Vegan Lentil Loaf Food

ULTIMATE LENTIL WALNUT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, and then line it with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit the length of the pan.
• If using canned lentils, rinse and drain them in a colander. If using lentils cooked from scratch, follow the directions in the note below. After draining, add them into a very large bowl and mash the lentils with a potato masher. The goal is to create a lentil paste while still leaving about 1/3 of the lentils intact.
• Spread the chopped walnuts onto the baking sheet. Toast the nuts for 8 to 12 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
• Increase the oven heat to 350°F (180°C).
• Add the oil into a large skillet, and increase the heat to medium. Stir in the onion and garlic and season with a pinch or two of salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion softens.
• Stir in the celery and carrot, and continue cooking for another few minutes.
• Finally, stir in the grated apple, dried cranberries (or raisins), thyme, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Cook for a couple minutes longer.
• Into the bowl with the mashed lentils, stir in the walnuts, ground flax, oat flour, and bread crumbs until combined.
• Stir in all of the veggie mixture until combined. Add the red pepper flakes, if using. Taste and add more salt (I usually add another 1/2 teaspoon). If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of water and mix again.
• Press all of the lentil loaf mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Pack it down as firmly as you can as this will help it hold together after cooling.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, applesauce, vinegar, and maple syrup until combined. Using a pastry brush (or simply a spoon), spread all of the glaze over top of the lentil loaf.
• Bake the lentil loaf, uncovered, at 350°F (180°C) for 50 to 60 minutes until the edges start to darken and the loaf is semi-firm to the touch. Place the loaf pan directly onto a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Then, slide a knife around the ends to loosen, and carefully lift out the loaf (using the parchment paper as "handles") and place it directly onto the cooling rack for another 30 minutes.
• After cooling, carefully slice the loaf into slabs. Serve immediately. The loaf will continue to firm up as it cools. Some crumbling is normal if sliced while warm.

VEGAN LENTIL NUT "MEAT" LOAF

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a standard loaf pan (or 8x8-inch baking pan) with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Heat a large cast-iron or metal skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and mushrooms and season with a pinch each salt and pepper and the coconut aminos or vegan Worcestershire. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 5-8 minutes or until caramelized. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat another large cast-iron or metal skillet (or use the same one as you cooked the mushrooms in) over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and arrange sweet potatoes in as even of a layer as possible. Then cover and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown on the underside. Flip, add 3 Tbsp (45 ml) water, and cover. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until tender and browned (but not mushy). Set aside uncovered to cool slightly.
• To a large (at least 7-cup) food processor, add nuts and pulse a few times into a loose meal. Then add sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and thyme, and pulse to combine. Lastly, add lentils, salt, and pepper and pulse to loosely combine but be careful not to purée.
• Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and add tomato paste and coconut aminos or vegan Worcestershire and stir until a loose dough forms. Then add bread crumbs (we like Ian's gluten-free panko) a little at a time (we used all of the recommended amount) until a thick dough forms. If for some reason it's crumbly (which may happen depending on the texture of your lentils), scoop half of the mixture back into the food processor and pulse until it's more finely puréed and then return back to the bowl and stir with the remaining mixture. If for some reason it's too wet, add more bread crumbs as needed.
• Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more tomato paste for added moisture / tomato flavor, coconut aminos or vegan Worcestershire for depth of flavor, salt for saltiness, or thyme to taste.
• Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined loaf pan, spread, and press into an even layer (to avoid a crumbly loaf, tap pan on counter to settle the mixture and place parchment paper on top and press down firmly with a drinking glass or flat bottomed object to pack it well). Then add ketchup glaze (optional but adds plenty of flavor) and spread into an even layer. If not using the glaze, brush the top with a little oil to help the loaf retain moisture.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and slightly dry to the touch. Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Then gently remove and carefully slice and serve.
• Leftovers keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350-F (176 C) oven until warmed through.

