Thanksgiving Lentil Loaf with Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 cupbrown lentils, dry, rinsed
• 3 cupwater, for cooking the lentils
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 1yellow onion, finely diced
• 2carrots, finely diced
• 2celery stalks, finely diced
• 8 ozcremini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 4garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 2 tbspsoy sauce
• 2 tspdried thyme
• 1 tspdried sage
• 1 cuprolled oats
• ½ cupwalnuts, toasted and chopped
• 2 tbspground flaxseed
• 6 tbspwater, for the flax
• 3 tbspketchup, for the glaze
• 1 tbspmaple syrup
• 8 ozcremini mushrooms, sliced, for gravy
• 2 tbspvegan butter
• 2 tbspall-purpose flour
• 1½ cupvegetable broth
• 1 tbspsoy sauce, for the gravy
• salt
• black pepper

Method

1. Simmer the lentils in the water with a pinch of salt until very tender. Drain any extra water.

   ⏱ 25 min

2. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving an overhang.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion, carrots, celery and chopped mushrooms until soft and the liquid has cooked off. Add the garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce, thyme and sage and cook 2 minutes.

4. Stir the ground flaxseed into the 6 tbsp water and let it thicken for 5 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, mash about half of the lentils with a fork. Mix in the rest of the lentils, the vegetables, oats, walnuts, flax mixture, 1 tsp salt and pepper.

6. Press the mixture firmly into the pan. Stir the ketchup with the maple syrup and spread the glaze on top.

7. Bake until the glaze is set and the loaf is firm and browned at the edges.

   ⏱ 45 min

8. For the gravy, melt the vegan butter in a saucepan and cook the sliced mushrooms until golden. Stir in the flour for 1 minute, whisk in the broth and soy sauce, and simmer until thick.

9. Rest the loaf in the pan so it holds together when sliced.

   ⏱ 15 min

10. Lift out the loaf, slice, and serve with the gravy.