Many moons ago, I published a recipe for a low FODMAP nut loaf. As delicious as it is, that recipe contains nuts, eggs and cheese. I have had people asking for a nut free or egg free or vegan version and I’m pleased to say I have finally perfected it. Allow me to present: this low FODMAP vegan meatloaf.

Low FODMAP vegan meatloaf

Nut-less nut loaf was a bit too verbose which is why I settled on meatloaf here. This recipe is based on my nut loaf recipe with a bit of inspiration from my vegan sausage recipe. Because I haven’t tasted meatloaf before, I can’t say if it compares. I would describe this loaf as tasting like stuffing; heavy on the savoury herbs and umami from the miso and Tamari.

The recipe uses firm tofu as the binding and flavouring ingredient. The tofu is blended with diluted miso paste, nutritional yeast and dried herbs to form a flavour base.

Next, plenty of sage and thyme are cooked with leek greens and Oyster mushrooms to add another layer of umami and herby flavour.

Finally, we mix everything together with some cooked brown rice, flavourings and psyllium husk to bind everything together. The low FODMAP vegan meatloaf is then baked for 1 hour until firm and golden brown.

This delicious festive meatloaf is low FODMAP, vegan (and thus egg free/dairy free) gluten free and nut free. It caters to a whole host of allergies while remaining delicious and undetectably allergy friendly.

Ingredient notes

Firm tofu is a must here! Not only is that the variety that is low FODMAP but it also adds binding without bringing excess softness and moisture. Using anything less than firm tofu will result in a meatloaf that doesn’t hold shape and is too soggy.

The recipe seems like it uses a lot of herbs. It does! But every single herb element is necessary, I promise. They come together to create a deliciously stuffing like flavour that is absolutely addictive.

Psyllium husk is not an optional ingredient and I have not tested chia meal, flax meal or any other substitute. The psyllium husk holds everything together for a loaf that is sliceable at the end. I forgot to add psyllium to my non-vegan nut loaf last Christmas (I had a drink while cooking which is a recipe for trouble). The loaf crumbled as I tried to cut it, so don’t make the same mistake I did.

A nice dark and funky miso will add good umami flavour here. I used Spiral Organic genmai miso paste here in Australia. Make sure you read the labels as a lot of brands are not actually real miso, just a speedy imitation.

Really, there aren’t substitutes for many ingredients! You can use gluten free soy sauce instead of Tamari? lol. But I do think all the ingredients are worth sourcing for a deceptively vegan holiday dish.

I tested vegan low FODMAP beef stock (Massel brand cubes) in place of the miso and it worked in a pinch. This is an option but I’m not sure how many other countries sell these.

FODMAP notes

These FODMAP notes are current as of December 2024. They will be periodically updated to ensure they remain current.

Brown rice is low FODMAP in serves of up to 500g, Monash says.

Firm tofu is low FODMAP in 170g serves per person. In 175g serves, it contains moderate amounts of fructan. This recipe uses 500g and serves anywhere from 6-10, which keeps it well under a low FODMAP serve.

Miso paste is low FODMAP in 12g serves. In 75g serves, it contains moderate amounts of fructan. This recipe uses 25g and serves 6-10 people, depending on serving sizes.

Leek greens are low FODMAP in serves of up to 500g. They make a great addition for a bit of onion flavour.

Oyster mushrooms are low FODMAP in 75g serves. Monash currently doesn’t give an upper limit for them or suggest what FODMAP they may or may not contain.

Herbs are low FODMAP but the app doesn’t currently list upper limits for them. I am working on the assumption that they don’t contribute any FODMAPs, but I will update the post if this changes.

Nutritional yeast flakes are low FODMAP in serves of up to 500g.

Tips for your low FODMAP vegan meatloaf

• Don’t be stingy with the oil in the vegetable component. There is no fat in tofu as there is in nuts or meat, so this is the only place any fat is added.
• Ideally you will have a blendable consistency tofu without adding too much liquid. 125-180ml should be the most you add. Adding too much liquid will result in a loaf that is harder to cut and takes longer to cook. There is a lot of variation in the liquid content of tofu, mushrooms, etc, so we don’t want to introduce too much ourselves. You can always add a splash more if you need to.
• Again, make sure you use firm tofu.
• I find this loaf is best once it has had some time to cool. The cooling time seems to set the loaf and make it easier to slice. It is a good candidate for being made the day before and reheated on the day.
• Chop the vegetables finely (particularly the leek). I recommend finely slicing and then dicing the leek greens because it can be hard to cut a loaf with long strands of leek. It also just makes the whole thing more convincing as a meatloaf.
• I daresay you could use your food processor to chop the veg (not too finely though). I loathe getting the processor out so I prefer to do it by hand.
• Add seasonings to taste! This is your meatloaf, after all.

