The Vegan lentil loaf is delicious – delicate and slightly sweet, with a noticeable nutty note. It cuts very well and does not fall apart. It is worth trying because plant-based dishes at Christmas are really tasty!
I know. It is not so easy to plan a purely plant-based Christmas dinner 🙂 Traditional Polish cuisine consists of dumplings, meat and a few vegetables, and if any only in salads 😉. Therefore, I believe that the following recipe is good for everyone. Full of plant goodness! So, if you have a problem with arranging a festive menu in a meatless version, pick this recipe and I will guarantee your family will be happy and satisfied. This loaf is tasty and it won’t make you feel sluggish as most traditional Christmas dishes do. And you won’t feel like you are missing out.
I love this recipe and so does my family, that’s why I serve it every single year since I stopped eating animal products. However, this loaf is very easy to make and so full of flavour that you can make this loaf any time of the year really!
Because this loaf makes a good few servings you can make it ahead and freeze leftovers. You can use any dish as a meat substitute but it tastes equally good on sandwiches or in wraps! Above all is always better than any store-bought meat alternatives or burgers!
This loaf is made with wholesome ingredients, is healthy, plant-based without any unnecessary additives or flavour boosters! This lentil loaf is highly adaptable and is perfect for using up the last of your leftover vegetables.
Why you will love this recipe:
This lentil loaf isn’t just for vegans; it’s a dish that can win over even the most dedicated meat lovers. The blend of sautéed vegetables, lentils, and carefully chosen spices creates a savoury, umami-packed experience that satisfies the palate. The mushroom glaze adds a touch of sweetness and depth, elevating this dish to a level that makes it suitable for special occasions or as a comforting weeknight dinner
Why you should try this recipe?
- Moist, compact and easy to cut
- Delicious, filling, and healthy
- Light on your gut and full of vegetables!
- Perfect to make ahead
- Better than any meat alternative
Possible supplies needed:
Food Processor
Loaf Pan
Parchment Paper
Spatula
Small Bowl for Glaze
Brush for Glazing
Why you need to make this Christmas Vegan lentil loaf:
Base vegetables – onion, parsnip, carrot, garlic, carrot – if you don’t like any of those vegetables and can’t eat them, omit them. Other than that, try to include those for a maximum of flavor.
Mushrooms – I am using chestnut mushrooms as they have more of a distinctive flavour. If you can’t get your hands on them use plain mushrooms
Dry mushrooms – those are added for a nice “mushroomy” flavour. It is worth it!Lentils – brown lentils have a nice meaty consistency, reason why I recommend using them in this recipe. Additionally, they keep their shape nicely without going to be mushy.
Oat flour and flax eggs – those will act as a binder to keep this loaf nice and compact.
Flavour boosters – tomato puree, miso (saltines), soy sauce, balsamic vinegar – if you don’t have any of those you can just omit it but otherwise try to add them all. You won’t regret it.
Spices – rosemary, sage.
Glaze – ketchup, 1 maple syrup
Expert tips:
⭐ Don’t skip frying off the vegetables and tomato paste as it intensifies the flavour of those veggies. You don’t want bland Christmas loaf 😉.
⭐ If using canned lentils make sure you don’t overcook them! It will prevent the loaf from being mushy
⭐Pulse the ingredients in the food processor just enough to maintain a slightly chunky texture for a more enjoyable mouthfeel.
STORAGE of the vegan lentil loaf
You can make your lentil loaf the day or two before, and store it uncooked, in the refrigerator until ready to heat. When ready bake according to instructions.
Refrigerator
Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days, in a covered container. I love adding them in wraps or on my sandwiches.
Freezer
store in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let the lentil loaf cool completely. Slice into individual cut pieces and store in freezer-safe containers with parchment paper between the slices so they don’t stick together. You can also use or freezer-safe zip lock bags, removing as much air as possible before closing.
Reheat: I don’t recommend reheating the entire loaf at once because it will most likely become too dry. I do recommend reheating the individual slices. Reheat in the pan for a few minutes.
Reheating from frozen
Let it defrost completely and then reheat in the pan.
Other popular recipes you might want to try that have a bit of a Christmas flavour:
- traditional stewed cabbage with kraut
- Delicious vegan cheesecake with orange and dark chocolate – this recipe nearly broke my website! 🤤
- Delicious gingerbread cookies!
2. Adding mushrooms and onions next
What’s your favourite vegetarian main entree? Let me know in the comments below! 💗
If you try this recipe for a Vegan lentil loaf, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating. And if you share a photo of your healthy and delicious soup on Instagram please tag me at @_pronounced_and use hashtag #pronounced as I LOVE seeing your remakes! HAPPY COOKING 🍽️!
Vegan lentil loaf
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large carrot
- 1 medium parsnip
- 1 medium onion
- 3 cloved garlic
- 100 gram mushrooms
- 50 grams dry mushrooms
- 2 tbsp flaxseeds milled
- 60 gram oat flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp rosemary
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp sage
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp balsamic viniger
- 1 tsp miso
- 2 tbsp tomatoe paste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cans lentils
Glaze
- 70 gram ketchup
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Make a flax egg by mixing grounded flax with 6 tbsp of water. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
- Soak your dry mushrooms.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Chopp all vegetables including the soaked mushrooms.
