Lentil bread is definitely my super healthy gluten-free nutritious go-to snack at any time. I often have a slice or two for breakfast or brunch, pre or post-workout. It is packed with protein and remarkable nutrition. It is quite filling and it takes me a long way.
I make this all throughout the year, it is a fantastic dish for a work snack, work lunch, working from home quick lunch, to take to a picnic, garden party, or in a container to snack after gym. These are just a few ideas.
We are in the process of re-doing our kitchen from scratch and this is my kinda snack to tuck in. It was such a savior. Easy to make as long as you have an oven to throw this in for 40 minutes.
I sometimes soak more lentils than I need and the extra soaked lentils will almost always end up in a delicious recipe like this.
We do love lentils in general and a good lentil recipe feel free to browse around my site to find quite a few delicious red lentil recipes like this Brown And Green Lentils With Portobello Mushrooms Salad, Vegan Lentil Meatballs (Mercımek Kofte) or this Red Lentil Dhal With Coconut Milk And Quail Eggs.
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🥘 Ingredients
There are only a few ingredients you will need to make this delicious gluten-free, vegetarian super healthy lentil bread dish.
Here's what you will need:
- lentils - these have to be soaked for at least 1 hour or even overnight
- dill - is a versatile herb and works well in this recipe
- feta cheese - gives the dish a lovely lift
- yogurt - helps with the fermentation process
- soda bicarbonate and baking powder - help this bread to get a fluffy texture
- red peppers - these enhance the flavors and give that nice speckles of color
- olives - I just love the addition of the olives in this dish - it works really well
- eggs - these help with binding
- spring onion or scallions - you may shallow fry those for extra flavor if you wish
- cheddar cheese - is such a lovely addition - you may even double the quantity if desired
- sesame seeds - to sprinkle over but you may add some toasted ones to the recipe
- chili flakes - oh yes, I would never skip those - add as much or as little as you wish
- salt - only go for it if you like your salt but remember, feta cheese and olives add saltiness to this dish
- olive oil - I sometimes do add olive oil, and sometimes I do not
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
📖 Substitutions
- Lentil - You may use any lentil type you like ( green, yellow, red, black (beluga) green mountain lentils. Any lentil types you have in hand, that you like and are used to eating will all do a great job in this high-protein bread.
- Fresh Herbs - use flat parsley and/or thyme, or oregano if you like. Dried herbs are great too.
- Make it Vegan - just substitute the eggs with a tablespoon of chia seeds and the dairy ingredients (yogurt and feta) with plant-based ones.
- Cheddar cheese - parmesan cheese makes a great sub - it is as delicious
🌶 Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or long peppers for extra flavor
- Add finely chopped mushrooms - even more protein? Yes, please!
- Kid-friendly - add some crushed potatoes or some chips to one side - also drop the chili flakes as kids don't do spices unless yours can handle some.
- Make it into flatbread and cook it in a pan on medium fire by taking a couple of spoons of the mixture and adding it to a lightly oiled pan with ( just a drizzle of olive oil). Flatten and spread uniformly into a ½ cm (¼ inch) thick flatbread and cook covered or uncovered for about 5 min on each side. So, so good! You may add some flour/chickpea flour gluten-free flour and an extra egg if yours doesn't hold properly.
- Make it an Indian /Sri Lankan version - by adding some paneer, green chilies, cilantro, mustard seeds, cumin, fresh curry leaves, ginger, turmeric, and ground coriander. This is such an awesome version.
🔪 How To Make Lentil Bread
Here are some process shots to show you how to make this super easy and quick lentil bread recipe.
Here are the steps you will need to follow to make this easy lentil bread recipe.
1. Wash, and soak the lentils. Soak them overnight or for at least one hour.
2. Drain the lentils well and puree them in a food processor.
3. Combine some of the ingredients (soaked, drained, and pureed lentils, yogurt, eggs, oil, salt, pepper, baking soda, soda bicarbonate, and cayenne pepper/chili flakes) into a larger glass bowl and mix until homogenized.
4. Add the remaining ingredients (mainly the chopped ones) olives, spring onion or scallion, crumbled feta cheese, grated cheddar cheese, dill, and finely chopped red pepper.
