Apple Sage Lentil Loaf
Lentil loaf is a family favorite during the fall and winter. We typically make Lentil Loaf for Thanksgiving every year so that the plant-eaters have a main course to enjoy. It’s a hearty dish packed with legumes, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and spices. Slightly sweet from the apples and raisins, slightly crunchy from the celery and walnuts, and packed full with flavor from all the plant-based goodness. The textures and flavors of Lentil Loaf have always reminded me of Thanksgiving stuffing. So if you like Thanksgiving foods and flavors, then I am pretty confident you’ll like Lentil Loaf.
This version of Lentil Loaf is packed with a bit more lentils than you’d see in other Lentil Loaf recipes. I wanted to add in a bit more protein and fiber from the legumes without compromising the texture or taste. I’ve also put miso paste in the recipe instead of salt, since it’s healthier than table salt. I’ve also omitted the flaxseed from my recipe. As much as I like flaxseed, every variation with the flaxseed in it was a bit of a flop. It either wasn’t flavorful enough or it was way to moist. The topping for this lentil loaf is made with wholesome ingredients, like raisins, apples, tomato paste.
As much as I love Lentil Loaf, I do want to forewarn you that this recipe is very involved. It will take some time to prepare since the fruits and veggies need to be diced small, the lentils need to cook, sauce needs to be blended, and then things need to be prepped even further. So put on a good movie or some dancing music, maybe find a cooking partner (a favorite pet will also do! Our dog loves when we cook). And have a fun time fixing this tasty dish up!
This recipe has been adapted from the Oh She Glows Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf. Our family has always loved that recipe! I wanted to put my own twist on it with some flavors and ingredients I enjoy in my cooking.
Ingredients:
1½ cups dry brown/ green lentils
1 cup diced onion
1½ cups diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups diced red apples
1½ teaspoon garlic powder
1½ teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup of raisins
1 Tablespoon white miso paste + 1 Tablespoon water
1½ cups rolled oats
½ cup walnuts, chopped
Glaze:
¼ cup raisins
½ cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 cup of red apples, chopped (about 1 small)
Method:
- Rinse the lentils. Then combine with 4 cups of water in a pot. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Cook the lentils uncovered until the water boils off. The lentils should be slightly mushy. Mash the lentils until coarsely mashed (leaving some texture).
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a glass loaf dish with parchment paper.
- Dice the onion, celery, carrots, and apples into small pieces. Sauté the onions with about 2 tablespoon of water on medium-high heat. Once the onions have started to cook down, add the celery, carrots, and apples. Cook lightly, and then add the raisins, garlic, thyme, oregano, parsley, onion powder, sage, and ground pepper. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water as needed to keep the veggies from sticking. Cook until the veggies are soft.
- Combine the miso and water together in a small bowl. Stir the miso mixture into the veggies and then remove the veggies from the heat.
- Add the oats to a blender or food processor. Blend and pulse the oats until it becomes a course flour, leaving some oats more intact while others are like flour.
- In a bowl, combine the veggie mixture, lentils, and oats. Stir in the chopped walnuts. Stir until well combined and all the flour and oats are incorporated into the dish.
- Pour the mixture into the loaf dish and pack it down with the back of a spoon. Repeat this step several times until all the lentil loaf mixture is in the dish.
- Prepare the glaze. Blend the raisins, water, and balsamic vinegar together until smooth. Then add in the tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, white miso paste, and apples. Continue to blend until smooth. It may be helpful to sop the blender several times and scrape down the sides. Pour all of the apple tomato glaze on the top and spread it evenly across the top of the loaf.
- Bake at 350F for 60-70 min, or until the edges start to brown up. Let the loaf cool for at least 15-20 minutes before removing from the glass dish. Allow the dish cool completely slicing and/or before storing in the fridge. Works best if served the second day, after it’s allowed to set in the fridge.
Here’s a visual of how to make this recipe on my instagram page. Hope it helps!
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Kristina DeMuth 
Kristina DeMuth