Mushroom Lentil Loaf

Today is officially our last day in Europe. It has been an incredible trip but to tell the truth I’m excited to sleep in my own bed and give Coco ridiculous amount of hugs and kisses. I tell ya, leaving her is the hardest part!

A close second would have to be sacrificing my normal diet. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of the food but let’s be real, white baguettes and butter -laden croissants do not do a body good. And vegetarian protein? Let’s see, we have eggs, cheese, yogurt, and more cheese.

To say I’m craving a piece of this lentil loaf right now would be an understatement!

Now I know I’m not reinventing the wheel with a lentil loaf but after trying so many different recipes over the years, I figured it was about time to share my own version.

It’s easily one of my all-time favorite recipes to make; two hearty loafs that are packed full of protein, freeze well and most importantly, taste amazing!

The ingredients are fairly similar to my lentil burgers except I made it vegan by replacing the egg with ground chia seed (you could also use ground flax) and added mushrooms to help give it a nice, meaty texture. Then I made sure to make it several times until I landed the best combination for a solid (not mushy!) loaf that’s packed full of warm, satisfying flavor. It’s pretty darn perfect, if I don’t say so myself.

So how about we take a look at how to make a loaf of lentil love?

We start by cooking the lentils with vegetable broth and then lightly sauté onion, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, and green bell pepper (I hate celery but you can sub that if you prefer). Then we gently mash half of the lentils and place them in a large bowl along with the cooked vegetables, oats, ground flax or chia, walnuts, sunflower seeds, breadcrumbs and plenty of herbs.

Mix that in with a little tomato paste and vegan Worcestershire and then mash into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper (optional but recommended to prevent pan stickage).

Then top it off with a balsamic tomato sauce (okay, it’s actually ketchup but you can use tomato sauce or paste if you’re a ketchup hater) and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes.

Then voila! A perfectly firm and ridiculously healthy loaf awaits you.

Serve it with your favorite vegetables for a comforting meal that your body will thank you for!

Ingredients

1 cup dry brown lentils (approx. 3 cups cooked)

3 cup vegetable broth (or water for a low-sodium option)

3 large carrots, shredded (approx. 1 cup)

1 large yellow onion (approx. 1 and 1/2 cup)

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, diced (approx. 3 cups)

4 garlic cloves, minced (approx. 2 tablespoons)

1 green bell pepper, diced (approx. 3/4 cup) (or celery)

1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs (can also use gluten-free)

1 cup flour (oat flour or brown rice flour for gluten-free)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (sub sunflower seeds for allergies)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, finely chopped

4 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons ground chia or flax seed 6 tablespoons water

Balsamic Glaze

1/3 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Instructions

1. Rinse the lentils and then combine them with the vegetable broth in a medium-size pot over high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Once they are tender drain them and then set aside in a large bowl.
2. Next preheat the oven to 375°F and line two loaf pans with parchment paper. (If you only have one loaf pan, you can cook each loaf one at a time or half the recipe.) Combine the ground chia seed (or flax) with water and then set aside to thicken.
3. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-heat and then add the onion and the garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the mushrooms. Continue to cook the mushrooms for 7-10 minutes then add the carrot and green pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes and then set aside.
4. Using a food processor, mash half of the lentils by processing for 15-30 seconds then add them back to the bowl along with the remaining lentils and sautéed vegetables.
5. Next process the remaining ingredients to finely chop (oats for oat flour, walnuts, sunflower seeds) and then add them to the bowl along with the herbs and breadcrumbs.
6. Mix the Worcestershire and the tomato paste into the chia seed mixture and then add to the bowl with the lentils. Stir everything together so that it’s evenly distributed and then pour half of the mixture into each loaf pan. Smooth it down with a spatula or the back of the spoon to create the shape of a loaf.
7. Lastly, combine the ingredients for the balsamic glaze and then spread it over the top of each loaf. Cook in the oven for 40-45 minutes and then allow to cool for about 5-10 before serving.