The Best Vegan Lentil Loaf should be deliciously rich, moist and juicy, and easy to make. Well, the good news is that you don’t need to look any further. Jump to the recipe and check out how our secret ingredient makes this Lentil Loaf the best ever. We are so proud of this recipe that we have perfected through several tests. We hope you’ll fall in love with it too.
Everyone has certain recipes they are most proud of. We also have a kind of BEST OF collection, which is dearest to our hearts. This collection includes not only this recipe, but our Vegan Lasagna, our Vegan Bean Chili, our Vegan Beef Stew, and our Vegan Wellington recipes as well.
This Vegan Lentil Loaf recipe is also one of our most recommended main course meals to cook for Thanksgiving. So what do you plan for Thanksgiving dinner? Just asking…casually… 🙂 Check out our 35+ Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes if you need more delicious recipes for the festivities.
⇒ GET OUR FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN NOW! OR CHECK OUT ALL VEGAN MEAL PLAN RECIPES HERE! ⇐
What does this recipe taste like?
Expectations are important. Are you planning to make this recipe because you love lentils? Or did you search for lentil loaf, because you are looking for a plant-based alternative to meatloaf? What kind of taste and texture do you expect? I came across this article about Why the name of the dish matters? which said 25% more people selected the vegetable with indulgent-label compared vegetables with generic labels. So why would you choose a recipe called lentil loaf? What to expect when you make this recipe?
- It is not a vegan meatloaf recipe, so you will taste the lentils.
- We added veggies and seasoning to make it rich and flavorful.
- People tend to hate mushy texture, but don’t like things to be too dry as well. So we added buckwheat to make it juicy and give it a bread-like texture.
Ingredients you need
Remember, we said simple and easy-to-make, so the ingredient list is not that long at all. We only added veggies and flavors to make this brown lentil loaf recipe wholesome, rich and juicy. If you have the following 10 ingredients, you will have yourself a main course for Thanksgiving dinner. Or make it as a weeknight dinner. We sure do that a lot. So here it goes:
- brown lentils (we often use canned, but you can certainly cook them from scratch),
- buckwheat groats or seeds (the so-called secret ingredient)
- carrots,
- celery stalks,
- button mushrooms (or champignon or cremini),
- garlic cloves,
- onion,
- soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free (check out all 5 gluten-free soy sauce substitutes)
- seasoning: oregano, thyme, smoked paprika powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
What is buckwheat and why we love it?
Buckwheat is a pseudo-cereal grain aka a seed that behaves like a grain. If you are looking for buckwheat in stores you might come across names like whole grain buckwheat, buckwheat groats or buckwheat seeds. THEY ARE THE SAME! The important part is that is has to be hulled and organic, not roasted or any other way modified. We use this one*.
So why we call it a secret ingredient? Well, because there is
- NO breadcrumbs
- NO flour
- NO grains not even oats
- NO ground flaxseeds
- NO egg substitute
- And that is all thanks to buckwheat.
We have been testing and perfecting a gluten-free bread recipe using soaked buckwheat groats / seeds. In the latest attempt, we blended the seeds too finely in our Vitamix and when we sliced the baked bread my husband noted politely that: “This doesn’t look like bread at all, it rather looks like a meatloaf!” And then it hit me: “Why don’t we try to add these to your lentil loaf recipe to make it moist, juicy and less crumbly?” He agreed and BAM! it worked perfectly and finally we had our juicy, not crumbly, easy-to-cut, moist aka the best vegan lentil loaf.
Oh by the way do you want to know a fun thing to do with buckwheat? You can turn them into Vegan Bacon Bits and add it to any dish you like for example to Vegan Mac and Cheese or top your favorite Creamy Vegan Soup.
How to make Vegan Lentil Loaf?
Prepare the veggies – step 1
Peel and chop onion and garlic. Wash and chop celery. Wash, peel and slice carrots. Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth. No need to wash them. Remove the stem if it is too sturdy. Chop them into small pieces.
Prepare the buckwheat – step 2
Soak the buckwheat groats in boiling water for 15 minutes. If you can squash the seeds with your fingers then they are soft enough. (You can certainly do overnight soaking in warm water.) When the seeds are soft, drain the soaking water and add fresh water (photo #1). Use your hand blender or food processor to roughly blend the seeds. It doesn’t need to be extra smooth. Stop when you have a paste-like texture (photo #2).
