Lentils, toasted nuts, sautéed winter veggies all wrapped up in a FLAKY glorious puff pastry. Decadent, hearty, rich, flaky, did I mention flaky? Drizzled in Quick Vegan Onion Gravy or your favourite warmed BBQ sauce, and did I mention flaky!?
I would like to introduce you to my Puff Pastry Wrapped Lentil Loaf. Hello, nice to meet you. Please don't be offended when I devour you.
This, my friends, is what you call a vegan holiday main dish. It was important to me when making a vegan holiday main for the season that it wasn't just darn tasty, but it had to have a real ooh and aah factor.
Oh boy, (or girl), does this deliver. I'm pretty sure you could wrap a carrot in puff pastry and everyone would be wowed. I mean, come on, puff + pastry. Thank you. Slow clap.
This recipe takes a little bit of work, but the brilliant news? You can make almost all of it ahead of time! Prepare the filling the day before. On the day of, turn on a relaxing holiday soundtrack, select your finest apron, apply your reddest lipstick and straighten those bow ties, then roll out your pastry and effortlessly braid wrap the lentil loaf as your guests arrive, making sure they notice how impressive and relaxed you look.
(Lipstick and bow ties are not necessary but recommended for added kitchen glamour).
To Make Puff Pastry Wrapped Lentil Loaf:
Add the lentils to a pot with the vegetable broth, cover, and bring to a simmer and cook for 35 to 40 minutes until liquid is absorbed and lentils are soft, even mushy. Then take an immersion blender or potato masher and mush them up until about two-thirds of the lentils are mushy. This lentil mush makes everything hold together nicely. Yum, mushy!
In the meantime, chop the nuts and put them in a dry pan over medium heat. Toast them, keeping an eye on them for about 10 minutes until they are all toasty and fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In a small bowl mix together the flax or chia and warm water and set aside. Flax will take about 10 minutes to thicken whereas chia will thicken almost instantly.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until they begin to soften up, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté another 5 minutes until the mushrooms have softened and become juicy. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne and sauté about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, mix everything together. The lentils, toasted nuts, veggies, flax mixture, the oats and the flour.
Preheat over to 400F (200C).
On a lightly floured surface roll out one of the puff pastry sheets until you get a rectangle that is about 10 inches by 14 inches. Transfer the pastry sheet to parchment paper.
Take half of the lentil mixture and form a loaf shape down the middle of the puff pastry, leaving a bit of room at both ends. Pat the mixture into a firm log.
Cut strips down each side about 1 inch wide. Cut off the top two and bottom corners and set aside. Now fold up the top flap over the end, then take the top left strip and fold over the loaf. Take the top right strip and fold that over, making an x. Do this all the way down the crisscrossing strips. Try to keep the strips close together leaving only small gaps. Once you get near the bottom, fold the bottom flap up, then finish crossing the last strips tucking the ends into anywhere they look good.
If you want to be all fancy, you can use the set aside corner pieces of pastry to cut little leaf shapes, (or whatever shape you like) and tuck them into the weave.
Repeat with the remaining pastry and lentil mixture so you have two loaves.
Brush the top with non-dairy milk and pick up the loaf by the parchment paper and place onto a baking sheet.
Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes checking every now and then until it's all golden brown and gorgeous. Serve the Puff Pastry Wrapped Lentil Loaf while hot with Quick Vegan Onion Gravy or warm BBQ sauce.
And enjoy! This is a main dish that is sure to win over the whole table, including the carnivores! Vegan or not, my Puff Pastry Wrapped Lentil Loaf is a savoury and filling treat that will have you coming back for seconds!
(click stars to vote)
Puff Pastry Wrapped Lentil Loaf
Servings: loaves. Each loaf serves 4 - 6
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Ingredients
- 1 cup green or brown lentils
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
- ½ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons ground flax or ground chia
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion,, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 8 oz. mushrooms (2 cups), sliced
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt, (or more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, (gluten-free if preferred)
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed (check to make sure they are vegan)
- 2 tablespoons plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
- To make the lentil filling: Add the lentils to a medium pot with the vegetable broth. Cover, and bring to a simmer and cook for 35 to 40 minutes until liquid is absorbed and lentils are soft, even mushy. Take an immersion blender or potato masher and mash the lentils until about two thirds of the lentils are mush. This lentil mush makes everything hold together nicely.
