Description
Serve this lentil loaf with mashed potatoes, creamy polenta, or celeriac purée.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Loaf
- 3/4 cup dried green lentils
- Fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 medium or 2 small carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup roasted walnuts
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (use tamari if gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Glaze
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Special Equipment
- Food processor
- Loaf pan (I use 9×5″)
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- Place 3/4 cup lentils in a mesh strainer and sort through for small stones. Then rinse under running water.
- Transfer to a medium pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 22 to 25 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375º.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and lots of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes, but don’t let them brown.
- If your walnuts are not roasted, roast them now – in the same pan you plan to bake the loaf in – in a preheated 375º oven for 7 to 8 minutes. Then transfer to a plate to cool.
- Meanwhile, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the base of the loaf pan, leaving an inch of overhang on the long sides.
- Place 1/2 cup walnuts and 3/4 cup oats in a food processor, and pulse a few times to grind them down.
- When the lentils are cooked through, drain them really well in a mesh strainer and set aside for a few minutes until they stop steaming. Then transfer to the food processor along with the cooked vegetables, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and lots of pepper. Purée, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until everything is combined but the mixture still has a bit of texture.
- Transfer to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients together and brush on the loaf. Bake until the loaf is set and the top is dry, 27 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before lifting out with the paper and slicing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
- Calories: 250
- Sodium: 366 mg
- Fat: 10.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.8 g
- Fiber: 5.2 g
- Protein: 10 g
