Mushroom Lentil Loaf
Lentil mushroom loaf is packed with flavor and perfect for weeknight meals, holiday dinners or potlucks. Easy to make ahead and freezer friendly. This healthy lentil loaf is a great meatless veggie loaf that everyone will enjoy.
Servings 4
Calories 380kcal
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups lentils (dry)
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 medium celery stalks
- 8 oz mushrooms
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tsp italian seaoning
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup ground flax
Balsamic Ketchup Sauce
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- In a large pot, add the lentils and water. Put a lid on the pot and heat over high heat. Bring to a boil, once boiling turn heat down to low and cook covered for 15 minutes.
- Chop the veggies (onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms). If you finely chop them they will cook quicker.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Once preheated, spray with nonstick (olive oil or avocado oil) then add onions. Cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add carrots and celery to onion mixture. Cook 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Move veggies to edge of the pan. Add mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, Italian seasoning and salt to the veggie mixture. Stir well and cook 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Add walnuts to the food processor and pulse until they are broken down.
- Add 1/2 the cooked lentils to the food processor with walnuts. Pulse 4-6 times to break down lentils (don't make this into hummus or over-blend if possible). Remove lentil mixture to a large bowl.
- Add half the cooked veggies to the food processor and pulse 4-6 times to break down. Add veggies to the bowl with the lentils along with the ground flax. Stir well
- Add the rest of the lentils and cooked veggies to the bowl with the lentil mixture. Stir well.
- Place parchment paper in a loaf pan. Spray with olive oil or avocado oil. Add the lentil mushroom mixture to the loaf pan and press down until the top is smooth.
- Combine the ketchup, balsamic vinegar and coconut aminos in a bowl. Stir well. Pour over the lentil loaf and smooth it out across the top.
- Bake in 400F oven for 45 minutes. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Note: Each serving is about 2 slices of vegan lentil loaf.
See the post for substitutions and ways to serve the lentil mushroom loaf.
Top tips
- Be sure to drain off any excess liquid from the lentils before using them in the loaf.
- Make this nut free by using pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds in place of the walnuts.
- Line the loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal after cooking.
- Let the lentil mushroom loaf cool 10-15 minutes (or longer) before trying to remove it from the loaf pan. It's very fragile right out of the oven.
- Double the ingredients and make 2 at a time. This lentil loaf freezes well (up to 3 months). Bake, cool completely then move to the freezer. You can cut into individual servings before freezing (use wax paper or parchment between each serving before freezing).
- Try not to over-process the lentils or they will create a hummus consistency which may need additional time to bake. Instead pulse the lentils 4-5 times to help break them down but not turn them into hummus.
- Give the lentils even more flavor by cooking them in vegetable broth instead of water.
- You can buy steamed lentils from Trader Joe's (no added salt) from the refrigerated section to use in place of the lentils in this recipe.
- Chop the veggies in the food processor before cooking to make them cook faster and be the perfect size after cooking (no pulsing needed).
- Prep all the ingredients in advance and cook the lentil walnut mushroom loaf in muffin tins instead of a loaf pan. The muffins will cook in about 25 minutes.
- Fridge: Store leftover mushroom lentil loaf in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled lentil mushroom loaf for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container. You can freeze the entire loaf whole or cut it into individual slices (separate with wax paper or parchment paper) before freezing.
- Defrost in the fridge for a day before reheating
- Microwave – microwave a slice or two of mushroom lentil loaf on high for 1-1:30.
- Oven – place the lentil loaf slices on a baking sheet and cook at 375F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
- Air Fryer – place slices of mushroom lentil loaf in the air fryer basket and cook at 375F for 5 minutes to reheat.
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 24g | Sugar: 9g
