Out of all my favourite vegan recipes, this lentil loaf ranks in my top 10. This is a big deal, considering I’m in love with no less than 3,000 foods at any given moment. The original loaf recipe hails from talented chef and author, Terry Walters. I’ve enjoyed playing around with the recipe countless ways since I first made it in 2011. There’s just something about the combo of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs lentils, shredded carrots and sweet apple, chunky celery, toasted walnuts, and a sweet tangy glaze to finish it all off. It’s total comfort food to me.
I find myself eating the cold leftovers for breakfast in the morning. It gets crumbled over salads, stuffed into wraps and buns, and more recently thrown onto pasta sauce over a bed of spaghetti squash. I once ate half a loaf in the span of about 8 hours. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I guess it could be worse! To complicate matters, Eric is also a huge fan and we often find ourselves vying for the last slice…
The only issue I have with the recipe I made a couple years ago is that it’s quite labour intensive. For this version, my goal was to simplify the recipe without compromising the flavour and texture. I also played around with different ingredients and amounts. I’ll be sharing my 3rd trial with you today – it’s actually my new favourite out of all of them I’ve made. Make sure to see my notes below for a few tips I’ve picked up along the way.
Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf, Revisited
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Adapted from 2011 recipe, which was adapted from Terry Walters.
Yield: 1 large loaf or various mini loaves
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked green lentils
- 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped and toasted
- 3 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup water
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 cups diced sweet onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1/3 cup peeled and grated sweet apple (use a firm variety)
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp fresh thyme (or 3/4 tsp dried thyme)
- salt & pepper, to taste (I use about 3/4 tsp sea salt + more Herbamare)
- red pepper flakes, to taste
Balsamic Apple Glaze:
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp apple butter (or unsweetened applesauce in a pinch)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Rinse and strain lentils. Place lentils into pot along with 3 cups of water (or veg broth). Bring to a boil and season with salt. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 40-45 minutes. Stir frequently & add touch of water if needed. The goal is to over-cook the lentils slightly (see pictures in post). Mash lentils slightly with a spoon when ready.
2. Toast walnuts at 325F for about 8-10 minutes. Set aside. Increase oven temp to 350F.
3. Whisk ground flax with water in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sautee the garlic and onion for about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Now add in the diced celery, shredded carrot and apple, and raisins. Sautee for about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
5. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together. Adjust seasonings to taste.
6. Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Press mixture firmly into pan. Whisk glaze ingredients and then spread half on top of loaf. Reserve the rest for a dipping sauce.
7. Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes, uncovered. Edges will be lightly brown. Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. I usually wait until loaf is cool before slicing.
I used to have a problem with my lentil loaves falling apart on me. I’ve since discovered that it really helps to over-cook the lentils a bit, so the consistency of the lentils is doughy, almost like mashed potatoes. As you can see in the photos, the lentils are the perfect consistency to bind with the other ingredients.
In addition to playing around with the ingredients, I also switched up the sizes of the tins/pans:
Trial 1: I made 4 mini loaves (the green and red ones).
Trial 2: I used a muffin tin. I got about 16 portions out of the batter which was great, but I made the mistake of using paper muffin liners and they completely stuck to the paper. Next time I will grease the tins well and not use paper liners. I also cooked them a bit too long (40 mins at 350F) and they dried out more than I’d like.
Trial 3: I made 2 medium-sized loaves using 9×5 loaf tins and baked for about 45 minutes or so. Keep in mind you can also use one big loaf tin too!
The loaves freeze well too. Just make sure to fully cool the baked loaves before wrapping and freezing.
If you are looking for a nut-free version, you might want to try using toasted sunflower seeds. I probably wouldn’t use a full cup of seeds, but maybe 1/2-3/4 cup. For a gluten-free loaf, use GF oat flour and breadcrumbs and of course be sure to check all other ingredients.
As for serving suggestions, this loaf is great paired with applesauce, sautéed greens, and mashed/roasted potatoes.