Sautee the veggies – step 3
Heat your frying pan to medium heat and add olive oil (photo #1). Cook the chopped onion (photo #2) for 1-2 minutes, add the chopped garlic (photo #3) and cook for a few seconds. Now, add the sliced carrots (photo #4). Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Next is to add the chopped celery (photo #5), then the seasoning: salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme (photo #6-7). Stir well. Finally, add the chopped mushroom (photo #8) and cook for 5-6 minutes. When they are tender, take the pan off the heat.
Blend all ingredients – step 4
Get your food processor ready now. Add the chopped veggie mix you just cooked in the frying pan to the food processor (photo #9). Add the cooked or canned brown lentils, the soy sauce, and the smoked paprika powder (photo #10). Finally, add the buckwheat paste (photo #11). Pulse for a couple of times. Don’t over blend it or else you will end up with a puree and your lentil loaf will be mushy! You want to leave some chunks to bite on (photo #12).
Bake the lentil loaf – step 5
Preheat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Take a 9-inch loaf pan and pour in the lentil loaf mixture. I have a silicone one, but if you’re not, use parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes. That’s it. You have a firm vegan lentil loaf that is rich and flavorful, juicy and luscious at the same time.
How to make Maple Tomato Glaze?
Think of it as homemade ketchup. Making maple tomato glaze is quite easy. You can get it done in 5 minutes. Take a small saucepan and heat it on medium heat. Add tomato sauce, pure maple syrup, soy sauce (or tamari for glute-free), apple cider vinegar, and corn starch (photo #1). Simmer and bring to boil to thicken the glaze. Cover the lentil loaf when the loaf is a bit chilled and not right out of the oven (photo #2).
Top tips to make it perfectly every time
- Pre-cooking veggies is a must – Raw veggies especially carrots may remain hard even after baking.
- Don’t blend it until it is a puree! – We recommend only pulsing the mix for a couple of times. If you don’t leave chunks and bits, but end up with a puree-like texture, the lentil loaf will be mushy at the end.
- Be mindful of the baking time – Especially if you use a fan oven as they tend to be hotter despite setting them for the same temperature. The lentil loaf is ready when they have a dark brown crust.
- Bake it with the glaze! – We prefer to apply the glaze after the lentil loaf is ready. However, you can spread the glaze evenly on top and bake it like that. You will end up with a slightly caramelized top. Absolutely delicious!
- Make lentil loaf even more interesting – They can be a perfect filling for stuffed veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, butternut squash or stuffed mushrooms. Or why don’t you take out a muffin tin and make mini lentil loaves?
How to avoid mushy texture?
Have you ended up with a mushy lentil loaf? These are most probable reasons for it:
- Canned lentils may contain more moisture than cooked lentils. Make sure you drain them completely. I usually leave them in a fine mesh sieve above the sink until I am working on the other ingredients. This way all drops of moisture can leave in time.
- Mushrooms are watery. Even if I am buying the same type of cremini or button mushrooms, sometimes they release more water than expected. Make sure you cook off all moisture during frying.
- Not baked long enough. I use a silicone pan with a depth of 6-7 cm (approx. 2 inches). I need to bake it for 40 minutes to make sure it is baked all the way through. If you use a deeper, smaller pan, please be mindful of the baking time.
- Cool it on a wire rack. If you try to serve it and cut it while it is still hot, you will end up with a mushy, hot, steamy texture. We recommend to cool it on a wire rack once it is cool enough to touch by hand. That way the lentil loaf is firm enough to hold its shape, but the remaining steam can leave easily.
What to serve with a vegan lentil loaf?
Our favorite side dish is potatoes of any form:
We also love a plateful of veggies for each meal and we happily eat roasted or fried veggies with this Vegan Lentil Loaf especially if it is served as a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
- Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms
- Sauteed Mushrooms in Soy Sauce Glaze
- Sauteed Carrots in Maple Thyme Glaze
- Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli
- Green Beans Casserole
- Braised Red Cabbage
Let us know in the comments what is your favorite combination.
FAQs and substitutions
What can I use instead of buckwheat?
Well, it is kind of our secret ingredient that makes the lentil loaf perfectly juicy and moist. But if you must, you probably will have success with cooked quinoa. Both buckwheat and quinoa are pseudo-cereal grains aka seeds that behave like grains. We have a Complete Gluten-free Flour Guide if you’re interested to learn more about gluten-free grains. We also note here that this recipe will not work with gluten-free oats.
Can you use ketchup instead?
