This Lentil Loaf is perfect for the holidays. It's hearty, delicious, oil-free, nut-free, gluten-free, and vegan.
This vegan lentil loaf has 20 key ingredients:
- Brown lentils, dry
- Bay leaf
- Uncooked quinoa
- Onion
- Garlic
- Jalapeno
- Celery
- Carrot
- Thyme, dried
- Oregano, dried
- Raisins
- Flaxseeds, ground
- Dijon mustard
- Tomato paste
- Coconut aminos
- Reduced sodium tamari soy sauce
- Tahini
- Nutritional yeast
- Fennel seeds
- Rolled oats, coarsely ground and gluten free (if sensitive)
Pro tip for ingredients
Yes, this lentil loaf has a lot of ingredients, so here's a pro tip. Organize the ingredients upfront into three groups:
1: Arrange the lentils, bay leaf, water and quinoa together.
2: Then group the chopped onion, garlic, jalapeno, celery, and carrot with the thyme and oregano.
3: The third group includes all the other ingredients: raisins, ground flaxseeds, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, coconut aminos, tamari, tahini, nutritional yeast, fennel seeds and coarsely ground rolled oats.
Then follow these preparation instructions below to whip up a delicious and nutritious vegan lentil quinoa loaf.
How to Prepare
Combine lentils, bay leaf and water in a pan over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes. Add uncooked quinoa to the pan, cover and cook until both are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and dry sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. If veggies start to stick, add a splash of water to release.
Add celery, carrots, thyme, oregano to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Add cooked veggies with spices to the large mixing bowl with the lentils and quinoa.
Stir in raisins, ground flaxseeds, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, coconut aminos, reduced sodium soy sauce, tahini, nutritional yeast, fennel seeds, and coarsely ground gluten free rolled oats. Make sure it's well combined with the lentils, quinoa and veggie mixture.
Prepare a medium loaf pan or casserole dish with parchment paper over the edges. Press the mixture into the pan, and pack well to even it out. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375°F (190°C). For the last 5 minutes, remove foil and continue baking uncovered until the time is up. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.
The backstory about this recipe
We first introduced this Lentil Loaf when Sersie and I did our first holiday cook & chat... girls' night in. It was December 2020 and we were going through a second wave of the pandemic shutdowns. I had plenty of time to test out a few different healthy holiday meals, and landed with this lentil loaf. I've had different variations of the vegan lentil loaf over the years, but this one—a modified version of Vegan Richa's Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf—is my favorite.
Paired with garlic mashed potatoes, fast and easy caramelized onion mushroom gravy, and steamed broccoli, this meal is perfect for the holidays or anytime you want a delicious, satisfying, comforting meal that won't rob you of your health.
You see, the typical animal-based meatloaf can have upwards of 20 to 30 grams of fat, not to mention high levels of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. However, with less than 7 grams of total fat and zero dietary cholesterol, along with lots of fiber, this Lentil Loaf with quinoa is high in protein and heart-healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Instead of using a baking pan, you can use muffin tins for easy freezing later. Or form them into bite size appetizer balls—perfect for a holiday party or potluck.
This lentil loaf with all the trimmings—Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom Gravy, and steamed broccoli or Southern-Style Collard Greens—is an excellent option for any vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian. For dessert, I recommend the Crustless Vegan Sweet Potato Pie.
Absolutely! Just make sure they don't eat it all so there's enough left for you.
This lentil loaf stores well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. With that said, whenever I make this for me and my husband—it's gone by noon the next day.
We hope you love this whole plant food vegan meat loaf recipe as much as we do. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation!
Print
Lentil Loaf (VEGAN, GF, NUT-FREE, OIL-FREE)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This delicious and hearty Lentil Loaf will help you stay on track with your health through the holidays. It's vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and has no added oil or sugar. Pair this with mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, steamed broccoli, or vegan collard greens, for a complete and satisfying holiday dinner. #lentilloaf #veganmeatloaf #healthyholidaydinner #danielfastrecipes #veganrecipes #healthyvegan #healthythanksgiving #healthychristmas
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown lentils, dry
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 ¼ cups water
- ⅓ cup uncooked quinoa
- ¾ cup onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno with seeds removed, diced
- ½ cup celery, finely chopped
- ½ cup carrots, finely chopped or grated
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ cup raisins, roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp reduced sodium tamari soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds
- ½ cup coarsely ground rolled oats (use gluten-free, if gluten sensitive)
Instructions
Combine lentils, bay leaf, and water in a pan over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes. Add uncooked quinoa to the pan, cover and cook until both are tender about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and dry sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. If veggies start to stick, add a splash of water to release.
Add celery, carrots, thyme, oregano to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Add cooked veggies with spices to the large mixing bowl with the lentils and quinoa.
Stir in raisins, ground flaxseeds, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, coconut aminos, reduced-sodium soy sauce, tahini, nutritional yeast, fennel seeds, and coarsely ground gluten free rolled oats. Make sure it’s well combined with the lentils, quinoa, and veggie mixture.
Prepare a medium loaf pan or casserole dish with parchment paper over the edges. Press the mixture into the pan, and pack well to even it out. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375°F (190°C). For the last 5 minutes, remove foil and continue baking uncovered until the time is up. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Notes
EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Large sauté or sauce pan
- Mini-blender
- Oven
- Loaf pan or casserole dish
- Parchment paper
- Foil
- Prep Time: 30 min.
- Cook Time: 30 min.
- Category: Lunch/Dinner Entree
- Method: Stove Top & Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: lentil loaf, quinoa, oats, nut free, vegan, daniel fast recipes, daniel fast compliant, christmas dinner, thanksgiving dinner, plant based christmas, holiday dinner, protein rich, healthy holiday dinner, oil-free, no oil, gluten-free
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Kevin
Did you see my #CarmelizedOnionMushroomGravy review? If so, this was the #LentilQuinoaLoaf I referenced. So, if you are not a vegan, the entree is where you might jump off the vegan train. Not on this one! You will stay for the ride! The taste, of course, is excellent. You will also appreciate how this #veganloaf is embraced by all the senses.
I am a vegan advocate, and this recipe hit all my priorities: taste, health, and sustainability!
★★★★★