Recipes
Recipes

Meat-free courgette and lentil loaf

With hearty Italian flavours and a hit of nuttiness, this bake is a veggie option everyone will want to try!

With hearty Italian flavours and a hit of nuttiness, this bake is a veggie option everyone will want to try!

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(39 votes)
Cooking Time

Cook: 1 Hour

Cooking Time

Serves: 4

Cooking Time

Price: 84p per serving

Nutritional Information

Each 342g serving contains

Energy
1447kj
345kcal
17%
Fat
10.3g
Med
15%
Saturates
1.0g
Low
5%
Sugars
8.9g
Med
10%
Salt
0.34g
Med
6%
2
of your 5-a-day
of your reference intake.
Typical energy values per 100g:
423kj/101kcal

Ingredients

1tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for greasing

2 medium courgettes

1 small red onion, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

1tsp dried Italian mixed herbs

2tbsp tomato purée

1tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 x 390g tins green lentils in water, drained and rinsed

25g flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra to serve

100g fresh breadcrumbs

1 medium egg, lightly beaten

2tbsp toasted flaked almonds

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease a 1L loaf tin and line with baking paper.
2
Halve 1 of the courgettes lengthways, then cut 2 long strips 3mm thick and lay along the base of the loaf tin. Finely chop the remaining courgette.
3
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium setting. Add the chopped courgettes, onion and carrots, then cook for 10 mins or until softened but not starting to colour. Add the garlic, mixed herbs, tomato purée and balsamic; cook for 2 mins.
4
Pulse the lentils to a thick paste in a food processor; transfer to a large bowl. Add the veg mixture, the parsley, breadcrumbs and egg, then mix together. Season well with freshly ground black pepper then tip into the loaf tin, flattening and levelling the top with the back of a large spoon.
5
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40-50 mins until golden brown. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out and peel off the paper. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and extra chopped parsley to serve