This Quinoa Lentil Loaf is considered a complete vegetarian protein, with all the essential amino acids.
It's packed with mouth-watering savory nutrition, and enhanced by just a touch of sweetness from raisins, maple syrup, and organic ketchup.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the Savory Glaze. It is so divine on this lentil loaf. You could say it is the icing on the cake ... er loaf. But it is also like a built in sauce element. Who doesn't love sauce?
Whatever you call it—lentil loaf, nut loaf, or Quinoa Lentil Loaf—this is one of those quintessential vegetarian dishes. When is the last time you had some?
Maybe it is a good time to surprise yourself or someone special this holiday season with this foolproof hearty vegetarian classic that’s made with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry or refrigerator.
This recipe calls for common brown or green lentils, quinoa, carrots, celery, garlic, onion, and green bell pepper, tomato paste, tomato ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, and Italian herbs. The chopped pecans or walnuts also make for fantastic texture and additional protein.
I am thinking it would be yummy with mashed potatoes if that was what you served with the Quinoa Lentil Loaf. So this recipe ensures a pretty good size stack of glaze for each piece. I made sure of that!
This meat-like loaf is so satisfying it reminds me of the processed vegetarian meat options you can get at the grocery store. While I don’t mind some of that sometimes, it is always better to eat homemade food.
A Versatile Vegetarian Dinner Main
The best thing about Quinoa Lentil Loaf is how versatile it is to have with dinner, including for a vegetarian holiday dinner.
To keep with the theme, you can serve it with quinoa, or some other grain.
And include more cooked vegetables on the side. Beets, baked winter squash, green beens, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and rutabaga would all go well.
Complete the meal with coleslaw or a green salad, and you are vegetable stacked!
For more dinner ideas, check my Quinoa-Lentil Loaf Dinner Menu
If you feel good about this recipe, you can even double it and freeze some. It makes for great leftovers—amazing on toast, in a burrito or sandwich—or simply a second classic dinner for the holidays, or at any time of the year.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Recipe for Quinoa Lentil Loaf
Ingredients
- For this recipe you will need a medium loaf pan, 8.5 by 4.75 inch, or a similar sized baking dish
Ingredients for the Lentil Quinoa Loaf
- ½ cup brown or green lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups water
- ⅓ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¾ cup onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green chilis (substitute with jalapeños), minced
- ½ cup celery, finely chopped
- ½ cup carrots, finely chopped
- ½ cup green pepper, chopped
- ½ teaspoon thyme leaves, fresh or dried
- ½ teaspoon oregano, fresh or dried
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 2 tablespoons raisins, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dijon or grainy mustard
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, see notes for wheat free
- 3 tablespoons walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds, optional, see notes
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, see notes for wheat-free
Ingredients for the Savory Glaze
- ½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon organic ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Rinse lentils in cold water and drain. Combine rinsed lentils, bay leaf and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook partially covered for 45 minutes, until lentils are soft and starting to break apart.
- Rinse the quinoa, and then add it to the saucepan with the lentils. Partially cover, and continue to cook for 15 minutes until quinoa is soft. Add more water if needed. The best is to have no water left in the end. If water remains, drain it off. Remove the bay leaf and set lentils and quinoa aside until needed.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeño, and sauté for 5 minutes. or until translucent. Add celery, carrots, green pepper, thyme, oregano, and salt, and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the veggies are just tender. Add the raisins and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside until needed.
- In a large bowl, add the tomato paste, mustard, and soy sauce and mix well. Add the prepared lentils and quinoa, as well as the prepared vegetable sauté, chopped nuts, and optional ground flax seeds, and mix well. Add the breadcrumbs or wheat-free oats to achieve a good consistency. The loaf mixture should be not to dry, and not to wet.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper. Press the prepared loaf mixture into the pan and trim the edges of the parchment paper with scissors so it does not extend above the edges of the baking dish.
- Prepare the glaze by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and stirring well. Pour it over the loaf and spread it evenly.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, until the glaze is set with a matte finish, and it smells divine. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
To serve
- This lentil loaf is perfect as a vegetarian dinner main course, but it would also be wonderful as a burrito or sandwich filling. You could also try it warmed on toast or with eggs for a hearty breakfast.
Notes
Nutrition
Sarah Annalise
This recipe is amazing and fun to make! I made it another time and have found it is so great with the following substitutions as well: cranberries (instead of raisins), fresh basil (instead of oregano), tomato sauce (instead of tomato paste), quinoa flakes (instead of breadcrumbs), and no green pepper. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this recipe guide. ❣️ : )
Sheilagh
I tried this recipe and it turned out good but did not hold together very well for cutting. If I make it again I might consider adding an egg to hold it together better for slicing. Other than the slicing issue it was very tasty.
Andrea
Hi Sheilagh, It is good to hear your feedback. Did you allow it to fully cool before slicing? That part will be important for this recipe.