Lentil & barley loaf with basil mayo {vegan}

(cliccate qui per la versione italiana)

Happy Monday, folks!

Today I will share with you one of those foolproof recipes that may potentially change your life for how practical and yummy they are. You’ll think: “Where have you been all my life?”, you referring to the lentil loaf of course!

Lentils are sticky, cereals are sticky: why not mix and blend them together? Then give them some basic+bomb flavors such as onions, green onions, carrots, fresh herbs, olive oil and lemon juice? And slather some basil mayo all over, while you’re at it? Done!!

I’ve been making this every week for the past 4 weeks at least. That’s how good and useful it is, a real lifesaver for when you’re too lazy to cook anything at all and you just want to grab&go or even just grab&eat at home.

I usually eat this loaf straight from the fridge or at room temperature. It’s my new fav meal if you hadn’t got that already 😀

LENTIL AND BARLEY LOAF WITH BASIL MAYO {vegan}
by Marta Giaccone

Recipe
1 large loaf + about ½ cup of mayo
prep time: 15 mins, cook time: 40 + 40 mins, total: 1 hr 35 mins

1 + ½ cups / 300 gr dried lentils
2/3 cup / 150 gr pearl barley
2 onions
3 spring onions
2 carrots
a couple of bay leaves
fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
evo oil
salt
lemon juice

Method

1. Rinse lentils and barley (separately), add to 2 pots with plenty of cold water, cover and cook through. Mine took about 40 minutes. Chop up the thyme and rosemary and add to the lentils along with the whole bay leaves. Add salt to both pots only at the very end.
2. In the meantime roughly chop the onions, spring onions and carrots and sauté with a little bit of oil until tender, over a medium-low heat, covered. They will take about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
3. Drain the lentils (discard the bay leaves) and the barley, transfer them to one of the pots, add the veggie mixture and stir to combine.
4. Puree everything with a hand blender. Add a splash of lemon juice and season to taste.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
6. Transfer the thick mixture onto the center of an oven tray (or to a loaf pan) lined with parchment paper, then roll it gently so as to smooth it and wrap it as if it was a huge candy bar. Use thread to seal it or just fold the edges underneath.
7. Bake it for 30-40 minutes depending on the thickness (mine needed 40 minutes).
8. Let it cool for at least 2 hours at room temperature and then transfer it to the fridge. Serve it with some homemade basil mayo (see recipe below). Store in the fridge.

Basil mayo
80 gr light vegetable oil (I used organic sunflower oil)
40 gr soy milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
a handful of fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly patted dry
pinch salt

Method

1. Put all ingredients in an immersion blender glass and blend, from the bottom up, for a few seconds (don’t overdo it). The mayo will be smooth and silky.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to fridge to firm up further (optional) or use as is. Store in the fridge.