Instead of the Maple Tomato Glaze, you can certainly use bottled ketchup. If you need to eat gluten-free, check out our “Is ketchup gluten-free?” post to see what you need to pay attention to. Furthermore, tomato paste will not work here as that is too thick with an especially strong concentrated taste.
Can I use other lentils?
You can certainly use green aka French lentils. We don’t recommend red lentils for two reasons: 1) it has a unique taste and will alter the taste compared to what we made the seasoning for; 2) red lentils tend to be drier and crumblier.
What other veggies can I add?
I would happily add bell pepper and any other root vegetables such as parsnip, rutabaga, or celeriac. Make sure the overall amount of veggies added is the same as stated in the recipe card.
How to store it?
It is perfect for batch cooking. You can easily store it in the fridge for 3-5 days without any problem.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, you can. For easier handling, pre-slice it.
This Vegan Lentil Loaf recipe is meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. It is also suitable for vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, and gluten-free (oat-free) diets. It can also be WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based) if you cook the veggies in water or in vegetable broth.
⇒ GET OUR FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN NOW! OR CHECK OUT ALL VEGAN MEAL PLAN RECIPES HERE! ⇐
More vegan dinner recipes
You can browse through our Vegan and Gluten-free Dinner Recipes or our Quick Vegan Meals collection or check out
- Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
- Vegan Eggplant Meatballs
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
- Vegan Cabbage Lasagna
- Portobello Vegan Pot Roast
Juicy Vegan Lentil Loaf
Equipment
Ingredients
Vegan Lentil Loaf
- 2 Carrots (medium)
- 2 Celery stalk
- 2 cup Champion or White Bottom Mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Onion (medium)
- 3-4 clove Garlic
- 2 ½ cup Brown lentils (canned, drained)
- ½ cup Buckwheat seeds it will be 1 cup after soaking
- ½ cup Water to blend the buckwheat seeds
- 1 Tbsp Soy sauce -> gluten-free soy sauce alternatives
- ½ tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
Maple Tomato Glaze
- ½ cup Sieved tomato puree aka Tomato sauce
- 2 Tbsp Maple syrup
- 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Soy sauce -> gluten-free soy sauce alternatives
- 2 tsp Corn starch
Instructions
Prepare the veggies
- Peel and chop onion and garlic. Wash and chop celery. Wash, peel and slice carrots. Rinse and chop mushrooms.
Prepare the buckwheat seeds
- Soak the buckwheat seeds in boiling water for 15 minutes (½ cup dry will be 1 cup soaked at the end). If you can squash the seeds with your fingers then they are soft enough. (You can certainly do overnight soaking in warm water.)
- When the seeds are soft, drain the soaking water and add fresh water. Use your hand blender or food processor to roughly blend the seeds. It doesn't need to be extra smooth. Stop when you have a paste-like texture.
Sautee the veggies
- Heat your frying pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Cook the chopped onion for 1-2 minutes, add the chopped garlic and cook for a few seconds.
- Now, add the sliced carrots. Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Next is to add the chopped celery, then the seasoning: salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme. Stir well.
- Finally, add the chopped mushroom and cook for 5-6 minutes. When ready, take off the heat.
Blend all ingredients
- Get your food processor ready now. Add the chopped veggie mix you just cooked in the frying pan with the brown lentils, the soy sauce, smoked paprika powder and the buckwheat paste. Pulse for a couple of times. Don't blend until everything is mushy and puree. You want to leave some chunks to bite on.
Bake the lentil loaf
- Pre-heat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celcius). Take your loaf pan and pour in the lentil loaf mixture. I have a silicone one, but if you're not, use parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes.
Maple Tomato Glaze in 5 minutes
- Take a small sauce pan and heat it on medium heat. Add tomato sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and corn starch. Cook until glaze thickens enough.
- Glaze your lentil loaf when it is cooled down.
Notes
- Pre-cooking veggies is a must – Raw veggies especially carrots may remain hard even after baking.
- Don’t blend it until it is a puree! – We recommend only pulsing the mix for a couple of times. If you don’t leave chunks and bits, but end up with a puree-like texture, the lentil loaf will be mushy at the end.
- Be mindful of the baking time – Especially if you use a fan oven as they tend to be hotter despite setting them for the same temperature. The lentil loaf is ready when they have a dark brown crust.
- Bake it with the glaze! – We prefer to apply the glaze after the lentil loaf is ready. However, you can spread the glaze evenly on top and bake it like that. You will end up with a slightly caramelized top. Absolutely delicious!
