Vegan Eats: Thanksgiving Lentil Loaf

Kitchen Companion makes the transition of leaving animals off of your plate pain-free and fun! Want to test out a recipe from the meal planner? Try this stuffing recipe developed for your plant-based Thanksgiving.

Photo by Kitchen Companion

This Lentil Loaf makes the perfect main course for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Makes 2 Servings - 1 medium, 1 large.

Ingredients

• Green lentils - 1 1⁄2 cups

• Water - 4 1⁄2 cups

• Bay leaf - 2

• Carrot - 2

• Onion - 1

• Shallot - 1

• Garlic - 2 cloves

• Celery stalk - 1

• Green pepper - 1

• Button mushrooms - 2 cups

• Dried thyme - 2 tsps

• Dried oregano - 2 tsps

• Dried oregano - 1 tbsp

• Dried basil - 1 tsp

• Rolled oats - 1 cup

• Walnuts - 1⁄2 cup

• Flax meal - 2 tbsps

• Tomato paste - 1⁄4 cup

• Nutritional yeast - 2 tbsps

• Paprika - 1 tbsp

• Apple cider vinegar - 1 tsp

• Low-sodium soy sauce/tamari - 2 tbsps

Optional

• Salt & pepper - to taste

Directions - 75 Minutes

1. *READ BEFORE SHOPPING FOR INGREDIENTS: To make 1 Thanksgiving Lentil Loaf you must adjust the recipe to 1 serving.
   1 medium serving will make 1 loaf. 1 loaf makes 8-10 servings.

2. Cook the lentils. Rinse the lentils and add them to a pot with water and bay leaf. Boil the water, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils are tender. This should take about 20-25 minutes. Stir the lentils periodically to check on the water level and make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3. Meanwhile, chop and cook the veggies. Begin by rinsing off the produce. Peel the carrot, onion, shallot and garlic. Dice the carrot, celery, onion and bell pepper. Slice the mushrooms into strips. Dice the garlic. 

4. Heat the oven to 400F/200C. 

5. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the onion, shallot, carrot, celery, bell pepper and mushrooms. If the pan dries, add a little bit of water at a time to create an oil-free saute. After 5 minutes, stir in the garlic, dried basil, oregano, and thyme. Stir and continue with the oil-free saute method for another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have reduced in size.

6. In a food processor, blend the oats until it’s a coarse flour. Remove the oats, and add in the walnuts. Give it a few pulses just to break up the walnuts slightly. If you don't have a food processor, just spread the oats and walnuts (separately) on a large cutting board and chop with a large chef's knife. Use an herb-chopping method to get the best result. It doesn't have to be a flour, but a few minutes of chopping should do the trick.

7. When the lentils are done, mash with a potato masher until about three-quarters of the lentils are mashed. Alternatively, you can put ¾ into a food processor and pulse until it’s chunky, then add them back to the remaining lentils.

8. Add all the lentils, cooked veggie mixture, oats, walnuts, flaxmeal, black pepper, salt, tamari, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, rosemary, paprika, and apple cider vinegar. Mix until well combined. Use the potato masher again for a smoother mixture.

9. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour the loaf mixture into the lined pan. Press down completely to remove any air pockets.

10. Place in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. 

11. The loaf is best when cooked the day before. Store it in the refrigerator to condense and develop more flavor. The next day, just heat it up in the oven or slice it and heat a portion in the microwave. The loaf cuts best when cold.