Nut Roast is a delicious vegetarian meal, made with a combination of nuts, veggies, and cheese. It tastes even better than traditional meatloaf!
Why You’ll Love It
It’s tastes amazing. The combination of fresh herbs, nuts, and sautéed veggies make this nut roast a dish you’ll be proud to serve at Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner.
It’s gluten-free. If you’re serving guests who need a gluten-free or grain-free entree, this dish is the perfect option. The nuts replace any need for flour!
It’s filling. Made with vegetables, eggs, cheese, and nuts, this loaf is a great source of protein and fiber.
It’s space saving. The loaf pan takes up minimal space in the oven, in case you need to bake more than one thing for a holiday meal.
You can make it ahead of time. You can sauté the veggies and stir together the nut roast mixture up to 2 days in advance. (See tips below!)
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in nut roast?
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Brown rice
- Mushrooms
- Eggs
- Parmesan
- Fresh herbs
The combination may sound a little unusual, but the resulting flavor and texture are remarkably delicious. It visually resembles a meatloaf, and the savory flavor goes perfectly with your favorite vegetable side dishes.
How to Make Nut Roast
1. Prep the mushrooms.
In a food processor fitted with an S-blade, briefly process the mushrooms until they have a crumbly texture. You may need to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of your machine, then set them aside.
Chop the onion, garlic, thyme, and parsley, too, so they are ready to go when you need them. If you don’t have cooked brown rice on hand, you’ll also need to cook that. (Try Instant Pot Brown Rice, for a hands-off method.)
2. Sauté.
Add the olive oil to a large frying pan over medium heat, and sauté the onion until it softens, about 5 minutes.
Next, add in the garlic, thyme, and mushrooms. Continue to cook the veggies until the mushrooms release some liquid, about 8 more minutes.
While you wait for the veggies to cook, add the walnuts and pecans to the bowl of the food processor you just used. (No need to clean it first.) Process briefly, until the nuts look like a coarse flour.
3. Mix.
Transfer the cooked veggies to a large mixing bowl, then add in a cup of cooked brown rice, the ground nuts, Parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, and black pepper. Stir well, until the mixture looks relatively uniform.
Prepare a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan by lightly spraying it with oil, then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan. (The oil will hold the parchment paper in place, and make it easier to remove from the loaf tin later.)
Transfer the nut loaf mixture to the pan, and flatten it with a spatula.
4. Bake.
Bake at 375ºF for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf looks golden and feels firm in the center.
You can also use an instant read thermometer, to make sure the center of the loaf has reached an internal temperature of at least 160ºF.
5. Enjoy!
Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then it’s ready to slice and serve. You can serve this with your favorite holiday side dishes, like mashed potatoes, vegan gravy, and cranberry sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use any mixed nuts that you have on hand. Cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, and almonds should all work. Just make sure that they are finely ground before you add them into the mix.
You can use any other veggies that you prefer, like chopped carrot and celery.
Yes, you can replace fresh herbs with a third of the amount of dried spices. So, 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme would be the same as 1 teaspoon of dried thyme. (1 Tbsp = 3 tsp.)
I don’t have a vegan nut roast recipe for you yet (and I don’t recommend using flax eggs for this one), but be sure to try vegan meatloaf, which is made with lentils and topped with a quick homemade tomato sauce.
Yes, you can saute the veggies, and stir the mixture together. Store that in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours. When you’re ready to bake it, transfer the nut loaf mixture to the loaf pan and bake at 375ºF for 50 to 60 minutes. (Or until the center is cooked through and reaches an internal temp of 160ºF.)
More Holiday Recipes to Try
Easy Cranberry Sauce. Made with fresh cranberries and orange juice, this one tastes better than anything you’d buy from a can. (Try adding orange zest, if you like extra orange flavor.)
Vegan Sweet Potato Pie. This pie tastes better than pumpkin! Top it off with coconut whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg, for a cozy holiday dessert.
Vegan Mushroom Gravy. This blended gravy is thickened by blending vegetables, rather than using flour and vegan butter. The flavor is out of this world!
Butternut Squash Soup. Made with apples and cinnamon, this soup makes an excellent Fall side dish or starter.
Easy Nut Roast (Vegetarian Meal)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 1 pound mushrooms (I used a mix of cremini and shiitake)
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ¾ cup walnut halves
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 1 cup pre-cooked brown rice
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. (I like to spray the pan with a bit of oil first, to help the parchment stay in place.) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and saute the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- While the onion is cooking, quickly process the mushrooms in a food processor fitted with an "S" blade to break them down into an almost rice-like texture. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the onion in the skillet, and saute until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates, about 8 more minutes.
