Vegan Lentil Loaf

This Vegan Lentil Loaf is a nutrition-packed masterpiece that can be sliced for a perfect meal. This loaf features protein-rich lentils, healthy veggies, and delicious seasonings. All items are chosen carefully to be purely plant-based. The Vegan Lentil Loaf is so delicious that even non-vegan and picky eaters will love it. This dish is visually lovely and quite delicious thanks to the addition of a simple glaze on top, which offers a tangy-sweet finish.

NUMERICAL OVERVIEW:

• Diet: Vegan, free from gluten, egg & dairy
• Course: Dinner/main
• Cuisine: Comfort food/American
• Twenty mins for preparation
• Sixty mins for cooking
• Working time will be an hour + 20 minutes
• Size/serving: One slice of 150 grams/person
• Yield in total: 1 standard loaf yields 8 slices
• Mode of cooking: Baking in a conventional oven
• Level of difficulty: Easy to normal

TOOLS:

• Spoons & cups to measure
• A saucepan of normal size(to cook lentils)
• Paper of parchment
• A bowl for mixing, big-sized
• Potato masher/food processor
• A spoon(wooden)/spatula(silicone)
• 8 by 4/9 by 5-inch loaf pan, non-stick

INGREDIENTS:

LOAF:

• One onion
• 1 tsp. of thyme
• Lentils, two cups
• 1/2 tsp. of black pepper
• Oil of olives, one tbsp.
• 1 tsp. of paprika powder
• Cloves of garlic, two
• 2 tbsp. of tamari/soy sauce
• Salt, one tsp.
• 1 cup of carrots
• Paste of tomato, one-fourth cup
• 1 cup of celery
• Flax eggs
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• Rolled oats, half a cup

FOR THE GLAZE:

• 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar
• Ketchup, three tbsp.
• 1 tbsp. of maple syrup

INGREDIENT NOTES:

FLAX EGGS:

• Being vegan, we can’t use eggs. That’s why we need to combine one-fourth cup of flax eggs with half a cup of water. You may also go for the chia seed eggs, made similarly to flax eggs or mashed potatoes.

VEGGIES:

• The recipe calls for finely chopped celery, carrots, and onion. You may swap with bell peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms.

LENTILS:

• We will need the cooked version of green or brown lentils as a base structure. Here, you can’t go for the red lentils, but you may use the canned lentils that are already cooked to save your time & hassle.

GLAZE:

• The glaze will be prepared with ketchup, maple syrup, & apple cider vinegar to give a shiny & tangy-sweet finish to our loaf. You may go for the BBQ sauce/chutney of tomato.

BREADCRUMBS:

• The use of breadcrumbs is necessary for strong binding. You may use the rice cakes(crushed), gluten-free bread crumbs, or meal of almonds as a swap.

SOY SAUCE:

• It gives the food the umami taste. You may go for the liquid/coconut aminos for the soy-free version, while using Tamari for the gluten-free version.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Include a cup of lentils(dry) along with three cups of water in a pot.
2. Place that pot on full flame & wait for the boil to come.
3. As the boil comes, lower the flame & cook the lentils until they are tender(~25 minutes).
4. Drain the remaining liquid once you observe that the lentils are tender.
5. Combine the flaxseed(ground) with the water in a separate bowl(small).
6. The mixture will be thickened after ten mins, just like the egg consistency.
7. Put a big skillet over a regular flame and pour in the olive oil.
8. Include the onions, garlic, celery, & carrots in the oil once it gets heated.
9. Cook them till they become soft/tender and fragrant(~seven minutes).
10. Make a paste of two-thirds of the lentils by either using a masher or a food processor.
11. One-third is left whole for having a good texture.
12. In a mixing bowl, add the mashed lentil, whole lentil, paprika, vegetables, breadcrumbs, salt, oats, pepper
13. powder, flax egg, thyme, tomato paste, paprika, & soy sauce.
14. Combine all of them well & then transfer to the loaf pan(parchment-lined).
15. Press the blend to create a dense loaf-like structure.
16. Quickly mix the maple syrup with ketchup & apple cider vinegar in a little bowl.
17. Pour the glaze over the loaf to cover it in an even manner.
18. Then, shift the loaf pan(ready-to-bake) to the oven(already heated at 190 °C).
19. Give it ~forty mins to firm & lightly crisp.
20. Then take it out of the oven & leave it on the counter for nearly ten minutes.
21. After cooling, slice your Vegan Lentil Loaf to serve.

TIPS:

• You can replace the paste of tomatoes with BBQ sauce in the mixture of the loaf to have a twist of BBQ flavor.
• To get the neat slices, refrigerate it the whole night to get firmer.
• You can also double the items & bake in two pans to get more.

HOW TO PRESERVE(LEFTOVER):

CHILLING:

• Save the loaf slices(leftover) in a container with a lid(airtight). Refrigerate it for five days, and you can warm it up in the microwave to consume within the given time.

FREEZING:

• Pack either the whole loaf or its slices using the cling wrap/sheet of parchment. Next, transfer them to a bag(freezer-safe). Freeze it for ~two months. Defrost it the night before & warm it up using the oven at 175 °C for almost twenty mins or till it warms up thoroughly.

FAQs:

Is that possible to make this loaf earlier for the holiday?

• Yes, bake it a day before, refrigerate it after cooling it. Rewarm it right before serving.

How can you lower its calories?

• If you sauté the veggies in the broth of veggies in place of oil, you can lower the calories by a significant amount.

What might be the reason for having a crumbly loaf?

• There must be a deficiency of either moisture/binding. you need to increase the binder that you have used, like flax/chia egg or mashed potato.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS/SERVING:

Size/serve: One slice of 150 grams
Calories: ~210 kcal
Carbs in total: Thirty grams
Fiber: 9 g
Net carbohydrates: Twenty-one grams
Fats: 6 g
Sugar: Five grams
Proteins: 10 g
Sodium: 380 miligrams