Mushroom Lentil Loaf

Mushroom Lentil Loaf- a savory meatless loaf made from a healthy combo of mushrooms, lentils, walnuts, sunflower seeds and fresh herbs. Perfect for entertaining over the holidays or to prep and freeze for healthy dinners! (vegan + gluten-free)

Vegan Mushroom Lentil Loaf- my favorite lentil loaf recipe that's received many rave reviews. Perfect for the holidays or to prep and freeze for healthy meals!

We finally made it to Georgia! The road trip was beautiful but to tell you the truth I’m happy to be out of the car. Sitting down for that long everyday gets old real fast.

Our belongings should *hopefully* be arriving in the next couple of days then the unpacking will officially begin. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to get the kitchen set up. The first thing I’m going to do is break in the oven with a loaf of pumpkin bread. Cannot wait.

So today’s recipe might look familiar to some of you and that’s because it’s been on my site for a couple of years. It’s my favorite lentil loaf of all-time but I felt like the original pictures didn’t quite do it justice. I figured with the holidays coming up, now would be the perfect time to give it a little facelift!

Vegan Mushroom Lentil Loaf- my favorite lentil loaf recipe that's received many rave reviews. Perfect for the holidays or to prep and freeze for healthy meals!

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.

First we start by cooking the lentils with vegetable broth and then lightly sauté onion, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, and green bell pepper.  I like to use green pepper because I hate celery but you can sub that if you prefer.

After that 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).

Mushroom Lentil Loaf

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Lastly, we 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.

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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!

Vegan Mushroom Lentil Loaf- my favorite lentil loaf recipe that's received many rave reviews. Perfect for the holidays or to prep and freeze for healthy meals!

 

Mushroom Lentil Loaf

Yield: 2 loafs // 10 servings

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

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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 panko breadcrumbs (can also use gluten-free)
  • 1 cup flour (I like garbanzo bean flour or oat flour)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped (sub sunflower seeds for nut allergies)
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoons ground chia or flax seed + 3 tablespoons water

Balsamic Glaze

  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Directions:

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.

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.

Using a food processor, finely chop the onion, garlic, mushroom and pepper by pulsing a few times. Warm about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-heat and then add the onion. Sprinkle with salt & pepper then cook for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Add the mushrooms, garlic, carrot and green pepper then cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using the food processor again, mash half of the lentils by pulsing a few times. Add them back to the bowl along with the remaining lentils and sautéed vegetables.

Process the remaining ingredients to finely chop (oats for oat flour, bread for breadcrumbs, walnuts and sunflower seeds) then add them to the bowl along with the herbs.

Mix the Worcestershire and the tomato paste into the chia seed mixture and then add to the bowl. Stir everything together until the liquid is evenly distributed. Pour half of the mixture into each loaf pan then smooth it down with a spatula (or the back of the spoon) to create the shape of a loaf.

Lastly, combine the ingredients for the balsamic glaze in a small bowl and mix together. Spread it over the top of each loaf then cook in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

If you would like to freeze this recipe, allow it to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container, then freeze. When ready to serve, defrost at room temperature then reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Click Here for Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts are for one serving

 

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback! heart