Sweet Potato and Lentil Loaf

This recipe is one of the few that is an undisputed top choice for comfort food for all of us. It has a soft yet firm texture, is slightly smokey and sweet thanks to the smoked paprika (pimenton) used in the recipe, and is a great excuse to have some ketchup, mustard and sriracha. We have been having this baked loaf for a few days now as I have been trying to ‘get it right’, and there have not been any complaints or threats of mutiny. Little Boy Green requested and had it for breakfast and lunch, and Mrs Green had some for lunch and sampled the new batch again for dinner (granted, there is little else in the fridge at the moment so her choices were limited).

The contents of our fridge have been a little sparse lately as we have been very busy and not able to top up our weekly veg bag (we order the largest one on offer but basically just eat a lot). This recipe came about as another one inspired by what we had available, as we have most of the ingredients in our cupboard as permanent fixtures. Lentils, rolled oats, bouillon, pimenton, tomato paste, an onion, a celery stick and a sweet potato make this dish easy and pretty accessible. 

While similar to the Black Bean Burger and Baked Falafel recipes, this loaf is great cold, so makes for excellent leftovers when on the go or very busy.

This tasty loaf does require more cooking than many of our recipes as it is cooked on the stove and then in the oven. But overall in terms of a cooking process, it is pretty hands-free and easy to manage alongside other tasks. Check that the oats are certified gluten free if you are gluten intolerant.

We’ve been having this with salad, but it could easily be put into a sandwich. For a more authentic loaf look, go ahead and glaze it with ketchup and serve with green beans and potatoes. 

Ingredients:

• 1 X cup red split lentils
• 2 X cups rolled oats
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 stick of celery
• 1 medium onion
• 4X tbs of low salt vegetable bouillon
• 3 X tbsp tomato paste
• 1 X tbsp smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 3 X cups of water (approx. 750 ml in total)

Method: (see video below)

• Dice the onion and celery and place in a large pot with 1 cup of water and the bouillon.
• Reduce the mixture on medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
• While the mixture reduces, shred the sweet potato on a box grater.
• Once the onion mixture has reduced into a thick paste, add the shredded sweet potato, paprika, lentils and 2 cups of water.
• Bring to boil, cover, turn down the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils have cooked and the liquid has reduced.
• Take the pot off of the stove and add the oats and tomato paste. Stir well to combine.
• Pour the mixture into a loaf tin (lined if required).
• The amount of water used to cook the lentils and sweet potatoes can very slightly. You could start with a little less than recommended and add as you go along. If the liquid has reduced and the lentils are not cooked then add more water, a 1/4 cup at a time (1 cup = just under 250 ml).
• It helps to have sharp knife at hand to cut into the crust that the cooked loaf has, and to keep the loaf in the tin as you slice it with a spatula. The longer the loaf cools the easier it will be to slice.