There is something comforting about a “meat” loaf or as is the case with this recipe a lentil loaf! This is the first lentil loaf I have made and hubby Tom and I both enjoyed it immensely. Lentils lend it a somewhat meaty texture and it’s hearty as well as filling. The leftovers were just as delicious as the first day. We have a new favorite meatless meal!
If you have a silicone loaf pan go ahead and use it. I don’t own one so I used a regular ceramic loaf pan and it came out perfectly – no sticking.
A little corn on the cob and steamed green beans. What’s not to like about this plant based meal?
Artichoke Lentil Loaf
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups finely chopped mushrooms
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils or 1 (15 ounce) can low-sodium or no-salt-added lentils, drained
- 6 frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and mashed – I used a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen artichokes- chopped in a food processor
- 1/3 cup finely chopped raw pecans or walnuts
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup tomato paste (+ extra reserved for top of loaf)- next time I would also mix in a little Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or whole wheat flour)
- 1 tablespoon of Kirkland no salt seasoning or Mrs Dash
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a saute pan, heat one tablespoon of water or vegetable broth. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, cover and cook until mushrooms are tender. Add celery, parsley and poultry seasoning. Saute another 5 minutes, adding more water if needed to prevent sticking.
Place the sauteed vegetables in a bowl and add the lentils, mashed artichokes, pecans, rolled oats, tomato paste, arrowroot powder, no salt seasoning and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
Lightly rub a loaf pan with minimal amount of oil. Fill the loaf pan with lentil mixture and press down evenly. Spread a 1/8 inch layer of reserved tomato paste over top. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Makes 1 loaf
Servings: 6
*Estimated Nutritional Information
Per Serving: 189 Calories, 9 g Protein, 29 g Carbohydrates, 5.3 g Fat, 146 mg Sodium, 8.7 g Fiber, WWPP 5
Recipe adapted from Dr Fuhrman’s Eat For Health book.
*The nutritional information and WW PP values posted on Nutmeg Notebook are my best estimates based on the brands of products I use and the software programs used to calculate them. If you rely heavily on the nutritional information and WWPP values I encourage you to double check the values given, using the brands of products you use. If you find big differences feel free to email me or leave me a comment letting me know.
Lentils cook up quick and easy but if life is busy you can save even more time by buying lentils already cooked and ready to go. Not only do they work well in the lentil loaf but they are outstanding in soups or seasoned up with Mexican spices for Chili Lentil Tacos.
Lentils don’t have a lot of flavor on their own but they soak up the seasonings that you use with them. They are a power house of fiber and protein yet relatively low calorie.
Nutmeg Notes
The other day I tried my hand at making flax seed crackers and they turned out amazing! I’m discovering so many new recipes and foods to try. I am so behind in posting recipes. If I don’t get caught up soon I might forget everything I have made ha ha! Life is just a little crazy busy around here right now but hopefully when things slow down a bit I can get back to posting more often.
I have lost a little more weight and now have about 7 1/2 pounds to my goal weight! Our new mostly plant based diet is working well for both of us. We have a new list of favorite meals and recipes. We realize now how adaptable we really are. Once you leave the salt, sugar and fat behind the true flavor of real food comes alive. Fruit and vegetables just seem to explode with flavor. It’s amazing!
Hope you all are having a fantastic week.
Tami
Add Your Thoughts!
Have your tried lentils?
Lori
I like lentils. I love Indian food and lentils are used a lot. Dals especially. One of my favorite dishes is rice with lentils and carmelized onions. Yum!
Jody - Fit at 55
And I just posted my turkey meatloaf recipe on Instagram… too funny. Yours looks delish!!!! I used to eat lentils a lot & then stopped… Have to check TJs! 🙂
Andrea@WellnessNotes
Your lentil loaf sounds delicious! I like lentils a lot and often make lentil soup and lentil/tomato/parsley salad.
Glad that your new way of eating continues to work for both of you!
Biz
I am surprised that it actually does look like meat! Not sure I could pass that off on my hubs though. I one time tried to make him quinoa meatballs and that didn’t go over so well!
Clarice Melendez
This recipe was awesome! I must confess that I had a mom moment where I ‘thought’ I had enough rolled oats, but ended up with barely a quarter cup. To improvise, I grabbed some 7 grain bread I had in the fridge and processed that with the lentils. The loaf was sensational! It bound together so well and the flavors were beautiful. My 4 yr old and 2.5 yr old ate it up without any fuss, asking for seconds. Even my husband who raised his eyebrows at the sight of mushrooms going in (not a fan), did not complain. This is a winner and will surely show up on my table again. I can’t wait to try it when I have a full cup of oats available. Thanks for posting this!
Shannon @ moveeatcreate.com
I’m a huge fan of lentil loaves, but I’ve never seen one with artichoke in it before. Brilliant!
Tami
Hi Shannon – the lentil loaf with artichokes is so moist and tasty! If you try it be sure to come back and let me know what you think. 🙂
DORIS R SMITH
Can I use canned artichoke heart instead?
Tami Kramer
Hi Doris,
Yes you can, they are salty so you will need to rinse and drain them well.
Happy Cooking,
Tami
Nina
I’m planning on making this tomorrow. About the artichokes: did you mean to use the entire bag of artichoke hearts or 6 pieces? Above, Doris Smith suggested using canned artichokes and the volume of a can, a bag and 6 pieces are quite different. Thank you for your clarification.
Tami Kramer
Hi Nina,
I used 6 pieces from a bag of Frozen Trader Joe’s artichoke hearts.
Nina
Thank you. I’m looking forward to dinner tonight! I’ve only just discovered you’re YouTube channel recently but I think you’ll be one of my go-to’s on my new journey.
Tami Kramer
Thank you Nina!