This moist and flavorful gluten-free quinoa loaf with a clove-spiced date sauce will be your new go-to recipe for the holidays!
Festive and easy to prepare, it’s the perfect partner for stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.
I’m drooling over here…
I’ve also included a make-ahead option, so you can spend more time with your friends and family, and less time in the kitchen!
Best of all, this scrumptious centerpiece is secretly packed with stellar nutrition. I’m talking complete plant-based protein, fiber, minerals, and prebiotics. So you can feel warm and fuzzy about serving this dish to your guests! Just don’t tell ’em it’s healthy; let them think they’re eating something decadent. đ
It’s also low fat and vegan, making it perfect for Forks Over Knives and McDougall fans.
Click here for 10 more low-fat, gluten-free, & vegan Thanksgiving recipes.
In fact, I already made this tasty loaf for my pre-Thanksgiving dinner with my parents, and they both loved itâeven my meat-eating dad!
Needless to say, I’m going to serve this loaf for Christmas dinner, too. Because frankly, it’s easier to make than a lot of veggie burger recipes, tastes amazing as leftovers on a sandwich, and the date-clove sauceâholy moly! Not only could I eat it with a spoon (okay, I have đ ), but it’s also out of this world swirled into pumpkin hummus.
So this holiday season, whether you’re hosting or bringing a dish to someone else’s soireĂŠ, look no further than this tasty quinoa loaf!
- 10 Medjool dates, chopped
- ½ c ketchup
- 2 tsp ground dried mustard
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 6 Tbsp water
- â cup spiced date sauce, divided
- ž c cooked quinoa (see Notes)
- 2 c cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained (you'll need 2 15-oz cans, with some left over)
- ½ c finely diced raw onion
- 1 c finely diced raw button mushrooms (about Âź of an 8-oz package)
- 1 tsp seasoned salt (omit if following ETL)
- 6 Tbsp finely ground cornmeal, + 1 Tbsp if needed (see Notes)
- Place ingredients in a blender or mini food processor, or use an immersion blender with a tall plastic cup. Blend until smooth, pulsing and scraping as needed. This may take a little while, and it doesn't have to be perfect! Add extra water as needed to help the sauce blend.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Line a medium loaf pan (8 x 4 inches) with parchment paper.
- Coat a small skillet with cooking spray (or use a nonstick pan). Over medium heat, saute diced onions and mushrooms for 6-7 minutes, until both are tender and onions begin to brown. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, mash kidney beans with a fork until most of the beans have broken open.
- Add 1 tsp seasoned salt, 6 Tbsp cornmeal, and 3 Tbsp date sauce to the mashed beans. Stir to combine, being careful not to over-mash beans (otherwise loaf will end up wet). The consistency will look a little crumbly; this is desirable. If it doesn't, gradually add cornmeal 1 tsp at a time (up to 3 tsp/1 Tbsp) and gently mix.
- Add cooked quinoa, mushrooms, and onions. Mix gently, preferably with your hands.
- Press bean mixture into loaf pan.
- Cover with foil and bake 20 min.
- Uncover and spread Âźc of date sauce over the loaf, leaving a Âź-inch margin around the edges.
- Bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, until edges of loaf are lightly browned.
- Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then lift from pan by the parchment paper. Slice and serve with remaining date sauce.
- If your blender has trouble with dry dates: Soak dates overnight in the fridge in water to cover. Use 4-5 Tbsp of soak water instead of 6 Tbsp plain water.
- Whole Foods has precooked quinoa in the freezer section, which I keep on hand. Then I just thaw and measure out what I need. Otherwise, cook from dry according to package directions.
- I used this finely ground corn meal, which has the consistency of flour. If you have medium or coarse grind cornmeal, put about half a cup in a food processor or Vitamix, and process until flour consistency is reached. Measure and use as called for in the recipe. Thanks Pioneer Thinking for the tip!
Shared on Tasty Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Homestead Blog Hop, Plant-Based Potluck Party, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays, Real Food Fridays, and the Party Gals Linky Party.
I'm Lee, an RD thriving on a healthy plant based diet.
Mom Crosby here and let me tell you that this recipe is a winner! Love it!! Just FYI, I have lost over 65 pounds since becoming a whole food plant based dieter and recipes like this really help me stay on track…Yummy and positive results, too!!!
Thanks Mom, so glad you liked it. đ And I know I’ve said it before, but CONGRATS on your weight loss! You go, girl!
Hi! Visiting you via Healthy Vegan Fridays. That looks amazingly delicious! Great for company. Thanks for sharing, I will pin it to my vegan Pinterest board as well.
Thanks Clotilde! Just hopped over to your blog; your vegetable oat patties look delicious!!
The quinoa loaf sounds simply awesome! I will probably not use the date sauce, since I can’t deal with date texture or sweetness, but the loaf in itself is indeed noteworthy!!!
Thanks for the kind words! The loaf is definitely tasty solo. However, the recipe for the loaf mixture calls for a few tablespoons of the date sauce, but you could probably make that small amount of sauce with just a touch of molasses or maple syrup instead of dates.
I love how easy this is and it looks amazing. Adding it to my to-make list!!
Yay! I hope you end up giving it a whirl. It’s an annual holiday staple at my house, because everyone seems to like it.
This sounds SO GOOD Lee! Wow! You had me at mushrooms. And yea… ok, the date sauce sounds AMAZING too ;p
YUM
Thanks Kimmy! It’s omnivore-approved, which is always my benchmark for a no-meatloaf. đ
And thanks for sharing at Healthy Vegan Fridays – I’m pinning & sharing.
Happy Thanksgiving Lee!
Thanks Kimmy, happy Thanksgiving! đ
Hi Lee,
Looks and sounds healthy and delicious. I love the sauce recipe it sounds great dish for the holidays. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted. Have a healthy happy blessed Thanksgiving.
Hi Lee,
My friends and family will love this Quinoa Loaf with Clove-Spiced Date Sauce–and so will I. I have to make this recipe soon!
Thank you for celebrating good food and fun with us at the Plant-Based Potluck Party! I hope your holiday season was happy one! Thank you for sharing your delectable gems and for all of your support! Wishing you a very Healthy, Happy 2016! All the best, Deborah
Thanks Deborah, hope you had a great holiday season too, and all the best for 2016!