Humble Beginnings Lentil Loaf
A tribute to my humble beginnings, I share with you my lentil loaf recipe. Hearty, wholesome, and good for you, this lentil loaf is both easy to make and affordable. This is a perfect recipe for Meatless Monday, and is both gluten free and vegan friendly.
Servings Prep Time
6servings 15minutes
Cook Time
1hour
Servings Prep Time
6servings 15minutes
Cook Time
1hour
Ingredients
  • 1 3/4cups brown lentils
  • 2cups cooked brown rice
  • 4cups vegetable broth or water
  • 1large white onion, chopped(or 2 smalls)
  • 2cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 1tbsp vegetable or olive oil
  • 1/2cup + 2 tbsp pasta sauce, your choice(or ketchup, if preferred)
Herbs & Seasonings
  • 1/4tsp sea salt
  • 1/8tsp black pepper
  • 4 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped(or 1 tsp dried)
  • 2tsp Italian seasoning
  • extra salt & pepper, as needed
Instructions
  1. Bring water or vegetable broth to a boil. Add lentils and simmer, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly, then coarsely mash with a large spoon or potato masher. Don’t over-mash – you want to keep some of the texture.
  2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook till lightly brown, about 1 minute. Then add in chopped onions and cook about 4 minutes until tender. Add salt & pepper if desired.
  3. Combine brown rice, mashed lentils, onion/garlic mixture, and 1/2 cup of pasta sauce. Add in sage and all dry seasonings. Mix all ingredients very well until thoroughly combined.
  4. Lightly coat a 5×9 loaf pan with cooking spray (or lightly grease with your choice of oil or shortening). Spoon in the lentil & rice mixture, making sure to press it in to bring the mixture together and seal any cracks. Make sure the mixture is evenly distributed in the loaf pan.
  5. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of pasta sauce over the top of the lentil loaf, just enough to thinly coat the top.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered. Allow loaf to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Top with extra sauce or serve on the side, if desired.
Recipe Notes

The nicest thing about this recipe is that you can really play around with the flavor profiles, depending on what you like. Use beef broth instead of veggie broth for a meatier flavor, and replace the pasta sauce with ketchup and mustard to make it more like a traditional meatloaf. If you don’t like ketchup or pasta sauce, you can use gravy instead. I have also used an onion soup mix in place of vegetable broth in the past.

I strongly advise using broth instead of water to cook your lentils because it adds depth and flavor to the finished product. If you’re out of broth and want to use water, you can season the water with salt and other seasonings to give your lentils some flavor.

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