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This vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf makes a great thanksgiving main. Nut-free, can be gluten-free. Can be made ahead and is freezer friendly. Vegetarian thanksgiving Loaf. Vegan Recipe.
This is an amazing Lentil loaf with veggies, quinoa and spices. Use whichever spices and flavor additions you have. Mash some of the mixture really well for a sturdy loaf. The loaf can be made ahead and is freezer friendly. Freeze the slices and reheat on a skillet like a burger patty and serve. I made this loaf as part of the Thanksgiving spread, all on the same day. You can read about the menu, this loaf and how everything came together, other recipes from the spread with step pictures here.
This recipe is also in my second book Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen, available worldwide
Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf
Ingredients
Loaf:
- 1/2 cup dry brown lentils
- 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, or use millet or other similar cooking grain
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 1/4 cups of water
- 2 tsp oil
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped or grated
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup raisins, add less for less sweet
- 2 tbsp flaxmeal , or chia seed meal
- 1 Tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce, or use a 1/2 tsp of tamarind paste, a tsp of molasses, vinegar and a 1/2 tsp ground mustard to make soy-free
- 2 to 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 to 2 Tbsp tamari , or use coconut aminos to make soyfree
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 to 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp coarsely ground fennel seeds
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, or use coarsely ground oats or gf breadcrumbs to make gf
Glaze
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tsp or more hot sauce to taste
- 2 tsp maple
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Combine lentils, bay leaf and water in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Wash the quinoa, add to the pan, partially cover and continue to cook until both are very tender and easily mashed (You want to slightly over cook the lentils). Stir after 10 minutes so they don’t stick to the pan. Total 10 to 15 mins . *Drain any excess water, remove bay leaf and transfer to a bowl.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes. or until translucent
- Add celery, carrots, thyme, oregano, and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add in the raisins, and mix . Cook for 2 minutes. Take off heat.
- Add the cooked veggies and flaxmeal to the bowl and mix in. Mash the mixture using potato masher or hands, so that atleast half the lentils and quinoa get well mashed. (you still want some whole lentils)
- Add in the sauces, tahini, nutritional yeast, fennel seeds and mix well. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more sauces, herbs and salt if needed.
- Add breadcrumbs or coarsely ground oats and mix in. (To check if the mixture is the right consistency, make a burger patty. If the mixture is too sticky or pasty, add more breadcrumbs. If it is too crumbly and doesn’t stick easily, add some wet ingredients or a flax egg)
- Prepare the loaf pan with parchment lined with parchment edges over the pan. Medium bread loaf pan(8.5 by 4.75 inch)
- Press the mixture into the pan. Pack well and even it out.
- Make the glaze and spread over the top of the loaf.
- Cover the loaf with foil and bake at 375 degrees / 190ºc for 25 to 30 minutes. Bake uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. Then let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Video
Notes
Or Bake the loaf for 25 minutes and refrigerate. Bake for 15 minutes before serving. To use precooked lentils/quinoa : Use 1 1/4 cup cooked lentils and 1 cup cooked quinoa and proceed with the rest of the recipe. Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
See Step step pictures on this Thanksgiving Menu post.
Allergen Information: Free of Dairy, egg, corn, nut. Can be made soy-free, gluten-free. Inspired by Dreena’s Nofu Loaf. Makes 1 loaf, serves 3 to 4
Note: To make the loaf less crumbly, cook the lentils really well. then mash them really well. Larger veggies or lentils in the mixture will make the loaf crumbly. Use finely chopped veggies. Add only enough breadcrumbs to make the mixture like a soft somewhat wet dough and not dry.
To Make Ahead: Cook the lentils and quinoa and add all the seasoning. Mix in and refrigerate. On the day you want to bake. Add in the breadcrumbs, taste and adjust salt and seasoning, pack into a loaf, glaze and bake as in the Instructions.
If for some reason the mixture is not the right consistency or you don’t have a loaf pan, shape the mixture into large patties by hand or by packing into a 3.5 inch cookie cutter. Brush the glaze on the patties. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes.
See Step step pictures on this post. Pictured here with pumpkin cornbread stuffing, spicy cranberry sauce and mashed sweet potatoes.
I couldn’t find tamarind paste to make soy free Worcestershire sauce. Can I just use tamarind sauce? Thanks
sure use tamarind sauce.
Thanks! Sorry I posted twice 🙂
I am dying to try this recipe for Christmas Eve, but I’ve read the directions over and over and don’t see anything pertaining to the use of the yeast.
If you’d please respond to clarify, I’d greatly appreciate it.
add it with the sauces
WOW! Just made this last night and I LOVED it! Definitely one of the most flavourful lentil loaves I’ve ever tried! I needed a bit more time and water to cook the lentil & quinoa mix, but aside from that the recipe worked wonderfully for me! 🙂
Awesome! yes the lentil cooking times may vary a bit depending on the type and age of lentils, stove etc.
I made this for Thanksgiving for my daughter. My whole family gobbled it up!
Delicious!
yay! Thanks!
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and all my meat eating family loved it!! Definitely a keeper recipe 🙂
yayyy!!!
This recipe looks just like my mother’s meatloaf which is always delicious. And I will be trying next week, thank you so much for sharing. Another one I will be trying this week that I came across earlier, I think your readers may like is Jamaican Quinoa and Peas.
I found it here: https://www.fullfoodblog.com/jamaican-quinoa-and-peas/.
Thanks again for your wonderful blog.
I always make double batch of this and freeze and serve slices for quick meal day.!
where can u get vegan Worcestershire sauce?
you can find some on amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=vegan+worcestershire+sauce&sprefix=vegan+worcestershire+sauce%2Cstripbooks%2C218 or look for those brand names in local grocery or health stores
Hi- thanks for all of your wonderful recipes- it’s so appreciated. My neighbors- who are from Syria- recently brought over some lentil-onion-bulghur wheat balls that were amazing- but I can’t get the recipe b/c they don’t speak English. I was thinking this recipe could work esp. that I’m trying to be gluten-free, and they have quinoa. Can I make them into balls instead of the loaf?
yes you can make them in flat balls and bake them or pan fry them on stove top.
I wanna try this recipe. If I make them into balls and I preferred to bake them, do I use the same temperature for the oven? Do I also covered them with foil?
yes bake at same temp for 15 to 20 mins. depends on the size of the balls. no need to cover the balls.
Hello,I was wondering how to bake them if I make balls?How many degrees and for how long?Thank you!
you can pan fry or bake the balls. For baking, bake at 400 deg F, place balls on parchment lined sheet. Cover with another sheet lightly and bake for 25 mins, then remove sheet, check if the balls already browning or still very moist. baste with the glaze liberally, then depending on if the balls were already browning or not, bake for another 10 or 20 mins if they were too soft.
Hello from Germany, Sara!
The loaf is in the ofen.
How about just inviting your neighbours over and cook it together!!
Evae
Wow.. This is the bestest quinoa recipe I have ever come across. Quinoa mystifies me so much, and I have always wondered how to cook it exoctically.. Well, I guess I dont need to look any further