- In a large saucepan, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the carrot ,parsnip and cook until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the onion and mushrooms. Cook another 3-4 minutes, until the onions are semi-translucent.
- Add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan, then add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2 more minutes, until the tomato paste is slightly browned.
- Add the salt, pepper, smoked paprika and rosemary and cook for 1 more minute, until fragrant.
- Add your soy sauce, miso and balsamic and cook for 2 more minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the pan from the heat.
- In a food processor, add the lentils, oat flour, flax eggs, and sautéed vegetables. Pulse 10-12 times until the mixture is slightly chunky.
- Transfer the mixture to a parchment paper-lined loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake the loaf for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Take it out of the oven.
- To make the glaze, combine the ketchup and maple syrup in a small bowl. Brush the loaf and return it to the oven for additional 15 min, serving the other half for later.
- When the glaze is nice and carmelised take it out of the oven and let it cool completely.,then slice and serve.
- Enjoy!
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This looks so easy and tasty. We will have to try it soon!
Author
thank you
Im keen to try this lentil loaf I have all the ingredients and I miss having some loaf. Thanks for this
Author
let me know how it comes out 🙂
Sounds very nutritious and I love parsnips. I may have to give this a try.
Author
thank u!
Wow, this sounds incredible! I had no idea what I was going to make for holiday dinner and I think this may be it!! Thanks for sharing!
Author
thank u! Let me know how it goes!
This looks delicious, and a great option for the non-meat eaters and people with allergies in my family!
Author
thank YOU! yes my son is a meat eater but he loves this loaf
Oh my goodness, what’s not to love! Thanks for the recipe
Author
thank you for stopping by! x
Looks fantastic. Love nut breads. Great to see vegan methods as it can be challenging to covert recipes.
Author
thanks!
I LOVED this recipe, your blog has a lot of amazing ideas! I sure will do with my family! Thankyou
Author
Thank you so much! Really appreciate it 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious!! Definitely giving it a try
Author
Thank you! Let me know how it goes! x
This looks good! I’m thinking of making it for Christmas! I have a question, you call it “Vegan walnut and lentil loaf” but I can’t see the walnuts I’m supposed to use. Did I miss something?
Author
Thank you for noticing this 🙂 I change the recipe to be nut-free but forgot to change the name ups! Thank you
Thanks! I just made this today in preparation for Christmas. I made 2 different vegan Christmas loaf recipes I found online and yours was the tastier one! I skipped the dried mushrooms because I couldn’t justify the cost, particularly if I paid more to get a larger size of non-Chinese origin dried mushrooms. In its place I used a lot more fresh mushrooms – about 8 oz (or 2-3 times as much). I tried to follow all other ingredient proportions exactly. The loaf was a little softer than the other version I tried, which did slice better but yours tasted twice as good! It may have been softer because I tweaked the recipe and added a lot more cooked mushrooms. It also may firm up a bit in my fridge over the next day or so in preparation for Christmas. Just wanted to say thanks. It was great and I will keep the recipe. Maybe next time I’d add some thyme for flavor as I’ve read both sage and thyme are traditional flavors. I also added the teeny-ist pinch of nutmeg in the glaze as I read online that some people liked that. Seeing as I’ve never eaten meatloaf in my life and I’m vegetarian, I was looking to get all the (herby and spicey) flavors, but none of the meat. Good job! Just sharing this in case it helps anyone.
Author
Thank you very much for all those tips! I am sure people with find it very helpful! Grateful for your input x 🙂
This was delicious
Author
Thank you 🙂
this looks amazing!
Author
Thank you 🙂
This lentil loaf is beautiful! I’ve been hoping to find this recipe and it tastes as good as it looks. Will be making this again for the holidays, thanks.
Author
Hi Kaye 🙂 Thank you for trying the recipe and aading this to your holiday menu! I am delighted to hear this.
My go-to recipe for lentil loaf. I’ve never found a lentil loaf recipe that tasted as good as it looks until this one. Great recipe!
Author
Thank you Kristy for trying this recipe 🙂
I love your recipe, so delicious! I love the slight sweetness, a bit of nuttiness, and the moist texture. So healthy, this is perfect for my diet 🙂 Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe!
Author
Ah Marie I am so happy to hear you like the recipe ! 🙂
I just made this for Thanksgiving. It didnt look as perfect as it should but it did taste good! Saving this recipe for future use. Thank you!
Author
Ah thank you for trying the recipe!I would not worry about the llok.. the taste is there 🙂
My husband is very into healthy eating at the moment, so I made this for him and he loved it. I did, too! My granddaughter is vegan and I can’t wait to have her over so she can try it. This was wonderful. Thanks!
Author
Well thank you and thank you for sharing the recipe with your familly 🙂
This lentil loaf is hearty and satisfying. Even my non-vegan friends were impressed.
Author
Thanks for trying the recipe!