5. Give it a good mix and it is ready to go in the oven. This is what the lentil bread mix looks like before going into oven-proof tins and then the oven.
6. Pour the mixture into the two greased bread loaf tins. sprinkle the sesame seeds over and place them into the preheated oven. Bake at 180C/350F for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown, just like these beauties here.
Pro Tips
- Keep an eye on this while in the oven so it does not burn. You may add 2-3 tablespoons of flour/tapioca flour or psyllium husks for a denser or drier option if you wish. I do like it, and I prefer it to be nice and moist.
- If you forget to soak the lentils for longer, rinse them and allow them to soak for at least 30 min in hot water.
- Leave the yogurt out if you wish to get this bread less wet.
👪 Serving Suggestions
- This dish is great to have as a snack whenever you feel hungry. For me, a slice of this bread, just like the one shown above, makes that perfect snack to have at teatime when the sugar cravings kick in.
- It is lovely having this with some extra protein like this nice Creamy Cucumber, Fennel & Yogurt Dip a tzatziki type of dip/ side dish that pairs well with this amazing lentil bread. With a warm slice of this healthy lentil loaf and a dollop of that yogurt dip, it's plain heaven.
- It makes a fabulous party dish, perfect for sharing as little squares or made as mini muffins or mini cupcakes.
📦 Storage
Once it has cooled, if you still have any left 😜 store it in an airtight container and refrigerate. Ideally, it is to slice or cut it into portion sizes as it is easier to grab and go. These can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. You can freeze it too - see more on this below under the FAQs.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, lentils are naturally gluten-free. Lentils are legumes and do not contain gluten, (a protein found in wheat), barley, and rye. However, it's important to be cautious when buying processed or packaged lentil products, as they might be cross-contaminated with gluten during production. Always check labels and choose certified gluten-free lentil products if you have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease to ensure they haven't come into contact with gluten-containing ingredients.
Yes, I am sure this freezes well and the best practice for using it after freezing will be to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. I always freeze it after I slice it so I can take out however much I need and thaw it rather than the whole thing.
Yes, this can be reheated in a pre-heated pan by placing the slice or slices in a hot nonstick pan with or without a drizzle of olive oil. It is entirely up to you. Please do remember to add the slices to the pan when this is hot, this is important to avoid or reduce them sticking to the pan.
🍞Other bread recipes you may like
🍽 You can pair this lentil bread with
Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. Thanks for stopping by!
📋 Healthy Lentil Bread - Flourless
Equipment
- food processor
- chopping board
- glass bowl
- spatula
- ovenproof dish 8x 4 inch approx (22 x 10cm)
- knife
Ingredients
- 2 cups red lentils dry quantity
- 200 g feta cheese ( 7.05 oz) made into crumbs
- 10 sprigs dill fresh
- 6 spring onions / scallions
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt go for any 5% up fat
- 1 handful olives chopped
- 4 medium eggs or 3 large
- 1 pinch chilli flakes
- 50 ml olive oil ( 1.69 fl oz) 5-6 tablespoons
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon soda bicarbonate (small teaspoon) ½ U.S. teaspoon *
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 100 g cheddar cheese ( 3.53 oz) grated
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 medium red pepper diced
Instructions
- Wash and soak the red lentils for at least one hour. * See Recipe Notes for more
- Sieve the lentils once soaked (no need to rinse) and puree these in a food processor.
- Transfer the pureed lentils into a bowl and add the eggs, soda bicarbonate, baking powder, yogurt, olive oil, black pepper, and salt (if adding any). Mix well until homogenized.
- Add the remaining ingredients, the chopped olives, spring onion/scallions, chopped pepper, crumbled feta, grated cheddar, dill, and chili flakes. Add most of the sesame seeds and keep a few to sprinkle over.
- Prepare two small bread loaf baking tins * by greasing those with some butter or olive oil. Pour the lentil mixture into the tins in equal amounts. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds on each loaf.
- Transfer to the oven and bake at 190C or 375F (fan-assisted oven) or 200C/400F for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve warm or cold as a snack or a main with a salad as a side. See other serving suggestions above.
