Vegan Lentil Loaf Made With Roasted Carrots, Onion, & Portobellos

For those of you who are celebrating live turkeys on Thanksgiving, this vegan lentil loaf made with roasted carrots, onion, & Portobellos is for you.

I bought a ten pound bag of lentils at Costco last month, and five pounds and many lentil loafs later, I finally created a loaf that’s moist, has a wonderful texture, and is so savory and meaty that even my non vegan husband was impressed.

The problem that I’ve had with some of the lentil loaf recipes that I’ve tried in the past is that lentils, unlike beans, are dry. So if you don’t account for that dryness, you’re going to get a dry loaf that isn’t very appealing, unless you enjoy eating food with the texture of sand.

Dry and sand like textures in vegan food can be an issue. I was talking with a friend whose daughter recently adopted a vegan lifestyle and she asked me why vegan bakery has such a dry and sandy texture? I knew exactly what she was talking about. I’ve had a few cupcakes and cookies like that.

My answer to her was, “I have no idea.” Honestly, I don’t get it. My baked treats are always moist, and they have a soft and chewy texture. I told her to make my pumpkin spice cookies. If those don’t prove to her and her family that vegan tastes like normal food then nothing will. I can’t wait to find out what they think.

Lentil loaf has the same issue. I mean, it’s not a dessert, but it is baked. And the process of baking removes moisture from food, so unless you get the formula right, you’re going to end up with dry food. Happily, after much trial and tribulation, I got the formula exactly right. Just in time for the holidays!

This gorgeous, delicious, moist, and healthy vegan lentil loaf made with roasted carrots, onion, & Portobellos will be the centerpiece on my Thanksgiving table, along with my vegetable wellington.

By now I’m sure you’re wondering what my secret is. It’s the roasted veggies. Roasting the carrots and onions until they’re nice and caramelized makes them really soft, and the caramelization adds a beautiful rich flavor. The roasted Portobellos and the liquid smoke do the same, as well as add a nice umami flavor, which will remind the non-vegans at the table of meat loaf.

I used two flax eggs and bread crumbs (use gluten-free bread crumbs to make it GF) to bind the loaf and I added two finely chopped fire roasted tomatoes for a little acidic flavor. I also sliced three slits into the loaf at the end of the baking time and poured some fire roasted tomato juice evenly on top, then baked it for five more minutes to give it even more flavor.

Just look at how gorgeous this vegan lentil loaf made with roasted carrots, onion, & Portobellos is. It has a wonderful crisp crust and an almost juicy and moist center. You can taste the caramelized vegetables, the smoky flavor from the liquid smoke, the tangy fire roasted tomatoes, and the savory Italian seasonings all gently co-mingling together in one delicious loaf.

The lentils and flax add a ton of protein and omegas, and the carrot and onion are packed with vitamins and nutrients. And, it’s nut free!

Decorate your vegan lentil loaf with fresh herbs for a beautiful holiday presentation and smother it with our mushroom gravy. You and your guests will love it and you’ll feel so much better after eating it than you would if you ate a turkey.

Tell me:

What are you serving for your main course this Thanksgiving?

Are you hosting or traveling?

Have you ever had a dry and sand like vegan baked goods?

Do you like what you’ve seen so far? I sure hope so! Do me a favor, take a trip over to my Facebook page and give it a like, or follow me on Instagram or Twitter, and follow me and share this and other Veganosity recipes on Pinterest. I’d be so grateful if you did.

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Linda and Alex at Veganosity

Yields 1

Vegan Lentil Loaf Made With Roasted Carrots, Onion, & Portobellos

A savory, moist lentil loaf with a wonderful umami taste. This will satisfy everyone at the table.

30 minPrep Time

60 minCook Time

1 hr, 30 Total Time

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Ingredients

• 2 cups of lentils (green or brown) – rinsed and sorted
• 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed + 5 tablespoons of water
• 2 medium carrots – peeled and cut in half length wise
• 1 large red onion – peeled and cut into 8 pieces
• 6 to seven large Portobello mushroom caps - stems removed
• 2 cloves of garlic – peeled
• 1 and 1/2 cups of bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke
• 1 16 ounce can of whole fire roasted tomatoes – coarsely chop two of the whole tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of dry Italian seasoning
• Ground sea salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 385°
2. Combine the flax seed and the water until creamy. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.
3. In a medium sauce pan cover the lentils with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Add more water if needed. The lentils should be soft. Drain the excess water in a fine mesh colander and put half of the lentils in a food processor. Pulse until they are creamy but you can still see pieces of lentil. Put in a large mixing bowl. Repeat the process with the other half of the lentils.
4. While the lentils are cooking put the carrots and onion on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle a small amount of olive oil on them and rub the oil evenly over the vegetables. Roast for five minutes then turn the carrots and onions and add the mushrooms to the pan. Roast for five minutes and flip the mushrooms and turn the carrots and onions. Continue the process until the vegetables are caramelized and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and cool for five minutes.
5. Place the vegetables and the garlic cloves in the food processor and pulse until they are cut into small pieces. Put in the mixing bowl with the lentils.
6. Add the bread crumbs, flax eggs, liquid smoke, the two chopped fire roasted tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and stir until well combined. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Line a 1 lb. (8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" high) loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it and put the lentil loaf mixture in the pan. Firmly press it into the pan until it forms the shape of the pan.
8. Bake for 55 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and cut three slices into the loaf and evenly pour the juice of the fire roasted tomatoes on top. Don’t drench it, it should just cover the loaf. Spread about half of the tomato juice from the can of fire roasted tomatoes over the entire top of the loaf and bake for another five minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let it set for ten minutes.
10. NOTE: Put the remaining can of tomatoes in an airtight container and refrigerate or heat the tomatoes and add your favorite spices and use as a gravy for the lentil loaf.

Cuisine: American | Recipe Type: Entree

7.6.4

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