Harissa-spiced 'meatloaf' roast
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Maja Smend
Harissa-spiced 'meatloaf' roast
Recipe by Gaz Oakley
‘This sweet and spicy nut loaf is absolutely packed with flavour and makes a fantastic meat-free centrepiece for Sunday lunch,' says chef Gaz. 'Serve it with mash or roasties and some wilted greens, with a glass of red on the side.’
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
544Kcal
Fat
25gr
Saturates
4gr
Carbs
55gr
Sugars
27gr
Fibre
8gr
Protein
20gr
Salt
1.3gr
Gaz Oakley
Also known at Avant Garde Vegan, Gaz is a vegan chef and cookbook author from Cardiff. Find his recipes at avantgardevegan.com or watch Gaz in action on his YouTube channel.
See more of Gaz Oakley’s recipes
Gaz Oakley
Also known at Avant Garde Vegan, Gaz is a vegan chef and cookbook author from Cardiff. Find his recipes at avantgardevegan.com or watch Gaz in action on his YouTube channel.
See more of Gaz Oakley’s recipes
Ingredients
- 150g prepared butternut squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 180g shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped (or a mixture of shiitake and regular)
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp harissa paste
- 125g slightly stale bread, torn
- 125g mixed nuts (or use mixed seeds for nut-free)
- 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
For the harissa glaze
- 150g tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp harissa paste
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, or brown sugar to taste
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1½ tsp garlic granules
To garnish
- about 12 cherry tomatoes, halved, or 3 stalks of cherry tomatoes on the vine
- a handful of sage leaves, lightly sautéed until crisp (optional)
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep to the end of step 4 up to 48 hours ahead; cool, cover and chill (or freeze; defrost fully before baking). You can also make the glaze up to 48 hours ahead and keep chilled until needed.
- Grease and line a loaf tin or medium-sized baking dish with baking paper. Steam or microwave the butternut squash until tender, then drain.
- Put the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for around 5 minutes so that you get rid of some of the water inside them and get them nicely golden.
- Add the onion, garlic and red pepper to the pan, plus the herbs, spices, harissa and some seasoning. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
- When you’ve got a nice colour on everything, add the butternut squash. Sauté the mixture for a few more minutes. Whizz the bread and nuts (or seeds) until finely chopped, then tip into the pan, adding the chickpeas, lemon zest and juice. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Turn the heat off, then using an old-fashioned masher, lightly mash the mixture, breaking down any large chunks of squash or chickpeas. Spoon the mixture into your lined loaf tin or dish and press firmly to compact it in as much as you can.
- Roast on the bottom shelf of your oven for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze; add all the ingredients to a small pan with a splash of water and mix well. Place the saucepan over a low heat and let the sauce bubble away for around 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Once your glaze has thickened, turn off the heat and set aside.
- Once your meatloaf has had 45 minutes, remove it from the oven and leave it to stand for around 10 minutes, still in the tin. Place a flat baking tray on top, then, while holding the tray with one hand and the loaf tin or dish with the other, carefully turn the tray upside down so that the meatloaf comes out. Lift off the loaf tin and peel off the lining paper.
- Pour lashings of the glaze over the meatloaf, add the cherry tomatoes, then roast for a further 10 minutes so the glaze caramelises over the meatloaf.
- Serve your meatloaf straight away, scattered with crispy sage leaves if you like.