Notes
- No need to worry. If you have little time for soaking the lentils and you do not have at least one hour, soak these for as long as you can in hot water. This will speed the soaking process a little.
- It is entirely up to you and your taste but I never really do for this dish because the feta cheese, the cheese, and the olives add sufficient (for me) salt. I'm not too fond of anything salty but if you do like your salt, add a pinch or two extra.
- Add a teaspoon of each - the European teaspoons should be shaved and not heaped, and for the U.S. cooks, only add ½ teaspoon as the teaspoon over there is quite a bit bigger.
- Do not worry if you do not have loaf tins, you can use any oven-proof dish whether that's round, rectangular, or any shape you have or prefer. I have made this in my larger square ceramic dish and a couple of times in my oval dish. All are approximately 8x4 in or 22 x10 cm. You may also use a single rectangular tray/dish but it will have to be larger so the bread doesn't end up being too thick to cook, especially the middle part. You can then cut it into squares and serve.
Sheila Wilson says
I thought I followed the recipe exactly except for the dill. The bread baked well BUT was tasteless. I don’t know what I did wrong. Maybe misunderstood the measurements and didn’t add enough. It seems that nobody else had that be problem so be I’m sure that I did something wrong. What else can I do with tasteless bread beside trash it.
Ramona says
Hey Sheila,
I am so sorry to hear you found the loaf tasteless, I am guessing you may have added less salt. I normally don't add much salt to my food so this might be one reason.
Do not trash it, it is still a nutritious bread. I would slice it, freeeze it and have a slice with some seasoned yogurt, a salad, a stew, anything really. You may even put a slice in the oven topped with some marianra sauce and a sprinkle of cheese.
The options are endless.
Mari says
Hi Ramona
Cooked this yesterday and it was absolutely gorgeous - cant stop eating it!!
Can I check the calories thought - is the 265 per portion and if so what size portion please? I made 2 loaves and followed the recipe exactly.
Thanks Mari
Ramona says
Hi Mari,
Thanks for stopping by.
Its 265 cals per portion and this recipe yields 12 portions 😉
I am so happy you loved it as well. It is one of my faves ;-))
Eliza says
Hi Ramona, Looks delicious, will try but how can I puree soaked (drained) lentil smoothly without adding water? Any specific food processor or some tricks? Thanks,
Ramona says
Hi Eliza,
You can use a food processor or a blender. I always use my hand blender. It works.
Also, you can put the lentils in a food processor once drained, add the eggs or the yoghurt or both and blend them. That will also work.
Thank you lovely.
Please don’t forget to let me know how it all went and how you liked it. 😅🙏🏻❤️
Brittany says
Thai looks delicious! how do yo store it? How many days is it good for?
Ramona says
Hi Brittany,
Thanks for stopping by.
You can store it in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze , thaw and toast or heat in the oven or in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil until piping hot.
I hope this helps.
Desi says
It was amazing! Thank you for sharing. I cannot fault it. I will make it again and again since my whole family seems to like it including my 3 year old.;-)
Ramona says
Thanks so much Desi, I am so happy you like my lentil bread but I do know it is a really fab recipe, it is why I shared it with the world. I am so impressed your 3 year old eats such grown up food. Well done to you for offering to your family healthy food options. Very well done indeed!
terry says
Soo delicious and perfectly moist.a regular now
Ramona says
Thank you Terry 🙏🏻👍 I take it you loved my lentil bread recipe 🙏🏻🤩
Cindy K. says
I made this bread and we love it!
One question is why my cheese seemed to settle in the center of the loaf.
I grated it and mixed it well.
Otherwise I turned out perfect.
Ramona says
Hi Cindy, thank you so much for first of all trying my superhealthy lentil bread and secondly for your kind feedback and message.
What cheese did you use? I’ve never really experienced that.
Ian M says
The flavor was all there, I enjoyed that. However I had some serious concerns with the amount of water that was going into the oven. Used an 8x8 dish. Like others, I cut the dish into quadrants and am extending the oven time. After 50 min at 375 the center was still like it came out of the bowl.
