & added 1 vegan bouillon cube. I ended up with 2 1/4 cups broth but it was good. Because some comments said the loaf fell apart & needed a little fat, I added 1 egg replacer, 3 Tbl flaxmeal & 2 Tbl tahini. Instead of tomato sauce, 1/4 cup tomato paste kept the loaf firmer, & topping the loaf with ketchup gave it a little sweetness. Since I have an Italian palate, I changed out the spices for basil, oregano & paprika and added some onion & garlic powders. I guess I kind of rewrote the recipe, but I was pleased with the results. Thank You FOK
Follow up... Since I couldn't find the millet grain but just the flour, I decided not to use either of those. Instead cooked 3/4 cup of brown rice in my Instant Pot and skipped the millet portion of the recipe. I also used a Pyrex shallow pan 5x5 and monitored the internal temp to an average 180F. My oven isn't the best for even heat. I changed the bake time to 15 minutes. Let it cool and placed in fridge for 2 hrs to let firm.It was even better the next day. Turned out to be a perfect loaf.
I could not find millet grain but I did find millet flour. Do I need to adjust the millet quantity for the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Paul, Thanks for posting your follow-up comment about subbing in brown rice instead! We love hearing how modifications work out. In case anyone else comes across this original comment and is curious—we wouldn't recommend using millet flour in this recipe, as it will significantly change the texture and cook time of the loaf. Thank you, Courtney Editor, Forks Over Knives
Great Recipe with a few modifications! I used REGULAR vegetable Broth, and OMMITED the nutmeg. I used a Full 8oz Can of tomato sauce in the millet and decreased the water for the millet to cook. (I'm still experimenting with hw much water) I Added: 2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds to help the millet firm up 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire 1/2 teaspoon Dry (powdered) mustard 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning 2 Tablespoons tomato paste I spread the millet mixture in casserole dish and covered it with Chili Sauce. Most of these ingredients were ones I used to use in making meat loaf. I knew I got it right when someone asked for the recipe with my modifications.
Your liquid to Milley ratio is off. Like a number of others commenting here, I found the millet did not firm up. You have 2-1/2 C. broth + 1/4 C. Miso water + 1/4 C. tomato sauce= 3 1/2 C liquid : 3/4 C. millet A ratio of 4.67 liquid : 1 millet is far too high for the loaf to set properly.
What should the liquid to millet ratio be?
Package says liquid to millet is 2 to 1
What do you all think about adding just eggs as a binding agent to this recipe. Think it work in making it a more sliceable meat-not loaf?
Mine didn't set correctly either, even after letting it sit more than 15 minutes and using mini muffins and a small loaf pan. Initially I reduced the time then put them both back in the oven for the full 30 minutes, but had to cook longer, and it still fell apart after sitting a while. It tastes good; but not something I would serve to guests.
Loved this loaf but need to know if the leftovers can be frozen.
2 cuillères à soupe de pâte miso blanche 3/4 tasse de sauce tomate ou de ketchup 1/4 tasse de levure nutritionnelle (facultatif) Sel, au goût !!!! Je rêve quelle h0rrévr ls né d0ivént jamais être cuits
Can this be frozen? How long can it be held in the refrigerator?
How to measure the 12 cloves of minced garlic using jarred, already minced garlic? Can a glass loaf pan be used instead of a nonstick? Thanks
My jar says on the side that 1/2 tsp is equivalent to one clove.
I love this recipe! What can I substitute for the millet? My grocery doesn't always have it. Can I use quinoa? Thanks!
I loved the flavor, but it did not firm up enough. Slices did not hold. I am going to try again adding either flax egg or oats or maybe both. I would love to hear any suggestions. I did not have fresh herb so I used 1 teaspoon of dried sage and thyme. Again, I though it had a lot of flavor.
I also didn't have sage, so I used oregano. Wasn't too sure about that substitution, but it was great. Always used oregano now.
How did it work with the flax egg? Something I should have tried and/or rolled oats.
I didn't have white miso, so I used red. Very good.
So, I modified the recipe a bit. I had decided to make the baked beans recipe also from Forks Over Knives. It was a day of cooking with what I already had in the house. I had millet and I had beans. Once I saw the recipe for the beans, I decided to use the sauce in the millet loaf as well. I did not use the miso or sage. I added some basil. It turned out wonderfully. And, once cooled, was easy to cut in slices.
Doesn't stay firm, but definitely tasty. Had it over some greens and hummus. Definitely will make this again.
This was absolutely delicious. Made a yummy sandwich the next day.
This one was not my favorite cup of tea (so to speak). After it was cooked I tried numerous ways to do something with it. My hubby put barbecue sauce on and it was acceptable, but still lacked something. To me the flavor was not there or any flavor but a small taste of sage and thyme. Could have been plain and for me would taste the same.
In my experience what is missing is fat. I have another Millet loaf recipe that has you take four cups of canned tomatoes and blend them with two tablespoons of raw sunflower seeds. Doesn't sound like much, but this bit of naturally occurring fat makes a difference (used for cooking the Millet).
My husband and I very much enjoy this meatless loaf. I do, however, need to know the nutrients, i.e., calories, and also the serving size. Thank you for healthy and delicious recipes.
I really need the nutritional information for this dish, i.e, calories. Also, how much is one serving? Thank you so much for all you do to help us be healthy and happy with delicious recipes. Hazel
I have to say, I've tried several of the vegan "meat loaf" recipes, and this one is by far my family's favorite!! We made it for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit!
Please could you suggest what to serve with this to make a complete meal. thanks
We made buffalo cauliflower, and broccoli soup to go with ours. It was epic!!
Veggie of choice, salad, but best of all mashed potatoes with red miso gravy.