This lentil loaf is something that we have reasonably frequently but only now have I decided to add it to the recipes on this website. The reason for doing this is that it today we made it using sieved juice from home grown tomatoes, rather than bought tomato juice. It seems to have worked well.
We cook it in a loaf tin which makes it easier to slice up for serving. Its also better left to go cold so you will need to make it at least a day in advance.
Ingredients (for 6)
- 225g Green Lentils
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 200ml Tomato Juice
- 1 Onion
- 100g Cheddar Cheese
- Herbs
- 2 eggs
Method
Cook the Lentils according to the instructions (this might involve soaking them overnight so check before you expect to have this the next day). Put the Bay leaves in whilst cooking and take them out when the lentils are cooked and drained.
We make the tomato juice by putting six standard ripe tomatoes into the food processor and whizzing them well, then sieving out the pips and skin. Obviously this doesn’t make an exact quantity of juice so the mixture can end up slightly sloppier if you’re not careful.
Chop the onion, grate the cheese and add the whole lot to the letils together with the tomato juice, herbs and eggs (careful to make sure that the mixture isn’t too warm or you’ll cook the eggs as you put them in). Mix it, put it in the loaf tin and cook it in the oven at about 180C for around an hour (exact cooking time depends on how sloppy the mixture is).
When its cooked and cooled (leave it for 15 minutes or so) ease it out of the tin and leave it until its cold.
There you are. A tasty meat free loaf, plenty for six people. We serve it as a light dinner with chips and beans but as a lunchtime snack with salad it also works extremely well. Once sliced it will freeze but is a little more crumbly so when you freeze it, do it a separate slices with separating interleaf to stop the slices sticking together. It goes well with this cucumber pickle or tomato chutney although I have seen it eaten with mayonnaise.
