A gluten-free vegetarian Thanksgiving–I’m assuming that sounds intimidating to some. Obviously turkey is a big part of Thanksgiving for many people. Many people even call it the “star.” But you probably don’t think that. So if you’re not going to have the turkey, what do you do? The obvious choices are 1) not worry about it and eat plenty of sides or 2) make your own entree. If you’re in the latter group, here’s a dish you might want to try.
Mushroom Nut Roast
- olive oil for the pans
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium stalk celery, ends trimmed, diced
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 pound crimini mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup white wine or gluten-free vegetable broth
- salt
- 2 cups pecans
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup fresh gluten-free bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Heat a medium to large pan over medium heat. Lightly coat the pan with oil. Add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and just beginning to brown.
- Clear a spot in the pan and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, wine or broth, and a pinch of salt. Stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high. Allow the mushrooms to release their juices. Continue to cook until most, but not all of the liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pulse the nuts in a food processor until evenly ground, but not a fine powder. Place in a large mixing bowl with the bread crumbs. Stir in the herbs, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper.
- Add the cooked mushrooms to the mixing bowl and stir well. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, and then stir into the nut mixture.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, firmly press it down, and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until the edges are browned and a toothpick inserted in the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Run a knife around the edges if necessary. Place a serving platter over the loaf pan, serving-side down. Invert the two together. Remove the parchment paper and serve.
Serves 8
The pecans really shine through, but they balance nicely with the mushrooms. If you have a gravy recipe you love, whip it up and spoon away. I thought the nuttiness played well with my spiced cranberry sauce.
ETA: I’ve had numerous people ask me what they can substitute for the bread crumbs. I’ve had one reader report she had success when she halved the recipe and used 1/8 cup of psyllium husk in place of the bread crumbs.
If you’re looking for more ideas make sure to check back into The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Thanksgiving page in the coming days.
Yum! I will definitely be trying this since it combines two of our favorite foods :)
What a great recipe! I’m so glad you shared this with our event. I’ve only made a few nut roasts in my time but it may be time for me to make another one. Your pictures are gorgeous, too!
-Sea
never had a nut loaf. This is my first thanksgiving as a vegetarian but I love mushrooms so will definitely try this out.
It’s amazing how much that actually looks like meat loaf! I bet it tastes amazing. I have a nut and mushroom veggie burger recipe that this reminds me of and it’s fantastic, so I can only imagine that this is just as outstanding.
I love nutroasts, and this sounds like such a great one! So glad to have a new recipe to try this holiday season. Thanks for submitting to WW this week! :D
oh I love nut roasts – and this looks wonderful
We don’t have thanksgiving, but this looks great! Thank you for giving it to us.
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
Check back later tonight when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts! :)
This sounds great! Can it be reheated well? If I made it tomorrow, would it be good reheated in the oven 2 days later??
Thanks in advance!
Unfortunately, I’ve never tried anything like that so I don’t really know. It reheated pretty well in the microwave, no idea about the oven though.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe – I made it for Easter lunch for my parents and they loved it!!!
Hi! Do you have any suggestions to replace gluten free bread crumbs? Maybe chickpea or coconut flour?
I would think those would work. You’re basically just looking for something to help bind and soak up some liquid.
Have you tried using quinoa?
I have to control the amount of carbs I eat because I’m diabetic. Any idea whether I could easily substitute the bread crumbs with psyllium husks? I guess they’re there to help hold the mass together?
Yes, the idea is for the bread crumbs to act as binding and absorb some liquid. In that sense, I would assume the psyllium husk would work. However, I have no idea how much to tell you to use. Obviously you wouldn’t need a whole cup. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear the results.
made with these and substituted chia and water mixture for the chicken eggs to make it vegan. it was really good..I love the nutty mushroomy texture! Served it with mashed potatoes and gravy.