- Make lentil loaf even more interesting – They can be a perfect filling for stuffed veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, butternut squash or stuffed mushrooms. Or why don’t you take out a muffin tin and make mini lentil loaves?
- Canned lentils may contain more moisture than cooked lentils. Make sure you drain them completely. I usually leave them in a fine mesh sieve above the sink until I am working on the other ingredients. This way all drops of moisture can leave in time.
- Mushrooms are watery. Even if I am buying the same type of cremini or button mushrooms, sometimes they release more water than expected. Make sure you cook off all moisture during frying.
- Not baked long enough. I use a silicone pan with a depth of 6-7 cm (approx. 2 inches). I need to bake it for 40 minutes to make sure it is baked all the way through. If you use a deeper, smaller pan, please be mindful of the baking time.
- Cool it on a wire rack. If you try to serve it and cut it while it is still hot, you will end up with a mushy, hot, steamy texture. We recommend to cool it on a wire rack once it is cool enough to touch by hand. That way the lentil loaf is firm enough to hold its shape, but the remaining steam can leave easily.
Video
Nutrition
UPDATED: This recipe has been originally published in October 2019. It has been updated with more tips and tricks, and with a detailed explanation on buckwheat and substitutions in October 2021.
Joy Clark
Can this be done using GF Oat groats? Are those husked groats like Buckwheat? I’m sensitive to Buckwheat.
My Pure Plants
Sorry, but I have no experience with oat groats. If you try it with it, make sure to use hulled. Otherwise, I am not sure it will be soft enough after soaking. If you can make a paste-like texture that is smooth without any bits and pieces it might work. Let me know how it goes.
Strusan
Delicious flavor, but mushy texture like all vegan meatloaves made with lentils. I’m hoping once it cools down in the refrigerator it will firm up a bit. Maybe with some modifications I might try this one again. Thank you.
My Pure Plants
Hi Strusan, we are glad you enjoyed the flavor. If you baked it long enough, the buckwheat should make the texture better once it cools down. Let us know how it goes.
Strusan
Hello Again! OK, much firmer out of the refrigerator than it was out of the oven yesterday. I reheated a few slices for dinner, but honestly it also tasted very good cold in a sandwich.
The only other thing is that I baked it in a regular aluminum loaf pan (lightly sprayed), without paper, and it came out great. Thanks again!
My Pure Plants
Hi, that is so lovely to hear. Thanks for trying our recipe.
Karen Miletic
Thank you so much for this recipe! I actually bought silicone loaf pans to make this. What are the directions if substituting Quinoa for the buckwheat; is it the same amount and do I have to pre-cook it soak it? Happy Thanksgiving!!!
My Pure Plants
Definitely cooked. We used 1/2 cup buckwheat that will be 1 cup after soaking. So I would recommend trying with 1 cup cooked quinoa. Let me know how it goes. Love to know the result.
Jennifer
Can you make this with dry lentils that have been cooked instead of canned?
My Pure Plants
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, you can absolutely make it with cooked lentils
Karissa
I have to admit, I had doubts…
but this was AMAZING! I key is not to over-blend the ingredients.
I will definitely be making this on a regular basis. Thank you!
My Pure Plants
Hi Karissa, we are so happy you liked it. Thanks for trying our recipe.
Judy
I don’t know if I did something wrong but my loaf is mushy. I will try again using French Green lentils instead of canned. I tried baking it longer but it did not help. Flavor is great but texture is not.
My Pure Plants
Hi Judy,
I am not sure what went wrong. It can be mushy for a couple of reasons like
– How long have you pulsed it in the food processor? If too long, then you’ll lose the chunky texture and the mixture gets mushy and too moist.
– Have you drained the soaked buckwheat or the canned lentils throughly? Any excess liquid can cause a change in the texture.
– When you sauteed the veggies did the mushroom release any liquid that wasn’t evaporated? It will add extra moisture.
We also made this recipe with canned lentils, so if that should not be an issue.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Carla Weems
Haven’t tried the recipe yet – but am very ready to – I checked Amazon, they have a lot of “Buckwheat Groats” and just plain “Buckwheat” but your recipe lists “Buckwheat Seeds” can you tell me if groats are the same as seeds, or rather – can you post what brand you used? Since it’s the secret to perfectly good lentil loaf, I’d like to buy the right thing. Thanks much!!