- While everything is cooking, pulse the walnuts and pecans in the food processor (no need to rinse it after chopping the mushrooms) until they resemble a coarse flour.
- Transfer the ground nuts to a large bowl, along with the cooked brown rice, parmesan, eggs, parsly, thyme, salt, and 5-6 grinds of fresh black pepper. Add in the cooked mushroom mixture, and stir well to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, and use a spatula to smooth the top. Cook the loaf at 375ºF until the top is golden and firm, about 40 to 45 minutes. (The internal temperature should reach at least 160ºF.) Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan, then slice and serve.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The leftover loaf makes a great stuffing/filling for roasted squash, if you want to repurpose the dish!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Notes:
- If you need a dairy-free loaf, you can try swapping the Parmesan for 3/4 cup bread crumbs instead to help with binding. In that case, I’d season the mixture with at least 1/4 teaspoon more salt to compensate.
- For a vegan recipe, try my Vegan Meatloaf instead. Or my Stuffed Kabocha Squash for another vegan main-entree!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too! We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: Have you ever tried a nut loaf before? This is totally NOT something my husband would usually eat, but he tried this and told me he loves it! So I hope it’s a hit with your holiday guests, too.
Is the 1 cup of rice measured before or after cooking?
After cooking.
Is there anything that I can use in place of the Parmesan cheese or can I omit it?
There’s a note below this recipe about possibly using breadcrumbs instead. I haven’t tested this without the cheese yet, so I’d love to hear if you try it that way!
Love this nut roast!! My husband is vegetarian and can’t tolerate lentils, so this is perfect for us. I made it this morning to make sure he would like it, and we’ve already eaten half of it between the two of us! Can’t wait to make it again for Thanksgiving.
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, Rachel! Thanks for letting me know.
This is perfect and hearthy. Taste is amazing. MUST TRY! thanx so much
I have tried several of your recipes already this month that have all been a bit! I can’t wait to try this out for Christmas Eve! This may be a strange question, but do you think this would work in a muffin pan? And if so, how would you adjust the cooking time? Just thinking it would be more appealing to my toddler in that shape and size and cutting down the cooking time would be great, too!
*hit, not bit. Sorry!
I think that’s a great idea! My guess is they would need to bake about 30 minutes in a muffin pan, but let me know if you try it!
It’s delicious! So good. Do you think it can be frozen in slices? I’ve got a lot left over and would love to freeze it in portions. Let me know what you think. Thank you!
Yes, I bet it would freeze well!
So good!!! I had my husband make this and he isn’t used to cooking so he got a bit flustered BUT the final product was amazing even without parsley or Parmesan cheese (I think he subbed some grated cheddar and bread crumbs but honestly don’t know- we didn’t have parsley and he didn’t sub anything). My only regret is that it’s a small loaf so next time I’ll double the recipe (we eat leftovers a lot in this house!!).
I’ve been doing all your recipes this week from your new meal plan (plus the 30 min prep for lunch!) and all the meals have been SO good. This one was amazing though!! I’ve never had a nut roast before and was a little skeptical at first. However, even just baking it in the oven already smelled delicious, but I will admit I really love mushrooms. And then when I tried it the flavors were perfect. My husband can be very doubtful about healthier alternatives however he loved it too. Thanks!
I am looking forward to making this roast. I love that it is very low carb. as my husband has diabetes, and I also try to watch my carbs. I have a question about the cholesterol count. This must be with adding the Parmesan cheese. I am wondering besides the egg and cheese what other ingredients contain cholesterol? Thanks for your help.
I believe all plant foods are cholesterol-free, so only the eggs and cheese will contribute to that.
What would be the best egg replacement for this recipe? (new to veganism)!
Made this before with great success; subbing oats for rice today as I forgot to have some ready. Let’s see how it turns out! I left them dry.
I have loved nut roast since the 80’s. I worked at a cafe where the owner created his own recipe. You version is the closest to his! Thanks so much! Laurie
Amazing!!
Can a flax egg or chia egg be used as a substitute for the regular egg? Also, what could substitute for the mushrooms or can they just be omitted? Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes!
