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The Ultimate Vegetable Lentil Loaf

The Ultimate Vegetable Lentil Loaf is hearty, delicious and made with pantry staples! It’s customizable to be gluten free, oil free and can be made ahead. Plus, the leftovers make for great vegan meatloaf sandwiches!

top down view of vegetable lentil loaf cut into slices on a serving platter surrounded by side dishes.

After a few attempts (five to be exact) at making this vegan lentil loaf, I have finally come up with a veggie version that tastes pretty darn good and is extremely filling!

I wanted to keep this lentil loaf recipe easy, with ingredients you may already have in your pantry. So all ingredients are easily accessible!

This lentil loaf has great texture and flavor and is super filling. Be prepared, one slice will most likely fill you up. It sure does for me. I’m not kidding when I tell you this is one hearty and filling lentil loaf.

I especially love the tangy glaze used for the top. You double the recipe so you have extra on the side or slather more over the top of the lentil loaf once cooked.

For a fall-flavored or holiday (Christmas or Thanksgiving) lentil loaf, try this Lentil Walnut Loaf with apple, fennel, and sage. It’s just as amazing!

Now on with the recipe – make a loaf and share the love!

top down view of ingredients used to make vegetable lentil loaf recipe.

Ingredient Notes

In this WFPB recipe, mashed brown lentils are combined with sauteed carrots, onion, celery, oats, flaxmeal, and herbs and baked in a loaf pan with a tangy glaze top, creating a hearty vegan lentil loaf.

Here is everything you will need:

  • Lentils – For best results, use brown lentils, as they cook tender and can easily be mashed. Canned lentils work, too, as noted in the recipe card.
  • Veggies – The vegetables include the usual mirepoix of onion, carrot, and celery, with added red bell pepper. Feel free to sub in other veggies if you like. Some have left comments subbing zucchini for the bell pepper. You get the idea, you can adjust to what you have on hand or prefer.
  • Garlic – If you don’t have fresh garlic, use 1 heaping teaspoon of garlic powder.
  • Oats – Use old-fashioned or quick oats.
  • Flour – Any flour will work so use what you prefer or suits your dietary needs. For GF, use oat or gluten-free flour blend.
  • Flaxmeal – We’ll be making flax eggs, combining flaxmeal with water.
  • Herbs & Spices I absolutely love the thyme in this lentil loaf recipe, but I have added cumin for a little earthiness and warmth. Feel free to omit the cumin altogether, especially if making it for the holiday table, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. And if you like spicy, you’ll love the ground chipotle pepper in this recipe with the glaze. It’s such a nice combo of sweet and spice!
  • Glaze – The glaze is a flavorful and tangy mix of ketchup (organic pref.), pure maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar. Feel free to double the glaze.
side by side photos showing the process of making lentil loaf.

How To Make Lentil Loaf

  • Cook the lentils. Cook your lentils and let them set for about 15 minutes; most of the liquid should be absorbed. Mash or puree about 2/ 3 – 3/4 of the mixture. You should be able to easily mash the lentils with the back of a fork or slotted spoon.
  • Saute the veggies. While the lentils are cooling, saute the vegetables (above right).
side by side photos showing the process of mixing the vegetable lentil loaf mixture.
  • Combine and mix. Add the lentils to the sauteed veggie mixture along with the oats, flour and flax egg. Mix well to combine.
side by side photos showing the process of making vegan lentil loaf.
  • Pack into loaf pan. Once everything is mixed, pack the lentil mixture into a 9 x 5 loaf pan. It helps to use parchment paper to line the loaf pan, making it easier to remove the loaf using the overhanging paper.
  • Add glaze. Spread glaze over top and distribute it as evenly as possible.
  • Bake. Place lentil loaf in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 – 50 minutes.

Top Tips

  • Change the seasonings. Don’t be afraid to switch up the seasonings in this recipe. I think Italian seasoning would be great.
  • Double the glaze. Many readers say they double the glaze and I couldn’t agree more!

top down view of vegetable lentil loaf on a serving platter surrounded by side dishes.