Next time, I will try three eggs instead of four and swap the red pepper out for sun dried tomatoes to reduce the overall amount of water.
Ramona says
Hey Ian,
I am not sure what went wrong as I have made this recipe so many many, times ( I follow my own recipe) 😉 and never had an issue. Did you drain the lentils of the excess water? Also, the oven should be fan assisted as if it is not the timing would have to be increased.
J-P says
This makes a great diabetic-friendly snack/treat. A cheesy falafel loaf. Thanks for the ideas and recipe.
I topped mine with caramelised onions in balsamic and some parmesan. The inside I filled with feta, chives and more onion/garlic jam tossed in some spelt flour (to stop it sinking).
On my first try, I mistakenly overfilled a very narrow loaf tin. So the centre was undercooked, I will use a broader one and maybe leave it in for an hour for a repeat attempt.
The problem of being too damp was easily solved by slicing and toasting or grilling each side a little (in a skillet) before serving. A hit!
I can see myself trying various ideas out. For example, this would be great topped with sliced figs and roasted nuts with a stronger cheese mix.
Ramona says
Amazing combinations and twists John, thak you soo much for your input here - I will definitely try the caramelised onion, parmesan - great ideas!
Tammy says
I’ve now made twice and was excellent. The only change I made due to preference, was switched out the red pepper for sun dried tomatoes in oil. I’ll be making again tomorrow.
Tammy
Patty says
My bread turned out very wet. I had to leave it in the oven for an hour, sliced down the middle to help it dry out, with the fan on. Any recommendations to avoid this next time? Thank you!
Ramona says
Hi Patty,
Thank you for stopping by and I am sorry to hear your lentil bread came out quite wet. This can be for a few reasons : the lentil type, the oven temperature and whether it is fan assisted or not, the eggs number and size the amount of water left in your lentils. Next time I would try and leave it in the oven for longer at a lower temperature, make sure the eggs were big enough, add more flax or a tablespoon of cornstarch?
Jessica says
This may have been the best baked good I have ever made. Like ever ever.
Ramona says
Awwww, thank you SOO much dear Jessica, this has made my day. I am so greatful for your kind feedback, I really am. Thank you again for stopping by, I am very happy indeed you did like my lentil bread recipe so much and I really hope you will try more of my recipes soon. xx
Celia says
Many thanks- this made a very good and healthy gluten free loaf.... and 12 muffins as I only had one loaf tin. I had no feta and not much cheddar, so I used mascarpone and gruyere to make up the difference. And only 2 eggs, so I added a tablespoon of chia seeds blended in warm water. Dried mixed herbs instead of dill and chopped up pecans to sprinkle on top instead of sesame! My blender wasn't coping with the drained (red) lentils so I blended them together with the yoghurt and oil. The muffins are surprisingly fluffy and very, very filling! I had 3 of them warm out the oven with butter 🙂
Ramona says
That is amazing dear Celia! I love the subs! Wow. I need to try your version. I am so glad you loved it. What a win! xx
Shoshana Rivera says
can lentil flour (purchased be used instead of dry, soaked lentils?
Ramona says
Hi Shoshana, I guess you can but the texture would differ. I have not tried - I am assuming half half would probably work the best as you want some texture - I am worried that just adding lentil flour might make it stodgier. I will try one day. I am curious now. 😉
Shoshana Rivera says
thanks for the delicious creativity. Also, suggestions for substitutions and enabling gf adherence.
Shoshana
Ramona says
Thank you Shoshana for your kind comment and also for stopping by. This recipe is gluten free 😉 I really hope you will give it a try.
Jewell says
This recipe looks delicious and a great alternative to flour based breads!
I have a couple of questions for you Ramona, I'm using leftover cooked lentils. Does this work just as well as soaked lentils?
Also, I don't have feta cheese. What do you recommend as a substitute?
Ramona says
Hi Jewell,
Thank you for getting in touch. I am sure precooked lentils will work in this recipe although I have not tried yet. In terms of cheese, any homemade cheese, cottage cheese (dry version) halloumi, some parmesan will all work well. I hope you will give it a try and let me know how it all went. Id be delighted to find out.MAny thanks once again. Ramona 😉