- In a small bowl mix together the flax or chia with water and thicken. Flax will take about 10 minutes where as chia will thicken almost instantly.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. When hot, add the onions, celery and carrots and sauté until they soften and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook another 5 minutes until the mushrooms have shrunken and become juicy. Add in the garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne and sauté about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, mix the lentils, toasted nuts, veggies, flax mixture, oats and flour flour together, and set aside.
- To weave the puff pastry: On a lightly floured surface roll out one of the puff pastry sheets until you get a rectangle that is about 10 inches by 14 inches. Transfer the pastry sheet to parchment paper.
- Take half of the lentil mixture and form a loaf shape down the middle of the puff pastry, leaving a bit of room at both ends. Pat the mixture into a firm log. Cut strips down each side about 1 inch wide. Cut off the top two and bottom corners and set aside. Now fold up the top flap over the end, then take the top left strip and fold over the loaf. Take the top right strip and fold that over, making an x. Do this all the way down the crisscrossing strips. Try to keep the strips close together leaving only small gaps. Once you get near the bottom, fold the bottom flap up, then finish crossing the last strips tucking the ends into anywhere they look good.wea
- If you want to be all fancy, you can use the set-aside corner pieces of pastry to cut little leaf shapes, (or whatever shape you like) and tuck them into the weave. Repeat with the remaining pastry and lentil mixture so you have two loaves. Brush the top with non-dairy milk and move to a baking sheet.
- Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes checking every now and then until it's all golden brown and gorgeous. Serve hot from the oven with Quick Vegan Onion Gravy or your favourite BBQ sauce heated up.
Notes
Nutrition
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
Jennifer Barrera says
I haven't made this yet but it's on the menu! So amazing! Can you please tell me what I can substitute for the mushrooms? My dad cannot eat them 🙁 BUT I must make this dish! Thanks for the inspiration and for sharing such a master piece!
Sam says
Hi Jennifer,
You can just leave the mushrooms out and the recipe should work just fine. If you like you could increase some of the other veggies by a bit. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Janice Mercieri says
When I've had to substitute mushrooms in the past (for different recipes), I used some sauted parsnip. It works great!
Sam says
Oo! Will have to try that 🙂
Julie says
Hi, I am going to make this for Thanksgiving...our daughter-in-law is vegetarian not vegan, so just wondering if there is anything to use in place of the flax?...Do you need it to hold it together? I just don't feel like buying it for that small of a amount.
Lauren says
In vegan recipes, a flax mixture like the one in this recipe is usually being used as an egg substitute. Keep in mind that, if you get the flax, you can use it up in no time by adding it to all kinds of recipes! (oatmeal, smoothies, muffins, etc)! It's very nutritious (good source of fiber and Omega-3) -- have fun 🙂
Sam says
Hi Julie,
Yes the flax helps it hold together, and you can always store flax in the freezer (I do), so it keeps for a very long time. I believe I remember one reader telling me they skipped the flax and it worked fine just as it was, but I haven't tested that myself, so I don't know how it will turn out. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Monica says
Hi! Thank you for making and sharing this recipe! I'm so excited to try it for Thanksgiving this year. I have to make it up 4 days ahead of time because I am traveling for Thanksgiving and going to several different dinners. I can cook it the day of, though. Should I freeze the filling since I have to make it that far in advance? Would that change the texture or make it watery? Thank you!
Sam says
Hi Monica,
So happy you are excited about the recipe. Yes, I think you can freeze the filling and it shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure to wrap the lentil loaf with the pastry fresh, I don't think that part would freeze well. I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Diane says
I'm curious that I have not ever come across vegan puff-pastry. Puff Pastry traditionally takes butter, and lots of it to become puffy. If you have a brand that is vegan, I'd truly appreciate if you could share it. Otherwise, I think true vegans might want to reconsider this recipe. I think the recipe for the loaf sounds great, and am putting on my thinking cap to come up with an alternative to the puff pastry.