What To Serve With Lentil Loaf

This lentil loaf pairs great with a variety of sides like these:

How To Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 – 6 days, in a covered container. Leftovers make great sandwiches!
  • Freezer: To keep longer, store in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let the lentil loaf cool completely. Slice into individual cut pieces and store them in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link) with parchment paper between the slices so they don’t stick together. You can also use, or freezer-safe ziplock bags, removing as much air as possible before closing.
  • Reheat: I don’t recommend reheating the entire loaf at once because it will most likely become too dry. I do recommend cutting slices and then reheating. Reheat in the microwave or oven at 350 for 5 – 10 minutes.

Make Ahead

You can make your lentil loaf the day or two before and store it, uncooked, in the refrigerator until ready to heat. When ready, bake according to the instructions.

Why Is My Lentil Loaf Mushy?

If you find your lentil loaf mushy, too much moisture is most likely the culprit. To combat this, when cooking the lentils, be sure to cook down the water all the way. There should be no more than 1 tablespoon of water (and it’s okay if there is none). If using canned lentils, omit the flax egg (there’s plenty of moisture in canned lentils, even after draining).

side angle view of vegetable lentil loaf cut into slices on a serving platter surrounded by side dishes.

If you try this vegetable lentil loaf recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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THE ULTIMATE VEGETABLE LENTIL LOAF

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 142 reviews

A wonderfully flavored lentil loaf for the whole family to enjoy. The leftovers make for great sandwiches too!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 90 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 8
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: Vegan, American

Ingredients

Scale

Loaf

  • 1 cup dry lentils (use green/brown)
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil OR steam saute using 1/4 cup water
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, finely diced or grated
  • 1 celery rib, finely diced
  • 3/4 cup oats (I used GF oats)
  • 1/2 cup oat flour or finely ground oats (any flour of choice will work here too)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or Italian Seasoning)
  • 1 teaspoon EACH garlic powder & onion powder (for good measure!)
  • 1/21 teaspoon cumin, optional
  • 1/41/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, optional
  • cracked pepper & sea salt, to taste

Glaze

  • 3 tablespoons organic ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or balsamic (see notes)
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Instructions

Prepare lentils: Rinse the lentils, remove odd pieces. In large pot add 2 1/2 cups water/broth with lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 35 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s ok if they get mushy, we are going to roughly puree 3/4 of the mixture when cooled. Once done, remove lid and set aside to cool (there should only be a little bit of water so do not drain), lentils will thicken a bit upon standing, about 15 minutes is good.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make flax egg: In small bowl combine flaxseed meal and 1/3 cup water, set aside for at least 10 minutes, preferably in the refrigerator. This will act as a binder and will thicken nicely upon sitting.

Saute vegetables & spices: In saute pan heat oil or water over medium heat. Saute garlic, onion, bell pepper, carrots and celery for about 5 minutes. Add spices mixing well to incorporate. Set aside to cool.

Mash the lentils: Using an immersion blender, food processor, back of a fork or potato masher, blend 3/4 of the lentil mixture. For me this was an important part, I tried it other ways and this worked to help as a binder. If using an immersion blender, tilt the pot slightly to the side for easier blending.

Assemble lentil loaf: Combine sauteed vegetables with the lentils, oats, oat flour and flax-egg, mix well. Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed, or any other herb or spice you might like. Place mixture into a 9×5 loaf pan lined with parchment paper, leaving it overlapping for easy removal later. Press down firmly filling in along the edges too.

Glaze: Prepare your glaze by combining all ingredients in a small bowl, mix until incorporated. I recommend making each tablespoon heaping so you have plenty of this great sauce on top (if using tomato paste and mixture is too thick, add a teaspoon of water, or a little extra vinegar & syrup). Spread evenly over top the loaf.

Bake: Place in center of the oven, and bake in oven for about 45 – 50 minutes. Let cool a bit before slicing.

Serves 8

Serving suggestions: Serve with cooked asparagus, green beans, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, roasted red potatoes, scalloped potatoes, savory sauteed kale, baked beans, macaroni salad and/or simple salad, etc.

Notes

Glaze: Use either apple cider or balsamic vinegar. Balsamic will yield a bolder flavor. You may like to double up on the glaze, having some to put on the loaf after it’s removed from the oven.

Omit spicy heat: If you don’t care for a little spicy heat, omit the chipotle powder.

