I recently made this dish on a Friday night. It was a cold rainy day here in Budapest so the plan was to have a night in. This dish was one of the most comforting meals we could have wished for on such a day.

The lentil loaf is similar to a meat loaf but instead of using ground meat, I opted for lentils which are a good source of protein and rich in dietary fibre. Apart from lentils, this dish includes a mixture of nuts, seeds and vegetables. It is suitable for vegetarians and if you are on a vegan diet, you may want to substitute honey to maple syrup or agave syrup.

You can serve this lentil loaf with a small green salad dressed in a basic vinaigrette. Any leftovers can easily be warmed up the day after. 🙂

Here are all the ingredients that make this lentil loaf so delicious!

• 200g green lentils, uncooked
• 700ml vegetable stock
• 50g almonds/walnuts
• 60g sunflower seeds
• 60g pumpkin seeds
• 3 tbsp linseed
• 120ml water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 red chili pepper (optional)
• 200g celery
• 1  carrot
• 1 apple
• 50g raisins
• 50g rolled oats
• 75g breadcrumbs
• 1-2 tsp dried thyme
• Sea salt & black pepper
• 70g tomato paste
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey/maple syrup

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Start by rinsing the lentils and cooking them in the vegetable stock. Bring them to boil and let them simmer for at least 30 minutes. You need the lentils to be slightly overcooked so it would be easier for the loaf to bind.
3. In the meantime, dice the onion and the celery. Grate the apple and the carrot and finely chop the garlic and the chili peppers. Soak the linseed in the water and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. You may also wish to toast the nuts and seeds.
4. Make a glaze by whisking the tomato paste, apple cider vinegar and honey/maple syrup together. Combine well until smooth.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive in a large frying pan and add the onions. Saute until translucent and then add the garlic, chili pepper, carrot, apple and raisins. Saute for another 5 minutes and then remove from the heat.
6. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together (except for the glaze) and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin (I used a round cake silicon mould here) and press the mixture firmly into the tin. Using a spoon or a pastry brush, cover the mixture with the glaze. (Any leftover glaze can be used as a dipping sauce).
8. Pop the loaf tin in the oven for around 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and crispy. If you are using a cake tin, cooking time will be roughly 25-30 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing into it. The loaf will hold its shape better the longer it is left to cool before cutting.

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