VEGAN LENTIL QUINOA LOAF

Steps:

• Combine lentils, bay leaf and water in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Wash the quinoa, add to the pan, partially cover and continue to cook until both are very tender and easily mashed (You want to slightly over cook the lentils). Stir after 10 minutes so they don't stick to the pan. Total 10 to 15 mins . *Drain any excess water, remove bay leaf and transfer to a bowl.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes. or until translucent
• Add celery, carrots, thyme, oregano, and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add in the raisins, and mix . Cook for 2 minutes. Take off heat.
• Add the cooked veggies and flaxmeal to the bowl and mix in. Mash the mixture using potato masher or hands, so that atleast half the lentils and quinoa get well mashed. (you still want some whole lentils)
• Add in the sauces, tahini, nutritional yeast, fennel seeds and mix well. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more sauces, herbs and salt if needed.
• Add breadcrumbs or coarsely ground oats and mix in. (To check if the mixture is the right consistency, make a burger patty. If the mixture is too sticky or pasty, add more breadcrumbs. If it is too crumbly and doesn't stick easily, add some wet ingredients or a flax egg)
• Prepare the loaf pan with parchment lined with parchment edges over the pan. Medium bread loaf pan(8.5 by 4.75 inch)
• Press the mixture into the pan. Pack well and even it out.
• Make the glaze and spread over the top of the loaf.
• Cover the loaf with foil and bake at 375 degrees / 190ºc for 25 to 30 minutes. Bake uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. Then let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

VEGAN LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
• Prepare lentils by rinsing them and adding to a pot with water and a bay leaf. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat down and simmer covered until all the liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf and set the lentils aside to cool. This step can be done in advance.
• In the meantime toast walnuts by spreading them onto a baking sheet and toasting in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauté pan and cook onions, garlic, carrots and celery until they've softened and become fragrant. About 5-10 minutes. Once cooked remove from stovetop to cool.
• Add lentils (reserve ½ cup for later), cooked veggies, toasted walnuts, oats, tamari, tomato paste, ground flaxseed, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, ground pepper and sea salt to the food processor. Pulse until mixture is just combined and the texture is to your liking. You want the mixture to be combined enough to stick together, but you don't want it to be completely pulverized.
• Stir in the reserved lentils and press mixture into parchment lined loaf pan. I used a 9" x 5" x 2½".
• In a small bowl stir together glaze ingredients and spread the glaze over top of the loaf.
• Bake covered with foil for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 8 more minutes. Let the loaf rest 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
• Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Or freeze for up to 1 month.

VEGAN LENTIL LOAF (BAKED)

Steps:

• Cook lentils according to their package.
• Chop onion, carrot, mushrooms and celery into small pieces and mince garlic, add everything to a pan over medium heat with the olive oil and cook until soft, about 7-9 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and spices and mix well, then remove from heat.
• Add remaining ingredients and mix well, add half of the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth**, then add mix well with the unblended half.
• Lightly oil and add parchment paper to a bread loaf pan, and add mixture. Squish down evenly.
• Mix together tomato topping and pour over the top of the lentil loaf, smoothing it out evenly.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes, or until firm.

HEARTY VEGAN LENTIL MUSHROOM LOAF

Steps:

• Cook lentils according to package instructions.
• Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
• In a non-stick pan, sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms in a splash of water, stirring frequently.
• After a few minutes, add the soy sauce and carrot. Keep cooking until all of the liquid has evaporated.
• Transfer the cooked lentils along with the sautéed vegetables and the rest of the ingredients for the loaf into a food processor.
• Pulse a few times to incorporate and be sure not to over-process the mixture! It should still be textured, not smooth.
• Put the lentil mushroom batter into your prepared loaf pan and pack it down firmly to make sure it stays together.
• Combine all ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and mix together. Spread it over the top of your lentil mushroom loaf, then place it into the oven for 45 minutes.
• Once this time has elapsed, remove the lentil loaf from the oven and set it aside to cool for 10 minutes before taking it out of the pan and cutting it into slices.

