Opens in a new tab
Get 30% Discount for our Merchandise till Dec, 12

Mushroom and Chickpea Veggie Loaf

Jump to recipe
Mushroom and Chickpea Veggie Loaf

In the episode

Jeremiah was locked up by the Brotherhood of Steel this week (they wanted the air fryer), so Kevin flew solo on a Wasteland protein classic. Mushrooms, onion and bell pepper got ten minutes in the pan, then herbs, with oregano subbing in because there wasn't a sprig of tarragon to be found.

Our 200-year-old blender pulsed the nuts, and with fewer of them this time it went far better than our Oreo filling. Everything got packed into a loaf pan under a thick coat of Nuka-Cola BBQ sauce, baked, sliced and baked again. Kevin admitted it does look gross, since it is a fly.

The verdict: it tastes good, but "you could just taste the fly" in the texture. The Nuka BBQ sauce covers a lot, so pile it on.

In the depths of the vault, where sunlight was just a distant memory, culinary creativity flourished. Take, for instance, the day when our rations ran dry, and I found myself facing an unconventional meal prep challenge.

With no choice but to venture into the wild Wasteland, I stumbled upon a swarm of bloatflies. Thinking fast, I roasted them up and managed to stomach the unusual feast. But, determined to cleanse my palate, I turned to the vault's trusty vegetarian meatloaf recipe. Sure, it lacked the crunch of bloatflies, but its hearty texture and rich flavor did the trick.

Mushroom and Chickpea Veggie Loaf

Baked Bloatfly

The vault's hearty vegetarian meatloaf: mushrooms, nuts, chickpeas and quinoa with fresh herbs, glazed with Nuka-Cola BBQ sauce. No bloatflies required.

Prep
30 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Rest
20 min
Total
2 hr 20 min
Serves
6

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 portobello mushroom, chopped
  • 3 button mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 3 tbsp fresh tarragon or oregano, chopped (we used oregano)
  • 4 tsp dried basil
  • 3 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 1/2 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke, optional
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Nuka-Cola BBQ sauce

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment, leaving extra hanging over the sides so you can lift the loaf out.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, bell pepper and all the mushrooms for about 10 minutes, until soft.

  3. Add the cilantro, sage, tarragon (or oregano) and basil and cook 5 minutes more. Set aside.

  4. Pulse the cashews and walnuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped, not powdery, and tip them into a large bowl.

  5. Pulse the drained chickpeas briefly, just to break them up, and add them to the bowl.

  6. Add the panko and quinoa and stir until combined.

  7. Drain any liquid from the vegetables and add them to the bowl with the Worcestershire, ketchup and liquid smoke.

  8. Fold everything together, seasoning with salt and pepper partway through.

  9. Press the mixture firmly into the loaf pan. Spread the BBQ sauce over the whole top and bake for about 1 hour.

  10. Lift the loaf out with the parchment and cut it into 1/2-inch slices (it's fragile at this stage).

  11. Lay the slices on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes more, until they hold their shape.

Notes

The second bake is what makes the slices hold together. The BBQ sauce is our Cola BBQ Sauce from the Bison Burgers.

Adapted from Fallout: The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook by Victoria Rosenthal (Insight Editions, 2018).