With any luck, I might have a few left for our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, have a wonderful holiday!
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Check out my Thanksgiving Recipe round-up here, featuring high-protein garlic mashed potatoes, holiday salad, pumpkin garlic knots, and more.
I love your site! This is so much more gourmet than my lentil loaf recipe! Good ideas!
I would love to try this for Thanksgiving this year. Do you think the flavors would work if I substituted chopped, boiled chestnuts for the walnuts? I’m eating low-fat vegan and have eliminated nuts from my diet.
I’m sorry, but I just do see what’s different between the two loaves? Am I going crazy? The ingredients look almost identical… hmm?
Anywho, I love your 2010 version and plan on making it for my T-Day this weekend!
The difference is mostly in the process, it’s a bit simpler than the first (no processing of bread or lentils, for example). I also increased the veggies, raisins, and nuts and found the texture to be heartier & less dense.
It doesn’t make it crumbly by not processing? I had thought that had been your biggest lesson from the first go round?
Either way, I LOVE this recipe and now have a craving for it!!!
My roommate watched me make it once though and she did admit that I was in the kitchen for a long time. I said, “it’s worth it. trust me.”
It was, but I realized that by cooking the lentils for longer, you can skip the processing all together. Just cook them until they are a bit doughy in texture. I just mash them slightly with a spoon. Saves cleaning a processor.
Great tip! Thanks!
This is the way I prefer doing it! So good!
Mmmm! I may need to convince my Mom to make this for Thanksgiving dinner this weekend! Shouldn’t be too difficult a task ;)
These look amazing! Your timing is fabulous, too – during this morning’s commute I was thinking about how I wanted to make something like this. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!
I have been wanting to try this recipe since I first saw it back last year, but I admit that it looked like it would take a long while to make and that’s what stopped me. I can’t wait to try this new & improved recipe! I’m thinking I might add this to my weekly meal plan for the coming week!!
Happy Thanksgiving! This recipe looks delicious and you have never failed me….ummmm, but, can I ask if the apples cause the loaf to be sweet? I tried another lentil loaf last year for Thanksgiving and it was more sweet than savory and I would love a savory recipe. It really looks good so I would love to try it out for Monday!
It definitely has some sweetness, although I’d say that comes mostly from the raisins and glaze. There is only 1/3 cup grated apple in here. You could try using less raisins or making the glaze a bit more tart if you prefer. Let me know how it goes if you make it!
Oh, boy! I made this tonight and I made a few changes that made it savory. Your recipes are soooo delicious!
I took out the raisins, as you suggested, but left in the apple. I took out the apple butter from the glaze and added in mustard. It was so good that I had three pieces! HAH!
I love those subs! Now Im trying to imagine the glaze without apple butter…I’ll have to try it.
Would that be 2tbsp of mustard?
My mother in law made this for the holidays and used dried cranberries instead of raisins and it was delicious! The cranberries really added a nice seasonal flavor. I am planning to make it myself this week.
I definitely need to make this!! I made Terry’s version and need to revisit it. Chris and I both loved it and it’s great for leftovers!
Hi, do you think red lentils will work? I have a bag that I am dying to unload plus all these fall apples. Thank you for this post!
Hey Nikki, I would guess that red lentils might make the loaf mushy and Im not sure how they would impact the overall moisture content. I do like the texture the green lentils provide. If you do try it out, let me know how it goes!
Thanks for answering! I think I will just get the green ones since it looks like you have been working on this for awhile! Thanks again for posting.
np :) I hope you enjoy it
I agree – i tried it with red lentils last night and it did make it mushy (they absorbed all the water & it turned into a pot of lentil mush :) still made the recipe and it was still delicious but probably too wet.
Thanks for following up!
Just FYI, it worked wonderfully with brown lentils!
Glad to hear that, thanks!
I JUST bought lentils for making a loaf, good thing I came across this recipe! : )
Looks delicious and perfect for left-overs and holiday season get togethers. Also, I think I could easily make this gluten free. The glaze looks especially awesome :)
Definitely on must make list! Made one last year but without the glaze…it needs the glaze! :)
totally agree – the glaze makes it!
