The combination of fresh herbs, nuts, and sautéed veggies make this nut roast a dish you’ll be proud to serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. It’s a delicious alternative to lentil loaf and is naturally gluten-free! It pairs well with all of your favorite holiday sides, like Brussels sprouts salad, wild rice stuffing, and green bean casserole.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This nut roast recipe gets its bulk from a combination of sauteed mushrooms, cooked brown rice, and mixed nuts. The grated Parmesan cheese adds flavor and helps bind the loaf, along with the protein-rich eggs. You can use any nuts you happen to have on hand for this recipe. A combination of walnuts and pecans works well here, but you could also add in hazelnuts or brazil nuts if you like. Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds may also work if you need a nut-free option.
How to Make the Best Nut Roast
In a food processor fitted with an S-blade, add the walnuts and pecans and process briefly, until the nuts look like coarse flour. Transfer the ground nuts to a large mixing bowl, then add half of the mushrooms to the food processor. (There’s no need to clean the machine between processing ingredients.) Briefly process the mushrooms until they have a crumbly texture, then transfer the processed mushrooms to a separate bowl. Repeat the processing with the remaining mushrooms, until all of them have been finely chopped. Add the olive oil to a deep large frying pan over medium heat, and sauté the onion until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Next, add the garlic, thyme, and chopped mushrooms. Continue to cook the veggies until the mushrooms release some liquid, about 8 more minutes. Transfer the cooked veggies to the large mixing bowl that has the ground nuts inside, then add in the cup of cooked brown rice. Make sure the veggies have cooled slightly before adding the Parmesan cheese and eggs. Season with salt and black pepper then stir well, until the mixture looks relatively uniform. Prepare a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan by lightly spraying it with oil, then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan. (The oil will hold the parchment paper in place, and make it easier to remove from the loaf tin later.) Transfer the nut loaf mixture to the pan, and flatten it with a spatula. Bake at 375ºF for 1 hour, or until the loaf looks golden and feels firm in the center. Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then it’s ready to slice and serve. Serve with your favorite holiday side dishes, like mashed potatoes, vegan gravy, and cranberry sauce. Looking for more holiday recipes? Try Sweet Potato Casserole, Butternut Squash Soup, or Green Bean Casserole to add more vegetables to your meal. If you try this Nut Roast recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