I don’t think the loaf will hold together with a flax egg in this case. Maybe a powdered egg replacer could work, but I couldn’t say for sure without testing it. Since the loaf is so moist, it would probably need something dry as a binder to not use an egg. Maybe try my Vegan Meatloaf recipe if you want something without eggs and mushrooms?
I never comment but this turned out so delicous.Megan, thanks for your recipes, I have your books and tend to turn to them a lot!
I made for my family for Canadian Thanksgiving. I used a silicone loaf pan and just flipped it out perfectly. Everyone enjoyed, but suggested maybe a vegan gravy or chutney would be nice.
My husband and I have been trying to eat more plant-based meals. I made this several days ago, and he’s been raving about it to friends and family since! Looking forward to making it again!
This is the second time I have made this nut roast recipe and my husband and I absolutely love it! I used 3/4 cup of pecans and 1/2 cup of hazelnuts for the walnuts as I’m allergic to them and it is very delicious. My only comment is that it takes longer than 15 minutes prep time when you have a pound of mushrooms to clean in addition to the time to saute the onions and then the mushroom mixture to reduce the liquid. That aside, the recipe is very much enjoyed by both of us and is a keeper. Thank you!
I made this last night and wow!!!! I just did a few changes, didn’t add the rice so increased the amount of mushrooms and used nutritional yeast instead of the parmesan cheese. Just wonderful! Thanks a lot!!! I’m your super fan…well, all my family is 😉
I think I will try this with Trader Joe’s Rice Mix…You can cook it or buy the frozen…
I made this last night for our Thankgiving vegetarian option and it was very good! LOVE this recipe!
Can you make prep the loaf night before and then bake it the next day?
Can this loaf be made a day ahead and reheated on the day of serving?
Looks yummy! 🙂 I’d like to make this for Christmas – would it be possible to prepare the loaf and bake it the following day?
Delicious recipe! It was for xmas dinner, I made a mushroom gravy and even cranberry sauce to go with it. After reading the comments, I doubled the batch as another reviewer wished they had done and boy do I regret it. I have enough loaf to feed about 25 people! For the 2 of us it is far too much, just stick to a x1 recipe. The loaf is very filling! Also very tasty, perfect umami.
I follow your recipes with great interest and I have made many delicious dishes and desserts! Thank you for the inspiration! 🙂
I am trying to cut down on the carbs…I wonder if this recipe will work with quinoa or coliflouwer rice instead of brown rice…
This is one of my favorite recipes. It is easy to make and tastes delicious!
Love this! I’ve tried a few vegetarian “meatloaf” recipes and this is by far the best. Since I’m the only vegetarian in the house I cut the recipe in half and use a smaller size loaf pan. Works perfectly.
Oh my goodness this is so very good! I just made it for dinner tonight and have plenty left over for lunches for us both. Also made a mushroom gravy which was great with it. Thank you as always for your gift to the world of providing these easy to follow and delicious recipes!
Ok – I just need to say…you are a genius!! This is such a delicious loaf and, while a bit time consuming to clean all the mushrooms and cook out the liquid, was very easy to prepare. I will definitely keep in mind to prep more next time I make it. I did eyeball the mushroom and rice amounts, so it turned out on the soft side and kind of falling apart, but so so so delicious! Also for anyone avoiding dairy, I used nutritional yeast and it turned out great.
I was impressed with this recipe. The look and texture were pretty close. The flavor was good. My friend who joined us for dinner asked for the recipe. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you.
I made this for lunch today and wow, it is delicious! The flavor is truly fantastic! Thank you, Megan, for this wonderful recipe!!!
Megan! You did it again!! It was absolutely delicious! One guest was a vegetarian for the holiday get together and we all loved tasting this too:) I only had white rice and portobello mushrooms, but they were great substitutes!!
Thank you!!!
Our family loves this! Even those who are not vegetarian. It is a staple in our house now. Thanks for the great recipe!
I forgot to rate the recipe. 5 stars!
So delicious!! I’m not a vegetarian but I wanna make it again!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
This was my first vegetarian Thanksgiving meal. I had never had a Nut Loaf. It was so strange-looking to me while I was making it. But so was the vegan gravy the first time I made it, and I have made it for about five years. Trusting Detoxinista and her tasty recipes, I carried on. And I loved it! I am glad we have left overs. My husband made the Intstant Pot mashed potatoes, and I poured the gravy over the nut loaf and potatoes. It was all attractive, tasty and satisfying! Thanks for this great Nut Loaf recipe!