This vegan life is loaded with veggies, whole grain brown rice, and lots of flavor! It's hearty and goes great with any side dish or even in a sandwich. Make sure you have cooked brown rice before you get started!
2tablespoonschipotle saucesuch as La Costena, or replace with tomato sauce or BBQ sauce for no spice
⅓cuptomato saucesuch as your favorite marinara sauce or tomato puree
½cuppecansuse sunflower seeds for a nut-free loaf
1tablespoonItalian seasoningor use a 1 teaspoon each dried basil, dried oregano, and dried parsley
2cupscooked brown rice
1cuprolled oatsuse gluten-free oats if needed
For garnish: extra tomato sauce, vegan ketchup, and fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Brush an 8-inch bread loaf pan with olive oil.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil a medium or large pan and heat it over medium heat. Add chopped carrot, onion, and minced garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes). Season with salt.
Place the sautéed veggies in a food processor. Add chipotle sauce, tomato sauce, pecans, and Italian herbs, and blend until combined.
Add cooked brown rice and blend to combine. Then add rolled oats and blend one last time.
Place the mixture into an 8-inch loaf pan and bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaf gets golden brown on top. Another option is to brush with tomato sauce or vegan ketchup for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Let the loaf cool slightly before unmolding and slicing, or it could break apart.
Garnish with extra tomato sauce, and chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
→ You can add other veggies instead of carrots, such as chopped green beans, chopped bell peppers, or substitute some veggies for chopped sundried tomatoes.→ Add more protein by substituting 1 cup of brown rice with TVP soaked in vegan chicken broth and drained (use 1 cup soaked, not 1 cup dry TVP).→ Time saving tip: You can chop the veggies in advance and store them together in a container in the fridge. You can also prepare the recipe in advance and keep the uncooked loaf in the fridge until ready to bake, just cover it with plastic wrap or parchment paper pressed gently on top of the loaf to keep the top from drying out. Add 5 minutes baking time if baking straight from the fridge.