Nut Roast

A beautiful, flavorful, gluten-free nut roast recipe that's full of nutritious plant-based proteins. Ideal for the festive season, but just as suitable for a family feast at any time of the year!

Nut roasts can be tricky to get just right. And making a vegan nut loaf gluten-free can be even more of a challenge!

You need the right blend of nuts, vegetables and binders so that it holds together well, isn't too dry, and tastes divine!

Well, you can trust me when I say this gluten-free nut loaf ticks all the right boxes. The addition of lentils makes it just the right consistency, and the vegetables add a wholesome flavor kick!

If you don't know what a vegan nut roast is, then imagine a rich savoury loaf made of nuts, vegetables, herbs and seasonings often served as an alternative to a traditional roast dinner. Think meatloaf, without the meat.

That's why you'll often find it being dished up as part of a Christmas or Thanksgiving feast! It's the perfect option for your vegan or vegetarian guests - but it's so tasty everyone will want a slice!

Jump to:

• Is it healthy?
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Sides
• Tips
• Related
• Recipe
• Comments

Is it healthy?

Yes! This simple nut roast recipe is high in protein and fiber. It's also loaded with nutrients from the nuts and heart-healthy compounds from the vegetables.

For this gluten free vegan nut roast recipe, I replaced half of the nuts normally required with lentils instead. As much as I love nuts they are quite high in calories and can be a bit heavy. Plus, depending on what nuts you choose, they can also be very expensive!

Lentils are much lighter, yet add a really lovely consistency to your nut loaf. No more worrying about your dinner being too dry!

Ingredients

The ingredients list below is to make a gluten-free vegan nut roast. If you don't need it to be vegan, you can use regular eggs and cheese instead of the vegan cheese and flax eggs.

• 1 cup mixed nuts, finely chopped (I used cashews, walnuts and almonds)
• 1 400g (14oz) can green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 leek, chopped
• 225g mushrooms, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup almond flour (you can make your own, just put almonds to a processor and pulse until you get flour like consistency)
• ½ cup vegan mozzarella (check it's gluten-free, but most are)
• 1 flaxseed egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
• Handful roughly chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional toppings: Parsley, chopped nuts, pomegranates

Instructions

Preheat oven to 190C / 375F and line your loaf pan with baking paper (or use a silicone loaf pan)

Heat the oil in another large pan and add onion, leek, mushrooms and minced garlic.

Cook gently for around 10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.

Now add in the lentils, mixed chopped nuts, vegan cheese, flaxseed egg, almond flour, and parsley and mix everything together thoroughly.

Once well mixed, spoon the nut roast mixture into the prepared loaf tin, making sure that it is pressed into the corners. Even out the top surface with the back of your spoon.

Bake for an hour or until the nut loaf is brown on top and firm to the touch.

Serve warm or cold with some fresh herbs, chopped nuts and pomegranates on top.

Sides

If you're making this healthy nut roast recipe as an everyday dinner, you can serve it up on its own or with a simple vegetable side dish such as mashed potato, roast carrots, sauteed broccoli, or green beans. Depending on the season, you could also serve it with a refreshing salad.

Another option is to leave off the toppings, and instead serve with a gluten-free vegan gravy, or this homemade tomato ketchup drizzled over the top.

Tips

• You can make this gluten-free nut roast ahead of time and pop it in the fridge until you're ready to reheat.
• To reheat, simply put the nut roast on a baking tray, cover with foil and bake for around 10 minutes. 
• You can add any nuts you like to this recipe. As above, I used cashews, walnuts and almonds, but bazil, pecans, pistachios and chestnuts work well too!
• For a more intense flavor, you can toast the nuts before you chop them up and add them to the nut roast.
• Let your nut roast settle a bit before slicing it up. This will help it firm up.

How to Store Healthy Nut Roast Leftovers

To be honest, I never really have this problem as it always gets gobbled up pretty quickly! But if you do have some leftover, or you simply want to get ahead and do some veganuary meal prep, you can slice it up and put it in an airtight container in the fridge for around 4-5 days.

Or maybe you're wondering "can you freeze nut roast?". Yes! You can store it in an airtight container, or ziploc bag, in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just make sure you cut it into individual slices first if you don't intend on defreezing it all at once.

Related

• Christmas Pudding Bites
• Gingerbread Granola
• Healthy Mince Pies
• Roasted Cauliflower Bake

As always please, if you make this recipe share it with me either on my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I would love to see it! Hashtag #HediHearts