Lentil Loaf with Classic Brown Onion Gravy
 
 
Serves 4 - 6.
Author:
Ingredients
Lentil Loaf
  • 1 cup green or brown lentils
  • 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup yellow onion, finely diced
  • ½ cup carrots, finely diced
  • ½ cup celery, finely diced
  • ½ cup crimini mushrooms, finely diced
  • ½ cup broccoli florets, finely diced*
  • ¼ cup frozen peas
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1, 8 ounce can no salt added tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos**
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
Classic Brown Onion Gravy
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried ground sage
  • ½ teaspoon dried ground thyme
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos***
  • 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Lentil Loaf
  1. Combine lentils, vegetable broth, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper in a small pot. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook covered until lentils are very soft, 40 - 50 minutes. Remove from heat and allow lentils to cool. Do not drain. Lentils can be prepared up to two days in advance. Allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, ground thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables except for peas and sauté 5 minutes more.
  3. Add peas, lentils, tomato sauce and coconut aminos to pot, and continue to sauté until mixture is heated through, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and use a potato masher to roughly mash mixture. (You want the majority of your lentils and veggies to be whole, mashing a small amount will simply help bind the loaf.)
  4. Add oats to pot and stir to combine. Pour mixture into a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Use a wooden spoon to spread out the lentils evenly and press down firmly into the edges.
  5. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until the edges of the loaf are dark brown and beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing. Serve warm with Classic Brown Onion Gravy spooned on top.
  6. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or microwave.
Classic Brown Onion Gravy
  1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium - high heat. Add onion, garlic, ground sage and thyme, salt, and pepper to the pan. Sauté until onions are very soft and cooked down, about 8 minutes. Add coconut aminos and scrape away any browned bits from bottom of pan.
  2. Transfer onion and garlic mixture into a blender and add vegetable broth. Blend until very smooth and pour back into pan. Bring gravy to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch with ¼ cup water and slowly pour into gravy. Simmer 5 minutes more until gravy is thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Makes about 3 cups of gravy. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
* Finely dice all of your vegetables so that they're roughly the same size as your cooked lentils. I use frozen broccoli florets, which I allow to thaw for a few minutes before dicing.
** I highly recommend buying coconut aminos, which have a much milder and sweeter taste than traditional soy sauce. However, if you can't find coconut aminos, substitute with low sodium soy sauce, tamari (gluten free), or vegan Worcestershire sauce.
*** Can substitute with low sodium soy sauce or tamari.
Recipe by The Mostly Vegan at https://www.themostlyvegan.com/lentil-loaf-with-classic-brown-onion-gravy/