Awesome Veggie Loaf

This recipe is from Chloe Coscarelli.  I had been looking for a great veggie loaf and after a few fails, this recipe was a win!  Chris and I love it so much it has become our holiday meal of choice. We served it with garlic mashed potatoes and gravy! It is so flavorful, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! What I love even more than this veggie loaf is this veggie loaf as leftovers.  The flavors set in and mmmm mmm, just delicious!

2-8 ounce packages of tempeh
4 TBS olive oil
2 lg onions, finely chopped
2 lg carrots, finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped celery
8 minced garlic cloves
2 TBS fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup bread crumbs
sea salt
pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil loaf pan.

Fill a large pot with enough water to reach the bottom of a steamer basket. Using a knife or your hands, break each 8 ounce of tempeh into 4 pieces and put in basket.  Cover and steam for 20 minutes. This removes the bitterness from the tempeh.

In the meantime, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and saute onions, carrots and celery until soft, about 20 minutes.  Stir in garlic, thyme, basil, and parsley. Let cook for a few more minutes. Crumble the steamed tempeh into the skillet and add soy sauce. Stir until tempeh is evenly coated with soy sauce and nicely browned.

Deglaze the pan of vegetables and tempeh by adding broth and scraping up the browned bits with your spatula.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Add warm brown rice and bread crumbs to the bowl and mix thoroughly with a large spoon. The more you mix and smash it, the better it will hold when baked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and pack it down firmly.  Cover with foil. 

Bake for 45 minutes, covered, then remove foil, and bake for additional 15 minutes.