Sam says
Hi Diane,
While traditionally puff pastry is made with butter, most of the premade frozen store bought varieties are vegan, just check the ingredients to make sure. Two brands are Pepperidge Farm and Tenderflake. Of course if you can always make your own vegan puff pastry, here is a recipe. Hope that helps!
Caitlin says
Diane--just wanted to comment that I bake a ton, sometimes vegan, and you can use coconut oil pretty much anywhere a recipe calls for butter. I even prefer coconut oil in some pastry recipes like pie crust, for the very subtle nutty flavour. Or, as the recipe Sam shared suggests, vegan butter works too in a homemade version. Puff pastry is not terribly hard to make from scratch, although it takes some time. An alternative is a pastry called rough-puff, which is mixed up like a traditional pie crust (mix flour, salt, and cubed fat of your choice until the fat bits are pea-sized, then add tablespoons of ice water mixing gently only until dough forms a shaggy ball, then scoop into a ball and let rest 30 mins, roll out into whatever you're making) but you roll it out into a rectangle and fold it letter-style a few times, rotating after each fold. This will give the flaky layers of puff pastry without taking up tons of time, and coconut oil should work perfectly well! I'm planning on making this recipe with homemade rough-puff for my vegetarian Thanksgiving this week!
Sam says
Thanks for your tips Caitlin! I hope you enjoy the recipe this Thanksgiving 🙂
Kristi says
I can't get off your blog today! I'm favoriting everything. This will be my first vegan Thanksgiving. I was vegetarian before and cooked Tofurky roast. I love that stuff an unnatural amount, but I would really like to make something special (and that doesn't cost a fortune because we need four of those little roasts $$$$). This looks incredible! Your pictures and detailed instructions are wonderful and make me feel like I can manage the braid. I've never had puff pastry before, but it looks delicious!
Sam says
Haha! Aww that's awesome, thank you Kristi! I've actually never tried a Tofurkey roast before. I guess I should do that at some point, especially if you love them so much. Yes the braid is much easier than it looks. I hope you favourite this recipe too 🙂
Dani says
This looks like a winner. Can you tell me how one might prepare in advance without undermining the crispness of the pastry?
Sam says
Hi Dani,
You could prepare the filling in advance, and then wrap and then bake the puff pastry about 50 minutes before you would like to serve the dish. Hope that helps!
Dani says
Thanks i appreciate your reply. I did see that in your introduction to the dish but because of it's lovely appearance one would want to take care to wrap it (and my plan is to present it as you have here), without rush. Fifty minutes means the guests are already hanging around the kitchen watching you fumble and copy the picture lol- hoping to come off more elegant than that 🙂 Thanks anyway I'll just do it in the bathroom! 😉
Sam says
Ahaha, yeah sorry, I don't know. Perhaps you can make the whole thing ahead of time, but I have never tried that, so I have no idea how it would turn out. Best of luck!
Amanda says
I made this last weekend for my Fiancé and I as it was an early Thanksgiving for us! It was extra special because it was our first Thanksgiving as vegans! This recipe was incredible! It was better then roasted turkey and I served it along side vegan stuffing, mashed potatoes and breaded zucchini! My fiancé said it was so delicious he planned on having seconds later on.... he didn't end up eating a second helping because the lentil loaf is so hardy and filling and the lentils keep you full (but not in a disgusting bloated 'I just ate a turkey leg' kinda way). This is my new fav vegan blog, I'm blown away and can't wait to try more recipes!!
THANK YOU!
Sam says
Awwwwww geeze! I'm blushing!! Thank you Amanda! I'm so happy you loved this recipe so much and you and your fiancé got to celebrate your first vegan Thanksgiving, and that it was such a great meal. Thank you for such a lovely compliment! 😀
Karen says
WOW!!! Made this yesterday and when my husband came home he said the smells from outside were AMAZING!! Absolutely delicious - thank you for this amazing and new favourite reipe!!
