Meet Alex Caspero
Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Plant-Based Chef and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.
Vegan Lentil Loaf! This plant-based lentil loaf recipe is packed with healthy vegetables, spices and of course- lentils! Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
A holiday plate with overflowing bowls of mashed potatoes, silky homemade mushroom gravy, and … a vegan lentil loaf?
I still remember my first taste of lentil loaf. I was a newly declared vegetarian and just returned home from my first semester away at college for Thanksgiving. My mother, terrified that I wasn’t going to get enough protein, pulled out her dusty copy of the Moosewood Cookbook for inspiration and fashioned the most Thanksgiving-y dish she could: a ketchup-glazed lentil loaf made with oats, raisins and legumes. It did the job, but I’m fairly certain the rest of my family of omnivores looked at me with pity while they enjoyed their fried turkey.
Well, 15 years and many attempts later, I’ve revamped the sad lentil loaf into something that everyone — even friends who eat animal products — can look forward to.
Incredibly moist, this vegan lentil loaf recipe is light-years beyond the grim bean-and-grain loaves of the past. Studded with carrots, onions, celery and mushrooms, this lentil meatloaf almost resembles a traditional meatloaf in both color and texture. Much like a good vegetable burger, this one actually tastes like vegetables. It’s not meant to imitate meat, but instead be a healthy, main-dish offering to everyone.
While I often serve it with my roasted potatoes and green bean casserole for holidays, it’s so easy that it has become a weeknight staple in its own right. Plus, leftovers make a tasty sandwich! (Yes please with pan-fried slices, mayo, cranberry sauce and gravy.)
I know this recipe seems like it’s a lot of steps, but I promise it comes together fairly quickly. Using a food processor makes this recipe even easier as you can use your processor to mash the lentils, grate the carrots and apples and chop the walnuts and vegetables. I rarely pull out my food processor just to chop things, but found it incredibly useful in this recipe!
The secret to really good lentil loaf is to make sure it’s seasoned before cooking. That’s the beauty of a vegan loaf like this instead of a meat based one- you can taste, adding more salt/seasonings as needed.
Lentil loaf also needs to be a perfect balance of moist and texture. Too much moisture will make for a soggy cake and too much texture will make things crumbly. This recipe using grated apple to help provide sweetness and additional liquid and plenty of finely chopped vegetables and mashed lentils that hold together without falling apart. Do the pinch test before putting the loaf in the oven: it should stick together like meatballs.
Place it in the loaf pan, then add your glaze! Any favorite glaze will work here, I just did a simple combination of ketchup, maple syrup and tangy balsamic vinegar. Don’t skip the ketchup! I like to think of it as a peace offering, a familiar invite to those who are nervous about biting into a dish made of vegetables, nuts and lentils. If you want it sweeter, consider adding in a little brown sugar as well.
Bake, then let cool. Again, we are trying to reduce any crumbly loafs and allowing the lentil loaf to cool slightly will help it cool after cooking. Slice, then enjoy! We like this with even more ketchup and/or gravy.
Vegan Lentil Loaf! This plant-based lentil loaf recipe is packed with healthy vegetables, spices and of course- lentils! Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Lentil Loaf
Balsamic Glaze
*This recipe comes together really fast if you use your food processor to prep the ingredients. Use the food processor to finely mash some of the lentils, to finely chop the walnuts and vegetables and to shred the apple and carrots.
** Lentil loafs can be fairly tricky, so I don’t recommend subbing out ingredients as you want a good balance of flavor and moisture. Taste as you go- this is the best way to figure out the salt and spice level that’s best for you and your family! The mixture needs to be easily held together in a pan, it shouldn’t be crumbly.
*** I make my own oat flour by placing rolled oats in a blender/food processor and whizzing until a rough flour is created. I find that oat flour doesn’t get as gummy as using an all-purpose flour does in these kind of loaves.
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(6 comments) leave a comment
I was a little leery of this recipe because I am still trying to like lentils but it was amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and will definitely be repeating it. I think the diverse ingredients really blended nicely. Thank you!
★★★★★
Hello,
I do not like mushrooms at all. I was wondering if you thought I could maybe substitute the mushrooms for cauliflower? I was trying to think of something with a kind of similar moisture content. I know you said this recipe isn’t really good with substitutions, but I thought that I would ask.
Thanks!
Hi Amy– that may work, but my hesitation would be with the moisture and umami flavor as mushrooms add both a savoriness and wetness to the mixture that’s needed. You are welcome to try, I just can’t guarantee it will work as I haven’t tried it.
Hey Alex, just want to let you know that I am super happy I FINALLY (!!!) found THE perfect recipe for lentil loaf. I have been looking for the ultimate lentil loaf recipe for many years, and I have finally found it. This was the first lentil loaf that my WHOLE family approved of! I am a vegan mom with a husband and two always hungry teenage sons (all three vegetarians), and it is extremely hard for me to find recipes that everybody likes. So thank you for posting this recipe! Hugs from Edmonton, Canada : )
★★★★★
Hi! I’d like to try this but walnuts are not an option for my family. Is there an alternative I can try? When I make a beef meatloaf, I usually top it with a tomato soup/Heinz chili sauce glaze. Do you think it would work for the lentil loaf?
Hi Kim, thanks for the email. The walnuts are a big part of this loaf, so not sure what another option is. If you are allergic, then perhaps almonds? Or, increase lentils though I don’t know how the texture will be. Yes, a glaze like that will work!