If you are looking for a special holiday menu, something to impress guests with, or to serve as a Sunday dinner for family or friends, then this quinoa-lentil loaf dinner menu is for you.
This menu is packed with vegetables, yet you’d hardly know it, because overall it comes across as “meaty.” A highlight is the umami sweetness from the loaf’s savory tomato glaze.
Accompanying this pretty loaf is an earthy celeriac and potato mash, which makes brilliant use of the rarely enjoyed celery root, and the brightness of lemony braised leeks. A crisp green salad garnished with seared cherry tomatoes and apples, and topped with goat cheese and red wine vinaigrette, offers a pleasing mixture of textures and flavor combinations.
Everything goes together really well, so you really cannot go wrong by following this menu. It is also joyfully colorful; beautiful, almost festive looking on the plate.
Quinoa-Lentil Loaf Dinner Menu
I have made this quinoa-lentil loaf dinner menu a few times. I can tell you that lentil loaf is something that appeals even to meat-eaters, which is, of course, super cool. People get really excited by it. It makes sense. It is a true vegetarian main that has it all.
When you eat this loaf, you can feel the packed protein, and the rainbow of vegetables, working together to nourish the body.
This dish is packed with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, green pepper, tomato, walnuts, quinoa, lentils, and savory flavorings. A tomato glaze on top is the star of the show. The organic ketchup and a touch of maple syrup transform into a gorgeous sheen after the bake.
It is really enjoyable to eat a bit of loaf combined with celeriac and potato mash. This side dish is just like mashed potatoes—buttery, smooth, and palatable—except it is more flavorful and sophisticated.
Celery root is unlike celery—they are different plant species—although it still tastes mildly of celery. The root has a lighter texture than potato, so it lightens up the characteristic starchy-heaviness of the potatoes quite a bit, resulting in a more balanced version of the classic mashed potato.
My recipe link for celeriac and potato mash also includes a recipe for vegan mushroom gravy that would also combine really nicely with the quinoa-lentil loaf if you choose to make it. Thinking about it now, you could actually make the gravy instead of the lemony braised leeks if you like.
About those leeks, my lemony braised leeks make for a super succulent bite. There is green chard in my recipe for added flavor and nutrition. You can use any cooked green here, though, if you prefer.
About that salad, it is actually quite hearty. You could even embellish it for another occasion as a meal, perhaps with baked tofu, roasted squash, or whole wheat sourdough bread chunks.
Think Of The Leftovers!
The salad ingredients are great as leftovers too. This is one of the benefits I love after putting in all this effort to make a fancy meal. Make extra so you can enjoy elements of the meal in a future meal or two.
A seared container of cherry tomatoes yields extras that can be used as a toast topping with cheddar cheese, or as a breakfast side. The savory cooked apples are also really enjoyable as a snack, or as a sweet element in a sandwich. They only take two minutes to make.
We recently enjoyed leftover lentil loaf in vegetarian tacos, and it was wonderful.
I hope you have an opportunity to make this quinoa-lentil loaf dinner menu. It will take about two-and-a-half hours to complete a gorgeous meal for any occasion. And remember, make extra, and there will be leftovers!
Recipes For Quinoa-Lentil Loaf Dinner Menu:
1. Quinoa Lentil Loaf
Quinoa Lentil Loaf
Whatever you call it—lentil loaf, nut loaf, or Quinoa Lentil Loaf—this is one of those quintessential vegetarian dishes. GET THE RECIPE
2. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potato With Celeriac & Vegan Mushroom Gravy
I am including a variation on the basic mashed potato, because I think mixing potatoes with other vegetables is a really tasty way to get a wider variety of vegetables into your diet. GET THE RECIPE
3. Braised Leeks
Lemony Braised Leeks & Green Chard
These braised leeks taste outstanding, with a combination of three different acids. White wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and grainy mustard add an underlying complexity of flavor to the natural astringency and pungency of the vegetables. GET THE RECIPE
4. Green Salad
Seared Apple & Cherry Tomato Salad With Goat Cheese
This recipe goes beyond the typical salad fixings to include scrumptious seared apples and cherry tomatoes. Each bite of cherry tomato bursts in your mouth, almost making you forget you are eating lettuce. GET THE RECIPE
Leave a Reply