Sam says
Aww you're welcome!! So happy you and your husband loved the recipe Karen 😀
Jenn says
Wow, this is absolutely gorgeous!! I would LOVE to see this in the center of my Thanksgiving table! I think I will try it. Might not come out quite as fancy beautiful as yours, but I'll give it a good effort. 🙂
Sam says
Thank you Jenn! It would make a gorgeous center piece. I hope it turns out well for you and that you and your family enjoy it 🙂
Amy says
I might love you, Sam. I made the Puff Pastry Lentil Loaf with (my) mashed potatoes and your Quick Onion Gravy this weekend and have been enjoying it all week for lunch. It smelled so good today that my boss (who is vegetarian) actually took a bite, declared it delicious, and said, "This is proof that vegan food can taste amazing!"
Sam says
Awwww I love you Amy!! ..an your boss! I love that story, thank you for sharing. So happy you enjoyed my recipe and thank you for coming back to leave such a nice comment 🙂
Delia says
This sounds yummy! BUT I am gluten free so I will make just the loaf part - I am always on the lookout for a good lentil loaf. Thanks!
Sam says
You're welcome! Enjoy 😀
Sylvia says
This was delicious, pretty and had a great consistency that sliced and presented like a champ. I did sauté the vegetables in wine instead of oil but even my confirmed 'mushroom haters' and omnivores gave this 2 thumbs up! This one is a keeper. Worth the work!
Samantha Turnbull says
Yay!! So glad you, the mushroom haters, and the omnivores all loved this dish. Thank you for coming back and leaving a comment Sylvia 🙂
Cindy Lou Crease says
I made this last night, it was fantastic, the perfect winter comfort food. I served it with mushroom gravy , Brussels sprouts and roasted potatoes, I felt like a queen eating such a fine meal. Next time I will double the filling recipe and freeze half so I will have an almost ready to serve meal for the next time. Thanks for the recipe !!!
I am so happy that I found it.
Samantha Turnbull says
Oh yay! I love good winter comfort food. Freezing the filling for later is a great idea! I have a miniature freezer so I never get to do stuff like that.
JoAnne says
I made this for xmas dinner and it was excellent! Leftovers were great too. I made some substitutions because my husband hates nuts and mushrooms. I used eggplant instead of mushrooms and just increased the carrots, celery and onion instead of the nuts. It was great. Thank you!
Samantha Turnbull says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe JoAnne. Very happy your substitutions worked just fine. Thanks for coming back and leaving your review 🙂
Anonymous says
I made this tonight for Christmas dinner and I loved it! It was delicious! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
itdoesnttastelikechicken says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for coming back and leaving your review 🙂
Ariana Stefan says
That looks amazing Samantha.
I've been vegan for over 20 years now and love finding new recipes.
This loaf is on my urgent "to do" list.
Thanks for sharing.
itdoesnttastelikechicken says
Thank you Ariana. Congrats on 20 years, you're an inspiration!
Bryony says
Looks so yummy. Aiming to make this Christmas day. I'm probably being quite ditsy here but what is the vegetable broth? Is just stock?
Samantha Turnbull says
Yes, vegetable broth is also known as vegetable stock. Merry Christmas!
Shirley L says
This looks like such a terrific dish - Thank you for sharing this!! I am looking forward to making it and will likely use as a side dish. Some family members are not big on lentils (significant understatement, ha ha) so I was trying to think of some ways to either substitute at least half of the lentils or replace with something else that will still make it possible to retain the "loaf" status. Are there other legumes (maybe black beans) or perhaps stiffly mashed sweet or yukon gold potatoes that would work as suitable stand-ins? Usually, I am pretty good with finding substitutions as needed, however, I want to be careful to not completely change the flavors or consistency. Thank you for a wonderful recipe !!
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Shirley! I think black beans, or any other small bean would work just fine, (although I have not tried it myself to confirm). Make sure to overcook them a bit so that they get mushy and become the "glue" to hold the loaf together. Enjoy!
Amanda says
What a wonderful looking and sounding recipe. I'd love to make this ahead and take it up to family for dinner. Do you think freezing after step 10 would work? Then thawing the night before and baking?
itdoesnttastelikechicken says
Thanks Amanda! I haven't triedfreezing it after step 10, so I'm not sure. I don't see why it wouldn't work tho... If you end up doing that, let us know how it turns out. 🙂
roastedgreenchilis says
I'm allergic to oats. Do you think I could use precooked brown rice as a substitute?
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi! Yes I think that would work just fine. Enjoy!