This hearty, rich walnut lentil loaf is sure to please at your holiday table or as a satisfying main for meal prep! Can be made into a chickpea loaf too. Naturally vegan and gluten-free! This recipe requires a few different steps, but you will be rewarded.
1tsphot paprika(or use 1/4 tsp of cayenne or red pepper flakes)
1tsplow-sodium soy sauce(or tamari)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the lentils in an even layer on a baking sheet (parchment paper optional for easier cleanup). Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes, or until the lentils start to dry out and split open. They should feel firm to the touch, but not yet crunchy. After baking, remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic with a little pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrot pieces are starting to soften, about 6-8 minutes. Add the walnuts to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes or until slightly toasted. Finally, stir in the paprika, poultry seasoning, and black pepper, and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Remove from the heat.
Add the entire saute mixture to your food processor and pulse a few times to break into smaller pieces. Then add the rice cakes and toasted lentils, pulsing again to break into small crumbs, stirring and scraping down the sides if needed. Add the rest of the blender mixture ingredients and the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil, and pulse until evenly combined. You should be able to pinch the mixture between your fingers and have it stick together, but it shouldn't be completely pureed.
Turn up the oven to 375 degrees and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Spread the mixture from the food processor into the loaf pan and press it down to form an even layer. Bake for 25 minutes.
While the lentil loaf is baking, whisk together all of the ingredients for your glaze. After taking it out of the oven, spread the glaze in a thick, even layer (you may or may not use all of it) on top of the lentil loaf. Return to the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the glaze has thickened somewhat.
Let your lentil loaf cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan gently using the parchment paper, and then slicing it to serve. Leftovers store well.
Video
Notes
SOY SAUCE: It's very important to use low-sodium soy sauce. Regular soy sauce will make this too salty. If you only have regular soy sauce, or need to use tamari due to gluten sensitivity, reduce the quantity and add water to make up the difference in liquid.