Holiday Lentil Loaf
For my tried and true followers… it’s BACK! Woohoo! I had a devil of a time finding this recipe that was one of my first on the extinct Helyn’s Kitchen site. But thanks to the wayback machine I found it! I’m doing a happy dance and so is my family as it was always a favorite at our house and this baby will definitely be on my Christmas menu this year.
This loaf has a great texture and is chock full of nutrients, including kale, chia seeds, mushrooms and artichoke hearts—and all of those wonderfully aromatic holiday flavors... it's a party in there! And it’s pretty easy to make. So let’s get right to it.
For this recipe you will need:
a loaf pan
parchment paper
Ingredients
1 cup lentils (any kind, I used regular brown lentils)
2½ cups water
3 bay leaves
1 pound mushrooms (any kind, I used white button)
4-5 chopped kale leaves
one 12 oz. package frozen artichoke hearts (or canned), thawed and rinsed
½ cup blanched almond flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 TBS Bragg’s Organic Sprinkle— you COULD sub this with a combination of thanksgiving-style herbs (thyme, rosemary and sage) but this Bragg’s Sprinkle is really great with tons of nuanced flavor and umami.
3 TBS ground chia seeds (DO NOT OMIT. This is what gives the loaf its nice firm texture.)
1 TBS white miso or soy sauce, to taste
½ cup dried, fruit juice-sweetened cranberries
¼ cup dried currants (optional)
2 TBS fruit-only apricot jam— this may sound weird but trust me it gives the loaf another subtle depth of sweet, tangy flavor.
½ tsp ground black pepper
This loaf has the BEST texture! Not soggy or pasty and easy to slice.
Method
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the long-side edges a bit.
Cook the lentils with the water and bay leaves on medium heat until all or most of the water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
Water or broth-sauté the mushrooms and kale together until tender and most of the water has cooked off the mushrooms.
Remove the bay leaves from the lentils, place in a fine strainer and push out any excess water with a large spoon.
Place the mushrooms, kale, artichoke hearts and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until combined but still a little chunky.
Turn the mixture out into a bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine.
Add love! 💗
Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan, pushing down so it's tight and shape into a loaf with a large spoon or a spatula.
Top with a little freshly ground black pepper.
Bake for 1 hour, 10 minutes.
Let the loaf cool for at least 15 minutes (it firms up more as it cools), then gently lift from the pan with the parchment paper and slide it off onto a serving dish.
Top with your favorite vegan gravy or some homemade cranberry sauce.
Serves 6. Enjoy!
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