Linsenbraten (plain lentil roast)
A simple vegetarian lentil roast without a sauce or side dishes attached, brown lentils cooked down and mashed with vegetables and oats into a loaf firm enough to hold a clean slice, meant as a base that takes well to whatever sauce or side you already have planned. Pressing the mixture firmly into the tin, working out any air pockets, is what keeps the finished loaf from crumbling apart when sliced.
Prep30 min
Cook60 min
Rest15 min
Servings4
Christoph's plain lentil roast, a simple base meant to take well to whatever sauce or side you already have planned.
Ingredients
Written for a 1.5 L loaf tin
Units
Temperature
Servings
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
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
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, working out any air pockets so it packs solidly.
- Bake for 50 minutes, until firm and pulling slightly away from the sides.
- Let rest for 15 minutes before turning out and slicing.
Notes
- Press the mixture firmly into the tin, not loosely spooned in. Air pockets left in the loaf become weak points that crumble apart once sliced; a firmly packed loaf holds together cleanly.
- 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.
- It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and slices well cold for sandwiches, or reheats gently in the oven.
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.
- Serve with any gravy, sauce, or side you like; this is meant as a plain, versatile base.
From Christoph Mayer