I made this for Christmas last year! As the only vegan in a large family of meat-eaters, I made my own little feast to bring to the celebration including this loaf, roasted veggies, vegan mashed potatoes, and a vegan chocolate cream pie. Many people taste tested the loaf and loved it! I like the idea of mini-loaves as well…this makes it easier to freeze single servings.
That is great to hear Shelley. I’ve found many non-vegans love it too.
I love that you made your own feast. I am always worried about standing out. But I think this year I will do just that and have all the wonderful VEGAN dishes I love. Great idea and thanks !
Sincerely,
Jami
Have I told you lately how much I love your blog? I love your blog. Thanks for doing what you do.
Thank you Diane, I appreciate it!
Already had this recipe planned for this weekend. Love it so much! Thanks for the tip on cooking the lentils longer instead of processing – it’s so hard to clean my processor once the lentils have stuck to it! (Since, of course, I can never wait to eat this so prep dishes don’t get washed). :)
hah I know the feeling
This recipe looks amazing, but I have a question for you. I’m allergic to nuts…do you think I could replace the walnuts with something like oats, quinoa, rice, or more lentils? Thanks! :-)
Hey Olivia, I would probably try toasted sunflower seeds (if you can eat them, that is), but you probably wouldn’t need a full cup. maybe 1/2-3/4 cup? This way you’ll still have a nice crunch.
I used about 3/4 cup of lightly salted pumpkin seeds (I get them at Costco) instead of the nuts. Works great! More recently, I also threw in about 1/4 cup crushed hemp seeds for added texture.
Sounds amazing, totally going to try this one!! I need to put more effort into eating better :) x
Love your site too, and love Lentil Loaf. Question. When a recipe (your recipe) calls for 1 cup walnuts chopped and toasted. Do you measure 1 cup whole walnuts then chop or do you chop enough walnuts to measure 1 cup?
Great question Susan! It depends on how I write the recipe. If I write “1 cup chopped walnuts” it means that I measured after chopping. But if I write “1 cup walnuts, chopped” it means I measured before chopping. Maybe to make it more clear I could write 1 cup walnut halves, chopped? :)
I love all your recipes! Your blog made my transition to a veggie based diet possible. As for how to make the measurement clear, I would just say one cup walnuts, and then in the directions say to chop them. I always assume if it says chopped in the ingredients, that means you measured it chopped.
Another question, I don’t eat bread- could I use oat flour instead or would that make it slimy?
I made the mushroom balls for thanksgiving last year, and didn’t use any bread or oats. They turned out great, just not totally held together. I had to hide some so I could have them at dinner. Once they were sampled, I couldn’t keep them from disappearing. I have been wanting to try this recipe, but am worried that without a binder I will have stew.
Keep up the good work!
I’m so making and freezing these! There’s going to be some craziness coming up and it’ll be nice to have them ready to roll!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wow, Ange, you must have done a TON of work to bring us the best version! This looks great, I am going to try it. I love that so much veg is included in it, as well as lentils. Thank you, thank you.
I’m such a big fan of the original loaf (a link to it from another blog was how I found OSG), so I can’t wait to try this one out!
This looks delicious! I may attempt it this weekend. I’d like to try it in cupcake pans.
Happy thanksgiving!
This looks amazing Angela! I love that glaze…it is just beautiful! It’s too funny as I am with you, I’ve got a similar lentil loaf recipe this gets better the longer it languishes in the fridge and is especially good crumbled over salads and drizzled with fresh salad dressing. I was torn on what loaf to make for Thanksgiving this weekend….I might have a winner here! Happy Thanksgiving!
You are right it does get better with time! Funny how some dishes are like that. I seem to like it cold as much as warm too.
It’s so amazing how much it looks like regular meat loaf! :D I’ve always loved seeing and trying your Fall recipes the most out of all the other seasons.
