3 min read

Lovely Lentil Loaf

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Main Ingredients

1 cup black beluga lentils (brown or green lentils work too)

2.5 cups vegetable broth or water for cooking the lentils

3 tablespoons ground ﬂaxseed

1/3 cup water for soaking the ﬂaxseed

Chopped Veggies (chop into small pieces to help bind the loaf)

· large onion

· 4 cloves garlic

· celery stalks, leaves included

· 1 large carrot with peel

· 1 large jalapeno pepper

1/3 cup water or vegetable broth for sautéing the veggies

1 cup quick cooking oats (you can use gluten free oats)

1 teaspoon sage

2 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4 tablespoons barbecue sauce or balsamic glaze

Salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic Glaze (optional)

6 tablespoons sugar free ketchup

2 tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

2. Prepare the Lentils

a. Rinse the lentils.

b. In a large pot add 2 cups of vegetable broth or water and the lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Allow to simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

c. The pot should have a little water left in it even after 40 minutes, and the lentils should be soft. After 40 minutes, remove the lid and allow them to cool. Do not drain.

3. While the lentils cook, pour the ground ﬂaxseed and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl. Stir. Put the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to sit for 10 minutes or more.

4. Start the vegetable prep

a. Sauté the chopped onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in a pan lined with a thin layer of water. Sauté for about 8 - 10 minutes over medium heat until the onion starts to look translucent.

b. When the vegetables are done cooking, turn oﬀ the heat.

c. Add the spices (sage, thyme, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder) and Worcestershire sauce and mix well.

5. Remove the bowl with the flaxseed from the fridge and add about 3/4 of the lentils to the bowl. Mash them well with a potato masher or large fork but leave a few lentils whole.

a. You can also use and immersion blender or a food processor if you have one.

6. To the bowl ﬁlled with the mashed lentils, add the rest of the unmashed lentils, sautéed vegetables, and oats.

7. Mix well

8. Taste to assess if you have seasoned appropriately.

a. Feel free to add more spices, salt, pepper, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, steak sauce. Note: the calories and macros will be altered by the addition of these additional seasonings.

9. Prepare the Balsamic Glaze

a. Add the ketchup, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar to a small bowl.

b. Mix well.

10. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or use a non-stick pan.

11. Add the loaf mixture to the pan and press down on it with a large spoon to conform it to the shape of the pan.

12. Spoon two tablespoons of balsamic glaze on top of the lentil loaf. Spread to cover the pan.

13. Bake in oven for 45 - 60 minutes.

14. Remove from the oven.

15. Allow the loaf to cool for 15 min

16. Spread the remainder of the Balsamic Glaze over the top of the loaf. You can mix up some extra glaze to serve with the loaf if you would like to.

17. You can remove the loaf from the pan to serve or cut slices of the loaf while it remains in the pan.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from the Lentil Loaf recipe from ChickpeaandBean.com. They have some wonderful recipes and information on their blog. I encourage you to explore their site.
The lentil loaf can be stored in a covered container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also slice and freeze for future use.