Published: · Modified: · By Amber · 17 Comments
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Little lentil loaf with mushrooms and fresh sage is a satisfying main course to serve with cranberry sauce at the festive table.
Does everyone else have the same crazy diary situation at this time of the year? Mine is filling up fast and I know Christmas will be here before I know it. I need to get started with list writing so that I'm organised for gift shopping, and I'm definitely already thinking about what to serve on the big day.
Today marks the beginning of sharing a series of festive recipes with you. I know some of you will be thinking "Whaaat, Christmas is ages away!", but I also know some of you have already finished your gift shopping. And it's never too soon to start thinking about food.
I posted a question on Facebook last week asking what sort of recipes people would like to see in the lead up to Christmas, and one of the answers was "Something non-meaty to serve with cranberry sauce" (I'm looking at you, Stefani). So that's exactly what I've created. I live to serve, haha.
Little lentil loaf
Humble lentils are one of my favourite ingredients and they lend themselves very well to creating 'non-meaty' main course meals. I really enjoy lentil or nut loaf and often make one for Christmas. My one complaint is that they take forever to cook, can be quite expensive to create if they have a lot of nuts in them, and usually only me and my girls eat it.
So today I've created something similar, but made mini loaves in muffin tins. Not only do they cook more quickly, but they're perfectly portion controlled. You can make a full (or double) batch, or take just a few along with you for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and freeze the rest.
I started by sauteeing onion, garlic, mushrooms and fresh sage until the mixture was well coloured. This goes into the food processor with a drained can of brown lentils, oats, sunflower seeds, a chia egg, smoked paprika and tamari/soy sauce to season. I pressed the mixture into greased muffin tins, glazed the tops with a little barbecue sauce, and baked them until set and golden brown.
These little lentil loaves aremoist, not too dense, nicely textured and richly flavoured. I decorated them with a little sprig of rosemary to make them look more festive and served them with a spoonful of cranberry sauce. They were a big hit with everyone at my table, including the two year old, so there's a very good chance I'll be making them again for Christmas.
Nutritional perks
The nutritional breakdown isn't generally a priority for me at Christmas, but these little loaves aren't just delicious. These are high in iron, protein and fibre, so they're an ideal 'non-meaty' main course any time of the year.
Get the recipe
Little lentil loaf with mushrooms and sage
Little lentil loaves with mushrooms and fresh sage are a satisfying vegan main course to serve with cranberry sauce at the festive table.
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Prep time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes minutes
Total time: 45 minutes minutes
Course: Main meals
Cuisine: Gluten free, Vegan
Servings: 6
Calories: 342kcal
Author: Quite Good Food
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds soaked in 3 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh sage finely chopped (about 8 large leaves)
- 100 g button mushrooms sliced (3.5oz)
- 1 can brown lentils drained (about 240g/8.5oz)
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten free)
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Barbecue sauce to glaze (optional, check ingredients if vegan/gluten free)
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary to decorate (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 200C (390F) fanbake.
Set chia seeds and water aside to soak for 10-15 minutes, until thick and gloopy.
Heat olive oil in a frypan (skillet) over medium heat, add onion and garlic and saute until golden. Add fresh sage and mushrooms, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. Turn off the heat.
Add the onion and mushroom mixture to the bowl of a food processor along with the soaked chia seeds and all remaining ingredients (except for barbecue sauce). Whiz to combine, but don't over process - you want to retain some texture here.
Press the mixture evenly into a greased 6 hole muffin pan. Glaze the tops with a little of your favourite barbecue sauce (optional).
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until set to the touch and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan a little before removing them.
Decorate with a sprig of rosemary, if desired.
Little lentil loaves can be made ahead of time and gently reheated just before serving. Serve with cranberry sauce and your favourite festive side dishes.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 837mg | Fiber: 24g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 5.2mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 6.4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @quitegoodfood or tag #quitegoodfood!
Nutrition Facts
Little lentil loaf with mushrooms and sage
Amount Per Serving
Calories 342Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Sodium 174mg8%
Potassium 837mg24%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Fiber 24g100%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 315IU6%
Vitamin C 5.2mg6%
Calcium 74mg7%
Iron 6.4mg36%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Maggie
This may be an obvious question, but what method do you use to reheat these? Thank you!
Reply
Amber
See AlsoGluten Free Manakish Za'atarHi Maggie, I have reheated these in a low oven just until they're hot through. You could also microwave them.
Reply
Lily
Hi,
How much longer would this need in the oven if cooked as one loaf in a tin?
Thanks,
Lily
Reply
Amber
Hi Lily, I haven't tried cooking this particular recipe as one loaf so I can't be sure, but I would think 45-60 minutes cooking time.
Reply
Jess
Hey I'm not able to have oats is there something else gluten free these could be replaced with?
Reply
Amber
Hi Jess, you could try using quinoa flakes. I haven't tested this recipe with them, but think it would probably work. Let me know if you try it! 🙂
Reply
Rebecca
These are fab I’ve made them so many times. I usually sub chia for ground linseed (flax) as that’s what I usually have to hand. I always omit the oil and sauté the veg in a little water or veggie stock or if I’m in a rush I don’t pre cook and just chuck it all in the food processor. If I make a double batch I use 1 tin of lentils and 1 tin of chickpeas. They always turn out great whatever and I freeze some for another day. I’m making some today for Christmas dinner tomorrow!
Reply
Amber
That's awesome Rebecca, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas dinner 🙂
Reply
Carrie
I don’t like chia seeds, can I substitute with something else?
Reply
Amber
Hi Carrie, they act as a binding ingredient in this recipe so I wouldn't recommend substituting with something else sorry.
Reply
Carrie
I’m not vegan so could use an egg?
Reply
Amber
Hi Carrie, I haven't tried it but yes I think it would probably work.
Reply
Suzy K
These. Are. Great!!! Made these tonight and even my "other half" enjoyed them a lot. I was a little light on lentils because I was cooking my own instead of using canned, but the consistency was still perfect. I also didn't have sunflower seeds; I doubled up on the oats. I will add a bit more sage and probably an extra clove of garlic next time. Any idea if they will freeze well? Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Reply
Amber
Hi Suzy, hooray for happy other halves! Glad you enjoyed them. I haven't actually tried freezing them, but I think they'd freeze beautifully and I intend to freeze a double batch soon because my kids love them and they're a perfect quick dinner to have on hand for them 🙂
Reply
Rhonda
THanks for this delicious sounding recipe. We are definitely starting to think about what to have Christmas Day and usually struggle to come up with interesting, different, festive food, so look forward to your upcoming recipes!
Reply
Amber
Oh awesome, glad to know I'm not the only one thinking about Christmas food already!
Reply
narf7
These look really tasty. Just perfect with salad. Thank you for posting 🙂
Reply
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