Notes on the tofu

I have tested this loaf with all blended tofu, then half blended tofu and half finely crumbled tofu. They both work well and I liked both of them, so changing that up is definitely an option.

If you use the all blended tofu version, really be careful on how much water you add. The mixture will have more ‘liquid’ from the blended tofu. This makes the loaf more crumbly and harder to cut at the end. You might benefit from adding a full 10g psyllium husk powder if you go that route. I use whole psyllium husks that I grind to a powder myself as I find the store bought powder too clumpy.

If you use the half blended and half crumbled tofu version, add half the tofu to the blender and crumble the other half into the bowl with the rice. Make sure you crumble it extremely finely or you risk having big chunks of tofu in the loaf.

More low FODMAP gluten free recipes

• Low FODMAP vegan gravy
• Low FODMAP gluten free Mac and cheese (I have published a vegan version, too).
• Low FODMAP caramelised onion and mushroom grilled cheese (gluten free)
• Gluten free Yorkshire puddings without xanthan gum
• Gluten free, low FODMAP and low fructose Christmas pudding

Low FODMAP vegan meatloaf

Nut free, xanthan gum free, egg free, dairy free

*Measures (except for teaspoon measures) are in Australian measures which are different to other countries. Use gram and ml for international accuracy. Australian tablespoons are 20ml as opposed to the more common 15ml.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Food Intolerance Friendly

Servings 6 – 10 people

Equipment

• 1 X 21cm X 10cm X 6.5cm silicon loaf tin (8.2 inch X 3.9 inch X 2.5 inch)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the rice base:

• 150 g brown rice (uncooked weight)

For the cooked mixture:

• 60 ml (3 tablespoons)* oil of choice
• 1 leek green thoroughly washed and finely sliced and then chopped
• 20 g (2 supermarket bunches) sage, finely chopped (stems are fine as long as they aren’t super woody)
• 10 g (1 supermarket bunch) thyme, woody stems removed
• 150 g oyster mushrooms finely chopped

For the blended mixture:

• 30 g (1 tablespoon)* dark gluten free miso or 1 X 10.5g low FODMAP vegan beef stock cube (I used Massel brand in Australia)
• 5-15 g 1-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (you could also toast it prior to use for extra umami)
• 125 ml (1/2 cup)* water
• 500 g firm tofu
• 4 teaspoons dried thyme
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

To finish:

• 7.5-10 g psyllium husk powder
• 40 ml (2 tablespoons)* Tamari or gluten free soy sauce
• 20-40 ml (1-2 tablespoons)* sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar or black rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar or maple syrup
• Freshly cracked pepper to your tastes

Instructions

 

• Cook your brown rice as per your preferred method. I boil mine in plenty of water because I am too chaotic for the absorption method. Strain and set aside.
• Preheat your oven to 200C/400F.
• Place the oil in a large pan or skillet over a medium heat. Once warmed, add the leek and herbs and cook until softened and fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are shrivelled and soft. You can allow them to brown a little for extra flavour, if you like.
• Combine the ingredients for the blended mixture in your high-speed food processor (I use a Nutribullet). See the notes in the body of the post about using half the tofu crumbled in the mixture as an option. Taste and adjust according to your preferences.
• Place the rice and cooked leek mushroom mixture in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the blended tofu mixture, then add finishing ingredients. Taste and adjust according to your preferences.
• Spoon the mixture into the silicon loaf pan. Use wet hands to smooth the top down as best you can.
• Place the silicon pan on an oven tray so it sits evenly, then place into the oven for 30 minutes. Check on the loaf after 30 minutes and turn the oven down to 180C/356F if it’s looking nicely browned on top. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes at least. This loaf needs time to set up to make is easy to slice, so I recommend making it ahead of time.
• When you’re ready to serve, simply reheat and slice.

Notes

• Read the notes in the body of the post to ensure success.
• Read the FODMAP notes in the body of the post.
• I don’t have a substitute for tofu at this point. If you can have eggs and nuts, see my low FODMAP nut loaf recipe. 

Keyword Gluten free vegan nut loaf, low fodmap nut loaf, Nut free nut loaf, Vegan nut free nut loaf

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