Canned lentils: You can use canned (15oz) lentils (or about 1 1/2 – 2 cups), just be sure to drain and rinse them well, and mash about 2/3 – 3/4 or so. Skip the vegetable broth as it is used to cook the dried lentils.

Store: Leftovers will last 5 – 5 days in the refrigerator, in covered containers. To keep longer, store in the freezer for 2 – 3 months. To freeze, cut into individual slices with parchment paper between the slices and store in freezer safe containers or bags (if using baggies remove as much air as possible).

Reheat: I do not recommend reheating the entire loaf at once. It will most likely become too dry, as the heat will take too long to reach the center. I recommend cutting slices and reheating.

Make ahead: If you need, you can make your lentil loaf the day before and store uncooked until ready to heat, bring to room temperature and heat according to instructions above.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: This loaf pan is a great size, or something similar. For lining the loaf pan I cut these parchment liners in half (affiliate links).

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579 Comments

  1. Hi there, I would love to make this for thanksgiving, but I have a couple questions I hope you can answer.
    1. Do I boil the lentils in water or vegetable broth?
    2. It says to blend 3/4 of the lentil mixture. What do I do with the remaining 1/4?
    Thank you!

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Thanks for the questions, Margaret!
      1. The lentils will be simmered as directed in the instructions (the first paragraph). You can use broth or water. The broth will yield a more flavorful outcome.
      2. All of the lentils will be used.
      I hope that helps. Enjoy the lentil loaf and your holiday!

  2. David Silver says:

    I had been following this excellent recipe, but now make my own Happy Accident version. I mistakenly added the glaze to the loaf mixture, but decided to go ahead and see how that would turn out. I made another batch of glaze to spread on the top, and baked for the usual 45-50 minutes. Extra moist (not wet) and extra delicious! Friends have asked for the recipe, so I typed it up, giving you full credit!






  3. The lentil loaf is currently in the oven but I already know it will be added to my rotation of recipes, it is so simple to make!
    I subbed the flax meal for chickpea water, and doubled the carrots and celery instead of the pepper. For the glaze I mixed ketchup, vinegar, and dijon, along with the same spices used in the recipe. Can’t wait to try it!






  4. Thank you for this recipe! I believe I have been making this recipe for the past decade! It has been a hit at Thanksgivings and Christmases over the years. I just made another loaf that I am about to bring to a dinner party with friends. So tasty and satisfying every time I make this! :)






  5. I’m in the process of making this the second time. The first was way too wet. This time I drained the lentils completely. Used the immersion blender and they are again very wet. Not sure what’s going wrong, or if I can salvage this loaf. Perhaps extra oatmeal might absorb some of the liquid. It certainly looks nothing like the crumbly lentil mixture you have in the picture. Seems like a huge waste of time and ingredients at this point.

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Sorry you are having issues, Lois. Not sure why the lentils are still so wet, once drained. You can try adding more oats. Also, you can try skipping pureeing to see if that helps. I hope this time it comes out perfectly!

  6. This was delicious! We are not vegan, but daughter is vegetarian. I did use 2 duck eggs, no peppers and replaced oats with bread crumbs. Would like to make it fully vegan next time. Definitely a keeper.

    1. Nancy Osborn says:

      Tried this recipe and it was magnificent! My hubby loved it too ! I had all the ingredients on hand or a suitable substitute.






  7. Aimee Mobley says:

    I loved this and so did my non vegan/non plant based family! This will become a regular menu item for us!






  8. I’ve only made this once, took it to work as I work in an industry that we have meals with residents. I’m a vegetarian and they aren’t so I took it for me, but shared it. Even those who said they would never eat a vegetarian meal devoured it! Absolutely brilliant recipe!






  9. Can I double the recipe? What size pan to use and how long to cook?

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Oh, that sounds interesting! I have not tried doing that so I can’t say for certain. I think doubling it will work using an 11X13 baking dish and cooking for 30 to 40 minutes. Good luck experimenting!

  10. This was delicious! My family couldn’t get enough.

    I used bread crumbs instead of flour, 3 eggs (instead of flax), and threw in whatever veggies needed to be used up. For us it was eggplant and poblano peppers. Amazing!






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