This looks delicious! I’ve been afraid to try lentil loaf, as I didn’t grow up with meatloaf and the whole “dinner in loaf form” idea kind of scared me. But you’ve inspired me to give it a try!
SO i got invited to two thanksgivings…of course being vegan…i like to bring something we can eat :-) so the first one, tonight I”m bringing vegan pumpkin pie and i put like 50 vegan cabbage rolls in the crock this morning :-) BTW love the zyliss julienne peeler for this! I was so excited to use it yesterday I was hyperventilating. But for Sunday…maybe I’ll make this :-) Was also thinking looking at the ingredients and adding other veggies I could make a fantastic pot pie with lentils :-)
sounds like you have everything covered! Have a great Thanksgiving.
This looks really good – I’ve been brainstorming ideas for a Thanksgiving main and this seems like it would work really well, nice and fall-ish. Thanks for sharing!
This sounds great!!! I recently have become slightly obsessed with lentils [picked up a package of pre-cooked ones at Trader Joe’s] :) I’ve never cooked my own or cooked anything using lentils, typically just toss them into a salad- this is a great meal!
This looks great! I’ve made something similar – but never thought to add apples and a glaze topping. Thanks for the great recipe!
Beautiful! I think this dish could make anyone give up meatloaf!
Happy Thanksgiving, Angela!
I am definitely making this for Thanksgiving this year! I’d like to know what else is in your top 10!
I loved your lentil loaf from the first time around and with the Balsamic Apple Glaze…i am in heaven. I love balsamic anything and that just looks so inviting. This is going to be a big hit, Angela. It looks delish!
This looks amazing! I have my own vegan lentil meat loaf recipe that I love but I have to try it with the walnuts and apple, fun twist!
I was looking for something to have for my Thanksgiving main this year and this looks perfect! I can’t wait to try it!
This looks delicious! I’ve seen other recipes for lentil loaves, but I’ve never made one before. I always bring a vegan dish to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, and this looks like the perfect choice! It also looks like the perfect thing to make on the weekend and eat throughout the week for easy lunches and dinners. I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I agree, it’s just about my fav “leftovers” to have in my fridge!
I love lentil loaf but my meatatarian parents refuse to eat it :( Oh well! I get the whole thing to myself! I like the idea of making them in muffin molds as individual servings and then freezing the left overs :P
I’m making this right now!! I had the recipe copied out from a previous post, but came back to check about the lentils. I’m excited for the over-cooking instead of processing the lentils :) So excited to eat this tomorrow. (Also have the pumpkin sesame cookies on the go!) Love your site!
That looks just delicious, I love the idea of the apple in the loaf and glaze on top. Will look forward to trying :)
If you want your lentils to have a mashed potato consistency, I highly recommend using red lentils. When stirred, they become mashed potato-like & taste great. I mix them with Yukon gold potatoes to get ‘holiday mashed potatoes’ with protein & less starch. So yummy & almost guilt free!
that’s such a great idea to using them in mashed potatoes. I’ve tried navy beans before but never red lentils.
I’ve made the original many times before and absolutely love it. I will definitely be giving this version a try. Happy Thanksgiving to you this weekend!
This recipe looks absolutely amazing! I will be cooking dinner this year and as the only vegetarian in a group of open minded people I would love to make something that dazzles them and doesn’t leave them feeling like they are missing out on the warm homey feeling the richness of turkey brings.
Can this be made the day before and then tossed in the oven for the final step?
And how many servings does this provide? How full was your 9×5? (Dinner will be for 4-6 people)
Just giving my two cents – I have made this loaf a day or two in advance before and just kept the batter covered in the fridge and just baked before serving. It tasted great! I served a party of 8 with one loaf before but I had A LOT of sides. You will probably be fine but it wouldn’t hurt to make a double batch so you can eat the leftovers for the following week! :)
Thanks for your tips Samantha! Glad to know that works.
