Linsenbraten (plain lentil roast)
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
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, 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.