This Vegan Lentil Nut Roast is the perfect holiday main dish that can easily be eaten all year ‘round! Perfect for plant-based eaters and omnivores alike.
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday main dish that’s super easy to make, this is it. One of the biggest things that concerned me when going vegan (and still sometimes does!) was not wanting to be a bother to those around me. But having recipes like this Vegan Lentil Nut Roast that’s perfect for both plant-based eaters and omnivores makes the holidays and gatherings so much easier. If you’re in the same boat, this Vegan Lentil Nut Roast will not only ensure that you have something delicious to eat, but whoever you’re eating with does, too.
This Vegan Lentil Nut Roast is a super hearty, comforting main that’s also healthy! It’s packed with plant-based protein, healthy fats, iron and fiber and is a great source of veggies. It has a super savory flavor with the rosemary, sage and tomato paste. This nut roast is delicious on its own, but would also taste great with a simple vegan gravy.
This recipe calls for flour to help bind the ingredients together. I used oat flour for this. If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can make your own b simply blending oats in a high speed blender or food processor until they form a flour consistency. Regular flour would also likely work well. While it looks like there are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, they’re all very cost effective, and I promise the recipe is super simple to whip up.
Why I love this Vegan Lentil Nut Roast:
- It only takes about 20-minutes of active cooking time, meaning you can make any sides that you might be having while it’s cooking!
- The loaf is packed with plant-based protein, fiber and iron.
- It’s herby and delicious, with all the classic holiday flavors like rosemary and sage
- While it’s perfect for the holidays, it’s also a delicious recipe to make all throughout the year, too!
Main ingredients in this Vegan Lentil Nut Roast:
Lentils: The lentils in this recipe act as the base and provide a great source of protein, iron and fiber. I used canned lentils to make the cooking process easier, but feel free to use dried if you prefer! Just make sure to cook them fully before adding them to the recipe.
Mixed nuts: Mixed nuts add a delicious crunch to this recipe. I used a mix of almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds would also work well!
Celery, onion and carrot: These add lots of flavor to the lentil loaf and a good dose of veggies.
Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds tons of flavor to this lentil nut roast while also helping the ingredients stick together.
Chia or flax egg: This helps the nut roast stick together more easily. If you’ve never made a flax or chia egg before, simply mix together 1 tbsp of chia seeds or ground flax seeds with 2.5 tbsp of water and let sit to gel for 5 minutes. In this recipe, we’re making two flax eggs, so we double the recipe to 2 tbsp of chia or ground flax with 5 tbsp of water.
Fresh and dried herbs: For flavor! These add such an incredible flavor to the lentil nut roast. I’ve used a mix of fresh and dried herbs and spices in this recipe. If you only have dried herbs, use about 1/3 of the quantity that’s recommended for fresh.
How to make this Vegan Lentil Nut Roast:
- Preheat your oven to 400 F. Grease your loaf tin with olive oil.
- Mix together your chia seeds or ground flax seeds with water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrot, celery salt and pepper until the onion is translucent (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add mushrooms, sage, rosemary, garlic, smoked paprika and soy sauce. Sauté until the water has been released from the mushrooms and has evaporated (about 10 minutes). It’s very important to make sure the water has evaporated from the mushrooms, as this helps to ensure the mixture isn’t too wet.
- Add lentils, tomato paste, nuts, flour of choice, chia or flax egg and nutritional yeast to the pot. Stir well to mix together.
- Add a layer of tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan (optional). Spoon the lentil, nut and mushroom mixture into the pan and spread evenly with the bake of a spoon. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the loaf has cooked through. Let cool almost completely before removing from the pan. Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe Notes:
- I used canned lentils in this recipe (drained and rinsed well), but feel free to cook your lentils from dried instead. I recommend cooking one cup of dried lentils to yield 2 cups of cooked.
- I’ve added a layer of tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan to add some extra flavor and sauciness. This definitely isn’t a necessary step, but adds a nice touch to the loaf.
- I’ve used mixed nuts in this recipe, but feel free to use any nuts or seeds that you like.
- I cooked the lentil nut roast at 450 F for 50 minutes, but cooking time may vary based on your oven.
- Let the lentil nut roast cool almost completely before serving. This will help ensure the load stays bound together.
I hope you love this Vegan Lentil Nut Roast as much as I do! Make sure to leave me a rating and review, and don’t forget to check out my Pinterest page for even more recipes like this! Tag me on Instagram if you try it out, I’d love to see a photo!
Vegan Lentil Nut Roast
Equipment
- Loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 1 large carrot diced (~1 cup)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 227 grams cremini mushrooms sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh sage minced, or 1/3 tsp dried
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary minced, or 1/3 tsp dried
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cups green lentils cooked (I used 1 can)
- 1 cup mixed nuts chopped
- 156 mL tomato paste
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F. Grease your loaf tin with olive oil.
- Mix together your chia seeds or ground flax seeds with water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrot, celery salt and pepper until the onion is translucent (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add mushrooms, sage, rosemary, garlic, smoked paprika and soy sauce. Sauté until the water has been released from the mushrooms and has evaporated (about 10 minutes). It's very important to make sure the water has evaporated from the mushrooms, as this helps to ensure the mixture isn't too wet.
- Add lentils, tomato paste, nuts, flour of choice, chia or flax egg and nutritional yeast to the pot. Stir well to mix together.
- Add a layer of tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan (optional). Spoon the lentil, nut and mushroom mixture into the pan and spread evenly with the bake of a spoon. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the loaf has cooked through. Let cool almost completely before removing from the pan. Serve and enjoy!
Recipes like this Vegan Lentil Nut Roast
Maple Glazed Carrots and Roasted Brussel Sprouts Recipe
Creamy Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup
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I absolutely love your cookbook and have been surprised at how many of the recipes in it are absolutely delicious! So I tried to take a gamble on this recipe for a holiday. My family and I thought that the tomato taste was too heavy. I would probably try it again with a lighter bbq sauce of some kind.
I’m so happy to hear you’re loving the cookbook, Kim! I recommend omitting the optional tomato sauce next time for a less tomato-heavy flavor.