VEGAN LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package directions.
• Make a flax egg by mixing 1 tbsp of flax meal with 2 1/2 tbsp of water and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
• Boil lentils in 2 quarts of water for 18 minutes, then drain.
• While the lentils are cooking, dice 2 onions, and saute them in olive oil over low heat.
• Sprinkle the onions with 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp poultry seasoning, and 2 cloves minced garlic. Continue to saute over low heat for 10-12 minutes until translucent.
• Add 2 cups cooked rice, cooked lentils, cooked onions (and/or other cooked veggies), 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt, and flax egg to a food processor and pulse a few times until everything is combined and partially mashed together.
• Fill an oiled bread loaf pan with the mixture and pack it down tightly.
• Top with ketchup or other sauce.
• Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 1 hour.
• Allow cooling for about 15 minutes before slicing.

VEGAN LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• First, cook the lentils. Combine all ingredients together in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F once 10-15 minutes have passed.
• In the meantime, cook the Vegetables for the filling. Add a splash of Water to a large sauté pan along with the Onion, Celery, and Garlic. Cook over medium heat, then add in the Carrots with an additional splash of water and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Next, add the diced Mushrooms along with 1 tbsp of Tamari and the fresh Herbs. Stir well and sauté the mixture over Medium heat until almost all of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, around 10-12 minutes. You want the vegetables to be as dry as possible!
• Once the Lentils have finished cooking, transfer them to a fine METAL strainer (do not use a strainer with large holes) and use a spatula to "stir" the lentils and remove as much extra liquid as possible. The Red Lentils will break down and become a thick puree, while the Brown Lentils will remain relatively intact.
• Add the Lentil Puree, cooked Vegetables, Walnuts, Ground Flax, and remaining 1 tbsp of Tamari to a large bowl. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated, then firmly pack the "batter" into a greased or lined 8×4″ loaf pan. There should be a little extra batter protruding from the top of the pan - I like to round this out to create an even top of the loaf.
• Bake the loaf in the oven for 50 minutes, then remove and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving, preferably overnight. I would suggest reheating the loaf in the oven just before you slice it, so it can be served warm.

VEGAN LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Preparing lentils & quinoa. Start by rinsing the lentils and quinoa. Drain them well and discard the water. Pour the broth and freshwater into a large saucepan. Add the lentils and quinoa to the pot and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until both are tender and fully cooked.
• Sautéing veggies. In a separate pan, sauté the onion and celery for about 5 minutes to slightly soften. Add the grated carrots and cook another 5 minutes.
• Mashing lentils. Mash the lentils until about 1/2 of them are well mashed. They can be mashed in the saucepan they were cooked in or in a large mixing bowl.
• Mixing ingredients. Add the cooked veggies and remaining ingredients to the lentils. Mix until everything is well combined.
• Assemble lentil loaf. Lay a piece of parchment paper across your loaf pan so the edges hang over the sides of the pan. This keeps the lentil loaf from sticking to the bottom of the pan and makes it easier to remove it after cooking. Transfer the lentil mixture to your prepared loaf pan and evenly spread it out pressing it into the pan. This step is easiest done by hand, but a spatula will work too.
• Glaze. In a small bowl, mix together the glaze ingredients. Top the lentil loaf with the glaze.
• Bake. Cover and bake at 375ºF for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes.

VEGAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350
• Chop onion, celery, mushrooms, red pepper, and carrot (diced). I used the small blade on my favorite vegetable chopper.
• In a large skillet, cook onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrots and celery, and salt and pepper until browned. (You may use a little vegetable broth to avoid sticking )
• In a food processor, pulse the prepared lentils, quick oats, flaxseed, bread crumbs, cooked vegetables, tomato paste, bbq sauce, mustard, and parsley in a food processor.
• The finished product should be chunky; do not over Pulse.
• Use a silicone backing or placed parchment paper in the base of a glass loaf pan. If you don't have a loaf pan, you may form the dough into a loaf shape on a cookie sheet.
• Place dough into the loaf pan and gently press the top to form a bread shape on top.
• Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 35 minutes, covered.
• Uncover after 35 minutes, and drizzle additional bbq sauce on top.
• Return to oven for 10 minutes uncovered.
• Remove from oven; recover and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
• I find it easier to remove it from the pan before cutting.

