Plant-First Cooking

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your family is prioritize getting enough plants in your diets. Including pulses, like lentils, in your recipe rotation is a great way to up your plant-food count while keeping your belly full and your tongue happy. This 3-star lentil-based loaf is a flavorful way to give lentils a chance.

Veggie Loaf

Veggie Loaf

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Vegan-friendly, this alternative to meatloaf is inexpensive and delicious. If you like a firmer texture, mix a tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 2 tablespoons of water, let it stand 5 minutes, and add it to the lentils. This replacement “egg” will act as a binder to create a firmer loaf.

Servings: 4 (223 g )

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 55 min.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups cooked lentils
  • 1½ cups carrots, minced
  • 1 red onion, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato, ground
  • 1 cup walnuts, divided
  • 1 cup rolled oats, divided
  • 1 tsp. canola oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
  2. Puree the cooked lentils and carrots together in a food processor until a paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and mix in onion, garlic, parsley and sun-dried tomato.
  3. Process half of the walnuts and oats in the food processor until nicely powdered. Add to the lentil mixture. Roughly chop the remaining oats and nuts and stir into lentil mixture.
  4. Lightly coat a 9 x 5 loaf pan with oil.  Spread mixture in pan and bake 30-35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.