Vegan Lentil And Quinoa Steak

These vegan Lentil and Quinoa Steaks make a great lunch or dinner option. They’re quick and easy to make but fancy enough for a special meal, and they taste amazing, especially when they are served smothered under a creamy mushroom gravy. I wanted to make a quinoa-based steak after eating a red quinoa steak at the Irish pub in my neighborhood. They’ve actually added a whole vegetarian section to their menu in recent months, and their quinoa steak is entirely vegan. I really love the idea of that steak, but it’s served on a bed of roasted and raw veggies without any sauce or gravy, which makes it rather bland. Which, of course, I don’t love. (Sidebar, well-meaning omnivores: we vegans love flavor just as much as you do). So when I set out to make a quinoa steak, I wanted to pack it with flavor. That doesn’t mean there’s a lot going on here. There are, as the name suggests, lentils and quinoa in this recipe, and they create food alchemy along with potatoess. Some salt and pepper, a dash of garlic, and you’re pretty much done. You don’t want your steaks to be bland but you don’t want to over-season them either. That’s because you want them to drink in that amazing mushroom gravy before you put a forkful into your mouth. You cook the steaks in a non-stick pan with very little oil and they develop that lovely crust. They don’t actually have the texture of steak, but they hold together really well and have a great mouthfeel. Plus there’s nothing in here that’s not good for you. Both Desi and Jay gave these a thumbs up, and I know I’ll be making them again and again. Check to get new recipe updates by email.

How to master these amazing vegan lentil and quinoa steaks:

There are three main ingredients in the steaks: quinoa, lentils and potatoes. A bit of tapioca starch helps them hold together. You will need to cook the quinoa, lentils and potatoes before you put them together (use canned lentils to make your life a little easier). You want to ensure, when you cook the quinoa, lentils and potatoes, that you don’t water-log them. That’s because you want your steak to hold together, not fall apart, and too much water in the ingredients is sure to do that. So the quinoa should be cooked until just tender, the same for the lentils, and the potatoes should be cooked just enough that a knife goes cleanly through the center. Drain any excess water from the potatoes and lentils before you use them. Mash the potatoes well. I cut them up and then put them through a ricer. You don’t want big lumps in your steaks. I add a dash of tamari to my steaks, but if you’re soy-free leave it out. When you are ready to put the steaks together, mix up the ingredients in a bowl with the seasonings and form them into patties that are not too thick. I like these not too thick nor too skinny, but the thinner the patties are, the more texture they will have. My vegan mushroom gravy recipe is one I’ve already shared with you in the past, and I used the same recipe this time with a smidge of cashew cream.

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