Lentil loaf with mushroom gravy made without eggs, dairy or gluten! This lentil loaf firms up beautifully in the oven and is loaded with hearty veggies, mushrooms and fiber rich lentils. I use a food processor to chop the veggies into tiny dices which helps makes prep a breeze. This recipe plus the gravy is a bit of a process but dont get overwhelmed! I will break it down into a few basic steps:
- Cook the lentils. This is best if you can remember to do it the night before- the loaf will have a firmer result. I pressure cook mine in the Instant Pot for 8 minutes- 1.5 cups dry green lentils with 2 cups veg broth and salt free seasoning blend- quick release when done. If you don’t have an Instant Pot you can simply boil the lentils on the stove for 15-20 minutes til they are tender. Drain out any remaining water at the end.
- Dice up all veggies and mushrooms. I use a food processor to get tiny dices and it helps save a ton of time. Work in small batches and do one veggie at a time for best results. Be careful not to over process and make veggie paste! You want small dices or large minced pieces. After the veggies are all processed throw the walnuts in to grind those up as well.
- Cook the veggies and mushrooms. Use a large saute pan with a high wall so you can mix everything together in the same pan. Add the rest of the loaf ingredients to the cooked veggies and mix well.
- Bake the loaf. Let it cool when finished for firmer result.
- Make gravy from my recipe on this blog and pour it on top!
The Best Lentil Loaf | Vegan, Gluten Free
Lentil, mushroom, veggie meatloaf, firms up beautifully with no gluten, eggs or cheese.
Equipment
- Food processor
- loaf pan
- Skillet for sautéing veggies
Ingredients
FOR THE LENTILS
- 1.5 cups green lentils rinsed/ sorted ***need 3 cups cooked lentils
- 2 cups veggie broth
- 1 tbsp no salt seasoning blend
FOR THE REST OF THE LOAF
- 1 onion chopped *** I use a food processor to small dice all veggies. Roughly chop them before processing.
- 3 carrots peeled/ chopped
- 4 small celery stalks chopped
- 8 oz crimini mushrooms or use a blend of different varieties
- 1.5 tbsp poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2-3 tsp liquid aminos or other low sodium soy sauce
- 6 tbsp gluten free flour- I like Trader Joe's brand for this OR sub a combination of oat flour and arrowroot starch
- 3/4 cup walnuts- ground up in food processor SUB raw sunflower seeds for nut free option
- 3 packed tbsp ground flax seeds dry, do not add water
Instructions
- 1. Rinse and sort 1.5 cups of dry lentils. Add lentils, veg broth and no salt seasoning to instant pot and pressure cook for 8 mins with a quick release. If you don't have an instant pot- simmer lentils with broth and spices on stovetop for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain out any remaining liquid once done cooking. For best results do this step the night before and refrigerate overnight.
- 2. Chop up all veggies into small dices. I use a food processor for this step. Add one veggie at a time to the food processor and pulse til you get small diced pieces, be careful not to over process. Set diced veg aside in a bowl and repeat the process with the onion, celery, mushroom, carrots.
- 3. Grind up walnuts (or sub sunflower seeds) in a food processor til finely crumbled. It should resemble breadcrumbs.
- 4. Preheat oven to 350. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (or coat with olive oil). Set aside.
- 5. Heat up a saute pan on the stove top to cook the veggies. Use 1 tbsp olive oil or veg broth for oil free. Cook the minced onion, celery, carrot and mushrooms til they are soft and most of the moisture has cooked off- about 12-15 minutes
- 5. Transfer veggies to a large mixing bowl. Add in the poultry seasoning, pepper, liquid aminos, gluten free flour, walnuts and ground flax. Mix well to combine. The mixture should not be too wet.
- 6. Transfer mixture to loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. It will firm up as it cools down. Let cool before serving for best results.
- Make gravy to go along with this recipe (see mushroom gravy recipe on my blog)
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS:
For nut free use raw sunflower seeds in place of walnuts. Blend into crumbly powder.
In place of gluten free flour- use 4 tbsp packed oat flour plus 2 tbsp arrowroot or corn starch.
Don’t use red lentils- they will be too mushy.
