Linsenbraten mit Zwiebelsauce und Rosenkohl (lentil roast with onion sauce and Brussels sprouts)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Lentil loaf
- 250 g brown lentils, soaked overnight in plenty of water rounded
- 200 g carrot, finely grated rounded
- 100 g onion, finely chopped rounded
- 100 g rolled oats rounded
- 30 ml olive oil rounded
- 15 g tomato paste rounded
- 10 g dried thyme rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
- to taste freshly ground black pepper rounded
Onion sauce
- 400 g onion, thinly sliced rounded
- 30 g vegan butter or oil rounded
- 10 g sugar rounded
- 400 ml vegetable broth rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Brussels sprouts
- 500 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved rounded
- 30 ml olive oil rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Method
Method
- Drain the soaked lentils and cook in fresh water for 20 minutes, until tender. Drain well and mash roughly with a fork, leaving some texture.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan). Combine the mashed lentils, grated carrot, onion, oats, olive oil, tomato paste, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
- Press the mixture firmly into a lined loaf tin. Bake for 50 minutes, until firm and pulling slightly away from the sides.
- For the sauce, melt the vegan butter in a pan over low heat. Add the sliced onions and sugar, and cook very slowly, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 50 minutes, until deeply caramelised and a rich brown.
- Add the broth to the caramelised onions and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt.
- Toss the Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt. Roast at 200°C (fan) for 25 minutes, until tender and browned at the edges.
- Let the loaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the onion sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts.
Notes
- Caramelise the onions low and slow, not rushed. True caramelisation needs 45 minutes or more over gentle heat; onions browned quickly at high heat scorch and turn bitter instead of developing real sweetness.
- Soak the lentils overnight without skipping it. Unsoaked brown lentils take much longer to cook and hold more water, which can leave the loaf too wet to slice cleanly.
- Let the loaf rest before slicing. It firms up further as it cools slightly, and cutting it too soon risks it falling apart.
- The loaf keeps for 3 days in the fridge and slices well cold for sandwiches; the sauce reheats gently on the stove.
Ingredient substitutions
- Rolled oats can be swapped for breadcrumbs.
- Brown lentils work best for texture here; green lentils are a reasonable substitute, red lentils are not, since they turn to mush.
- Roasted carrots or a simple potato mash can replace the Brussels sprouts if unavailable.