Lentil & Walnut Loaf
An easy, tasty and nutritious vegetarian bake.
Serve hot with roast potatoes and veggies, or cold in sandwiches or with salad.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 15 g butter
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 stick celery finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- salt and black pepper
- 2 tsp mixed dried herbs e.g. thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano
- 250 g cooked brown or green lentils approx 1 standard tin after draining
- 100 g walnuts finely chopped or ground in a blender
- 80 g breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 large egg
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 190C / 170 Fan / Gas 4
Use some of the butter to grease a small loaf tin (approx 19 x 9 x 6 cm, capacity 800ml or 1 lb).
Put a long strip of greased foil along the bottom of the tin so that it comes up above the short sides: this will make it easier to turn the loaf out.
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Put the olive oil and butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat.
When the butter has melted, add the chopped onion, celery and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly browned (10-15 min), adding the dried herbs for the final minute.
Take the pan off the heat.
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Put the drained lentils, chopped walnuts and breadcrumbs into a mixing bowl.
Add the cooked onion mixture to the bowl along with the chopped parsley, soy sauce and a good grind of black pepper.
Stir everything together then taste: add salt, more pepper and/or soy sauce if needed.
Crack the egg into the bowl and stir to thoroughly combine.
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Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, pressing it down well and smoothing the top. It may look like it won't all fit in: it will if pressed down firmly enough.
Cover with a piece of buttered foil then put into the oven.
Bake for exactly 1 hour then remove from the oven.
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Leave to stand for 2-3 minutes before turning out, slicing and serving.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen.
Reheat in a microwave or covered in a low oven. Can also be eaten cold.