Delicious Lentil Loaf

I know nobody expects the words 'lentils' and 'delicious' in the same recipe title, but this lentil loaf is a hit with vegans, vegetarians and even meat-eaters! I've left the glaze open to your own tastes, you can use anything from barbeque sauce to your own mother's meatloaf glaze. Please add your glaze recipes into the comments!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 318 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup water
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups water
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 cup minced celery
• 1 onion, minced
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• ¾ cup quick-cooking oats
• 3 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 cup minced fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons smoky barbeque sauce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan.

Step 2

Combine 2 1/2 cups water and lentils in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover saucepan, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 3

Mix 1/3 cup water and ground flax seed together in a bowl; set aside until thickened, at least 10 minutes.

Step 4

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion, mushrooms, celery, and garlic until softened and liquid from mushrooms has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 5

Transfer cooked lentils to a food processor and pulse until about 75 percent of lentils are mashed. Mix onion-mushroom mixture, flax seed-water mixture, oats, flour, basil, black pepper, salt, and onion powder into lentils until well combined. Press lentil mixture into the prepared loaf pan.

Step 6

Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and barbeque sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook and stir until glaze is smooth and brown sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat.

Step 7

Bake loaf in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Spread 1/4 cup glaze over lentil loaf; continue baking until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve lentil loaf with remaining glaze on the side.