My Pure Plants
Hi Carla,
Thanks for trying our recipe and reaching out to us. It depends on the brand. but it is likely that buckwheat seeds, buckwheat groats and buckwheat is the same. I link to Amazon in our recipe card to Bob Red Mill’s Buckwheat Groats I usually use as I need certified gluten-free.
Cathy R.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it looks so good. I like to batch cook Lentil Loaf to freeze for the school year when I go back to teaching. I have Bulgur on hand, but not Buckwheat. Do you think that I could use it with the same success? Thank you!
My Pure Plants
I cannot say yes for sure. I have never cooked with bulgur as I need to choose gluten-free grains due to my diet, so I am not sure how they behave. If you soak them and it turns into a thick paste after blending, then there is a good chance they will work similarly.
D J Scott
Delicious. Made this for:a little dinner party for three. Three happy faces and all had seconds! Very easy to make and it worked perfectly first time. I used dried puy lentils and cooked them up first. Everything else was as per your recipe. May add some chopped walnuts and/or chestnuts next time for a bit of chew. Thanks so much for sharing!
My Pure Plants
Thanks so much for trying our recipe. We are so glad you all liked it.
Yvonne Manzer
Thank you!
When you say wait for “it” to cool down, do mean the loaf or the sauce? You don’t put the sauce on the meatloaf, then cook them together? The sauce or the meatloaf should not be hot?
My Pure Plants
The loaf. We always make sure that the loaf is at least cool enough to touch it. The sauce can be warm/hot, but it thickens while cooling so it is best to wait a bit.
Denise
Just wanted to add an addendum to my last post about the lentil loaf. As mentioned I tried it sliced, pan toasted on sprouted bread with pickles and mustard and really enjoyed it this way! So glad I gave that a try! Thanks for the recipe and I will make it again for sandwiches (or add more spice to try again as a loaf dinner)!
My Pure Plants
Thanks so much for letting us know. We are so glad you liked it as a sandwich. Pickles and mustard sound very delicious. I hope you will try it again as a loaf dinner.
Denise
I was excited to try this lentil loaf (my first non-meat loaf), I found that the ingredients were quite a bit too much for my standard-sized food processor. It was filled to the brim and I found it hard to pulse. I had to leave out a small bit of the lentils. I also had to add 15 minutes to the cooking time as when I took it out it was jiggly in the center. I think if I make it again I would add more spices as it was a bit bland. I followed the recipe exactly except for having to leave out about 1/4 cup of cooked lentils. I’m going to try it again today, sliced and warmed as a sandwich with pickles and mustard with some soup. I haven’t given up on it yet!
My Pure Plants
Hi Denise, you can definitely do them in batches. Mix everything in a bowl and add to the food processor in batches. You can even leave the last batch as it is so you have some chunky bits if you like. We found that baking time may vary from oven to oven. We use an oven with top and bottom heating. In any case, feel free to drop us an email ([email protected]) and we are happy to adjust the recipe to fit your kitchen equipment and troubleshoot if you have any further questions. Thanks for trying our recipe and for giving feedback.
Bill
Did I just miss the onion amount? Also, since we are nightshade free, i omitted the paprika and used liquid smoke in its place. For the glaze, i made a cranberry balsamic glaze that accented the flavors perfectly, especially for Thanksgiving….
My Pure Plants
You are absolutely right it is only in the instructions, but I forgot to add to the ingredients list. I added it now. We are so happy that you tried it and liked it. Thanks for letting us know.
Caroline
Can the buckwheat groats also be replaced by buckwheat flour?
My Pure Plants
I haven’t tried it with flour. It might if you add only enough water to make a paste consistency. Flour on its own will make it dry, you need the paste texture.
Elaine
Now this is the loaf recipe to keep on hands… always. The texture is amazing and the steps are really easy to follow. Loved the secret ingredient! 😉
My Pure Plants
Thank you Elaine.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
I would never have thought to use buckwheat groats! This lentil loaf has my mouth watering!
My Pure Plants
Thank you. My new favorite ingredient is buckwheat. I have so many ideas with it.
Danielle
It’s amazing how easy it is to make this loaf. And it is vegan! I can see how happy my friends will be when I make this lentil loaf. Yum!
My Pure Plants
Thanks. I hope you all love this recipe.
Sandhya Hariharan
Vegan Lentil Loaf sounds fab!! Its such a versatile recipe – I would love some with Mashed potatoes.
My Pure Plants
Thank you