I originally tried the recipe in a large loaf pan (I dont know the size but it was way bigger than a 9×5). For one trial I made this week, I used TWO 9×5 loaf pans. Keep in mind the loaves didn’t have a ton of height – just over an inch or so.
I think it serves about 7-8 max.
Enjoy! Let me know how it goes.
I made this last Christmas and LOVED it – but agree with others – took lot of time. Since Fall began I have been thinking about it again – thanks so much for posting this.
Happy Thanksgiving – this is the first year in awhile we have not been in Ontario on this weekend celebrating with our friends. We were in Montreal last weekend so could not travel again (from NY) – was GREAT to be in Montreal as there were several vegan restaurants. So wonderful to have more than just salad to choose from on a menu (I live in rural, meat eating country!) Have a great holiday weekend!
Thanks Suzanne!! Sorry to hear you aren’t in ON, but it sounds like you had a wonderful time in Montreal. Do you have a fav vegan restaurant there?
Dang! Now I want to make this instead for my Thanksgiving meal this weekend. Hmmmm, I’m already making your original recipe but oh man the apple addition really piques my interest.
Happy Thanksgiving! And I loved your pics of Whistler…and Victoria….and Vancouver. But mostly Whistler because it’s where I live. I’m so glad you enjoyed yourselves in BC.
Living in Whistler, you say? Hmm I might have to come live with you for a couple months! hah
I think this is probably one of my favourite vegan recipes – ever!! Like you, I love the nuttiness of it and am dying to crumble some over a salad. It’ll just be my mum and I celebrating Thanksgiving here at my house this year, and we have a ginormous turkey to cook, but I might have to make this as well and enjoy it in the weeks to come! (You can only have turkey for so many meals in a row!)
This is one of my top ten favs of your recipes for sure….. I have served this at many holiday dinners to many happy omnivours!I appreciate some of the prep work being taken out.. I will give it a whirl! I never did mind the work that went into it though because I found I could make the ‘batter’ a day or two in advance and just bake the day off the dinner. Either way, you should now I have accepted many gushing compliments on your behalf for the walnut lentil loaf!
I’m happy it’s gone over so well for you and your guests Samantha. Great to hear the batter can be made ahead too. That always saves a few headaches on busy food prep days.
Hi! If could you use real eggs instead of the flax eggs? How many should I use? Thanks!
Hey Anna, I really have no idea. You might want to read through the comments in the original post to see if anyone mentioned using real eggs. Goodluck!
A quick follow up, I think it turned out great! I made a double batch with 3 eggs, red bell pepper, spinach, corn, and peas instead of celery, and reduced the bread crumbs. Can’t wait to try it!
I love the idea of single servings made in a muffin tin. You might want to try the company If you care Unbleached muffin liners they are amazing!!!! I have not tried it with this recipe but they have not failed me yet… even with tricky stick vegan muffin recipes. Just an idea, Happy Thanksgiving:)
hellooooo fall deliciousness!!
This looks and sounds delicious! It would be a great thing to prepare to have through the week.
Often for dinner, I cook a couple of sides (say, steamed brocolli and roasted potatoes) and some sort of protein for my husband (chicken or whatever; he eats meat) and I have edemame or tofu or something. This would be a nice switch up!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I’ve been looking for a lentil loaf recipe! I’m gonna make this this weekend!
Hi Angela, I have been a long time reader but have been rather reticent in my comments. I adore your blog and philosophy and over the years you have quietly nudged me in the direction of veganism with your wonderfully crafted recipes, now so that I am wanting to make the ‘big switch’ to veganism myself. I was wondering if you recommend any books and/or websites that could give me more information of switching my diet and the ethical/environmental effects? Many love, V.
Hey Victoria, Thank you for your lovely comment. I’m so happy to hear you are considering the switch – congrats! As for my fav books, I’ve enjoyed In Defense of Food, Crazy Sexy Cancer, Omnivore’s Dilemma. Food Inc movie. Ive also heard good things about The China Study and Eating Animals.