BEST VEGAN LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Chop garlic cloves, onion and carrot in very small pieces.
• Sauté garlic and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat until fragrant. Then add onion and carrot and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
• Chop shallots and add it to the other vegetables. Cook for two more minutes.
• Place the cooked vegetables in a big bowl and add 2 cups of the cooked lentils. Using a hand blender, puree the vegetable/lentil mixture until it forms a smooth paste. Then add walnuts and blend again. This can be done with a food processor as well.
• Add all the spices, the rest of the lentils, breadcrumbs, the flaxseed egg, 1 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and salt and stir to combine.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, pressing with a spoon to get a compact loaf.
• For the glaze, whisk all the ingredients together and spread it with a spoon over the top of the loaf.
• Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until golden brown on the edges.

EASY VEGAN LENTIL LOAF (GLUTEN-FREE + OIL-FREE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/356 F. Meanwhile, cook the red lentils according to instructions on packaging - this usually takes 10-15 minutes. Make sure they are cooked through but not mushy.
• Add the mushrooms and aubergines to a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast in the preheated oven for around 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the onion to a non-stick frying pan. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes. Then, add the bell pepper, carrot, celery, tomato purée and black pepper. Lower the heat and cook, stirring frequently, on a low heat for around 10 minutes.
• When all the ingredients are ready, add them to a large mixing bowl together with the cranberries, garlic, cilantro and flax egg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Wait a few minutes until the mixture had cooled down and stir in the buckwheat flour.
• Transfer the mixture to a loaf tin lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, making sure it doesn't burn. Serve immediately, or leave in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

VEGAN LENTIL MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Add dry lentils and vegetable broth to a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain the cooked lentils.
• Add roughly chopped onion and mushrooms to a food processor with a standard blade attachment. Pulse until mostly broken down into tiny pieces but not pureed.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle in olive oil. Add the mushrooms, onions, and salt. Cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add walnuts to the food processor. Pulse until mostly broken down, then add to the skillet with the tomato paste. Cook another 2 minutes.
• In the food processor, pulse together the cooked lentils and chickpeas until mostly broken down. They should be crumbly but not a paste. Set aside. Make oat flour by blending or processing rolled oats until fine. Combine ground flax and water in a small bowl to make a flax egg. Let rest 5 minutes before using.
• To a large mixing bowl, add the mushroom mixture, lentils, chickpeas, oat flour, light brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, oregano, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, and flax eggs. Stir until well combined.
• Transfer the filling to a lightly oiled 9x5x3 (or similarly sized) loaf pan. Form into a loaf shape. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, until golden on top.
• Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from the bread pan. Gently turn out onto a clean surface. Use your hands to lightly press the loaf together so that it is perfectly shaped and firm.
• Mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush the loaf with the sauce. Slice and enjoy!

VEGAN HOLIDAY LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Chop onion and celery finely, and crush the garlic clove.
• Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray, and saute the onion, garlic and celery until onion is translucent.
• Add the sage.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
• Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and fill the loaf pan with the mixture.
• Press down.
• Bake 30 minutes covered, 10 minutes uncovered.
• Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

VEGAN LENTIL MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook and stir until tender, about 3 minutes.
• Combine remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, mushroom mixture, cooked lentils, bread crumbs, almond milk, 2 tablespoons ketchup, flaxseed meal, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until just combined; do not overblend and work in batches if needed. Press mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Brush top with remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 45 minutes.

LENTIL LOAF

Steps:

• Make flax egg by combining ground flax and water. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Rinse lentils and place in medium saucepan with water and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft and all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf.
• While lentils are cooking, heat olive oil in small frying pan. Add onions, garlic and grated carrots and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Make the glaze by combining tomato paste, maple syrup, coconut sugar and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
• When the lentils are cooked, add ¾ of the lentils along with the flax egg, sauteed vegetables, almond flour, tamari soy, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper (and optional hot pepper flakes) to a food processor and pulse only until mixture is combined. (This is the time to sample and see if you want more salt, pepper or pepper flakes).
• Stir in remaining lentils and press into a parchment lined loaf pan. Pour glaze over loaf. Bake for 35 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.