Vegan Lentil Loaf

Ingredients

• Lentils

  Raw

  ½ cup or 96g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  1 ⅓ cup or 316g

• Bay

  Castella

  100g

• Avocado Oil and Lemon Infused

  Olivado Natural Nutrition - Walmart

  100g

• Onions

  Raw

  ½ large or 75g

• Garlic

  Raw

  3 cloves, minced or 9g

• Celery

  Raw

  1 stalks, large (11 inches long) or 64g

• Carrots

  Raw

  1 medium or 61g

• Sunflower seed kernels

  Seeds, dried

  ½ cup, with hulls, edible yield or 23g

• Rolled oats

  Plain, dry oatmeal

  1 cup or 80g

• Tamari

  White Corn Tortilla Chips - Garden of Eatin'

  300g

• Tomato paste

  Canned, without salt added

  3 tbsp or 48g

• Flaxseed

  Seeds

  2 tbsp, ground or 14g

• Maple syrups

  2 tsp or 13g

• Vinegar

  Cider

  ¼ tsp or 1g

• Thyme

  Spices, dried

  ¼ tsp, ground or 0.3g

• Oregano

  Spices, dried

  1 tsp, ground or 2g

• Basil

  Spices, dried

  1 tsp, ground or 1g

• Cayenne pepper

  Spices, red or cayenne

  ¼ tsp or 0.5g

• Pepper

  Spices, white

  ¼ tsp, ground or 0.6g

• Salt

  Table

  ¼ tsp or 2g

• Tomato paste

  Canned, without salt added

  2 tbsp or 32g

• Maple syrups

  1 ½ tbsp or 30g

• Balsamic vinegar

  1 tbsp or 16g

• Salt

  Table

  ¹⁄₁₆ dash or 0.03g

• Nutritional Yeast

  Vegan - Whole Foods Market

  2 tbsp or 15g

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Prepare lentils by rinsing them and adding to a pot with water and a bay leaf. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat down and simmer covered until all the liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf and set the lentils aside to cool. This step can be done in advance. Water saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery until they’ve softened and become fragrant. About 5-10 minutes. Once cooked remove from stovetop to cool. Add lentils (reserve ½ cup for later), cooked veggies, toasted walnuts, oats, tamari, tomato paste, ground flaxseed, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, thyme, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, ground pepper and sea salt to the food processor (affiliate link). Pulse until mixture is just combined and the texture is to your liking. You want the mixture to be combined enough to stick together, but you don’t want it to be completely pulverized. Stir in the reserved lentils and press mixture into parchment lined loaf pan. I used a 9″ x 5″ x 2½”. In a small bowl stir together glaze ingredients and spread the glaze over top of the loaf. Bake covered with foil for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 8 more minutes. Let the loaf rest 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Or freeze for up to 1 month. Notes To prep the lentil loaf ahead of time: I recommend prepping it fully, covering it with foil or plastic wrap and keeping it in the fridge for 1-2 days before baking as instructed in the recipe. To freeze the lentil loaf: bake lentil loaf and let cool to room temperature, wrap slices in foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, thaw slice(s) in the fridge, then heat in the microwave or bake in a 275°F oven until the lentil loaf slice has heated through, about 15 minutes. Makes a great sandwich! (source: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/lentil-loaf-with-a-maple-sweetened-glaze/)