This vegan lentil loaf is not just a great side dish for special occasions. It is full of good-for-you ingredients and on the table within 1 hour.
Autumn is approaching - and so is the desire for hearty comfort food! In addition to soups and stews, I also regularly put a vegan meatloaf in the oven. I prefer the term hearty lentil loaf - it sounds healthier - and this recipe for oil-free vegan lentil loaf with oats and vegatables is definitely more wholesome than the original! It provides valuable fiber, vegetable protein, is low in fat and rich in minerals and vitamins.
Although this vegan and gluten-free lentil roast is a delicious dish for your vegan Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, it is also great for weekly meal prep. Looking for a suitable side dish and a gravy recipe? No problem! How about my healthy mashed potatoes and my simple oil-free gravy?
The Ingredients
While traditional meatloaf is made with meat and bread, this simple vegan lentil roast is made with mainly wholesome ingredients.
- LENTILS: Use either canned brown lentils or dried lentils and cook them according to the packet instructions. I recommend the latter, as home-cooked lentils have a bit more bite.
- VEGETABLES: Aside from the usual suspects such as onions and celery, parsnips are also used in this recipe. They have such a wonderfully nutty, sweet taste. You can also use carrots instead of parsnips.
- MUSHROOMS: Yep. Apologies to all mushroom haters: this is a lentil mushroom loaf, because mushrooms are awesome and provide such a great (meaty) umami flavour.
- TOMATO PASTE: It adds flavor, color and helps with the binding.
- OAT & CHICKPEA FLOUR: These gluten-free flours also provide a good binding effect. You can easily make your own oat flour by finely grinding rolled oats in a blender. Instead of chickpea flour, you can use flaxmeal: mix 2 tablespoon of ground flax with 3 tablespoon of water, put aside for a few minutes and continue with the recipe.
- SOY & WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE: The two sauces provide an intense flavor. However, you can omit the Worcestershire sauce if you don't have any at hand.
- NUTRITIONAL YEAST: It provides a slightly nutty flavour - but is not a must in the recipe.
- SPICES & HERBS: When it comes to seasoning, I like dried thyme and dried sage. Dried rosemary is also great.
- GLAZE INGREDIENTS: The savory-sweet glaze consists of just 4 ingredients - tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, water and maple syrup.
Tips & Tricks
Are you planning to serve this festive lentil roast on Thanksgiving, Christmas or for another special occasion? The following tips will save you a lot of time on the day itself by preparing a few things the day before.
LEVEL 1: Chop all the vegetables! Chopped onions, parsnips and celery will keep for a few days in a sealed container in the fridge. I would only chop the mushrooms on the day of baking.
LEVEL 2: Cook the vegetables beforehand - in other words, follow the recipe up to step 3 and put the mixture in the fridge overnight.
LEVEL 3: To save even more time on the big day, simply prepare the entire roast up to the point at which it would go into the oven - which is step 7. Then all you have to do the next day is preheat the oven, prepare the glaze, brush the lentil loaf with it and then it goes into the oven. The lentil loaf will be ready to serve in 40 minutes and you can prep some other things while it is in the oven.
FAQ
Carrots work just as well.
Red lentils are not recommended for this recipe as they cook much softer than brown lentils. Green or brown lentils are therefore best.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days and can easily be reheated in the microwave.
I haven't tested it yet, but it shouldn't be a problem. You can simply increase the amount of oat flour, for example. Alternatively, you can use flax meal: mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of water, put aside for a few minutes and then follow the recipe.
I hope you’ll give this wholesome vegan and gluten-free lentil loaf recipe a try. If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe and tag me on instagram (#veggiejam) with your recreation.
PrintRecipe
Vegan Lentil Loaf [gluten-free]
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Total Time: 60 min
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Description
This vegan lentil loaf is not just a great side dish for special occasions. It is full of good-for-you ingredients and on the table within 1 hour.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 large parsnip
- 7 oz mushrooms (200 g)
- 1 celery stalk
- ¼ cup tomato paste (50 g)
- 2 cups cooked brown lentils (330 g)
- 1 cup oat flour (100 g)
- ¼ cup chickpea flour (25 g)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 2 tsp thyme, dried
- 2 tsp sage, dried
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Glaze
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion and garlic. Peel the parsnip and dice into small cubes. Dice the celery and finely chop the mushrooms.
- Sauté the onion and garlic in a large pan in a little water for 1-2 minutes. Add the vegetables and continue to sauté for 10-12 minutes. Stir from time to time.
- Stir in the soy sauce, yeast flakes and spices and remove from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
- Mix the chickpea flour with 4 tablespoon water.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, including the chickpea flour mixture. First mix roughly with a spoon and then work with your hands until you have a sticky mixture.
- Pour the lentil mixture into a lined baking tin (or use one made of silicone) and press flat.
- For the sauce, stir together the tomato paste with the vinegar and maple syrup and 2-3 tablespoons of water and brush over the lentil loaf.
- Bake in the oven for approx. 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly for approx. 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
This post is also available in German (Deutsch).
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