Healthy Mediterranean Lentil Bread (Gluten Free)
For a flourless bread loaf recipe, the texture of this bread is incredible. You would not believe that it does not contain flour. We love that it is packed with many vitamins and nutrients thanks to the healthy ingredients like lentils, eggs, olive oil and Greek yogurt. I like to eat this with some of my Lazy Tzatziki spread or just on its own.
I used a bag of Organic Red Lentils, rinsed them really well and soaked them overnight. I’m not gonna lie, getting them smooth with the hand immersion blender was not quick but it was effective. Next time I will probably use a food processor for that step!
Do not skip the salt, it is necessary for flavoring of the entire bread. The creamy Greek feta cheese, olives and dill all help in that department too. So basically if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to bread, this recipe is definitely for you!
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Healthy Mediterranean Lentil Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 cups red lentils, soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 eggs
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 5 tbs olive oil
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
- 2 tbs chopped fresh dill
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbs sesame seeds (optional topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Drain and dry your lentils as best you can.
- If you're using a hand immersion blender then add the soaked lentils, yogurt, eggs and salt to a large bowl and stir until incorporated and mostly smooth. You can also add these ingredients to a food processor and blend until mostly smooth. Then transfer the mixture to your bowl.
- Next add to the bowl your oil, feta, olives, dill, baking powder, seasonings and mix to combine. Transfer the batter to your loaf pan and bang the pan lightly on your counter to eliminate air bubbles. Sprinkle top with sesame seeds evenly and bake the loaf for about 50-1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let it set in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for more?
Wonderful recipe! Can I sub full fat yogurt for the Greek yogurt?
Hello,
Thank you for your wonderful recipe. So far I’ve tried without the cheese and olives for a dairy risen lentil bread. It came out wonderful! Can I sub full fat yogurt for the Greek? I ran out and don’t usually stock that item.
THANK YOU!
Wonderful, tasty, AND nutritious gluten-free bread that doesn’t spike my blood sugar with things like potato starch, white rice flour, and gums! Also not as dense and crumbly as the ones I’ve made that are mostly nuts and whole, soaked buckwheat.
Followed the recipe exactly, though I’m vegan and used a vegan form of feta and yogurt. Also subbed sunflower seeds for sesame on top.
It came out great. Solid – not as “fluffy” as the photo shows but my baking powder may be a little old.
Even stands up to a sandwich when well toasted (which takes some extra time). And it tastes even better toasted.
Next time I’ll try without the cheese and olives but maybe with some chopped nuts, so the flavor isn’t so specific but there will for sure be a next time, and a next time, and many next ones!
(And since I rarely use baking powder, now I have a great reason to invest in a new container!)
C-mo, as a vegan what did you substitute for the eggs in the recipe? I love the idea of this recipe but I’m wondering if I can sub a flex egg for the eggs in the recipe.
I didn’t have olives so subbed dates, I didn’t have feta so used goat cheese. I didn’t have sesame seeds so used walnuts. I didn’t have dill so used herbes a Provence. I
saved the extra lentils for soup. cooked it 20 minutes longer and it came out perfect. Maybe mine is more savory than the original so I spread red pepper jelly and it was a fantastic snack 🙂
can I use a nutribullet / ninjas smoothie maker as an immersion blender alternative?
I did, and it was better. I tried the immersion blender first and it was a pain, so I dumped it into the bullet. That did the trick.
I had to improvise somewhat as I had no olives or feta. I added cubes of red leicester and put some chives and garlic paste in with it .it’s a lovely recipe and the bread is almost cakey. very easy too
thank you .
I also am looking to see the answer about the soaked lentils. I soaked two cups last night and it has doubled in size, do I use 2 cups of the soaked., or now four cups ?
Yes, use the what you have. i soaked 2 cups dry lentils here!
The taste was delicious but the texture was crumbly? Nothing like a bread. Can’t pick up a piece. What do you think went wrong?
Loaf came out superb, flavoursome and nice texture
Hi Jeanette, I’m so happy you liked the bread! Thank you for trying iit!
Hi is this suitable for freezing & how long would it keep in fridge in air tight container pls? Just cooling now, can’t wait to try.. x
soft and yummy
Hi Sylvia, i’m happy you liked it!
how many slices is a serving please? is it over 200kcal per 1 slice!
Hi Stella..what’s the substitute for the Greek yogurt please?
Hello Hala! you can use sour cream, room temperature cream cheese or whipped cottage cheese.
Oh my!! This is a wonderful recipe and delicious loaf of bread! I read most of the comments before starting. I made the recipe almost exactly as called for except I used fresh rosemary instead of dill due to a personal preference. I also used a small food processor to blend the lentils. (In the future, I would use a larger one. ) The flavor was perfect, the texture amazing. I used 1.5 tsp of salt and my baking powder was brand new. Also the 2 c. of lentils turns into a lot of lentils but just proceed, it works. The pan will be pretty full before baking but it makes for a nice size loaf when done. I will definitely make this again and probably use this recipe with other flavors and seasonings as others mentioned. It seems to be very versatile, and for gluten free bread it was a delightful surprise!! Thank you!! This is a winner!!
HI Joan, I’m so glad the comments were helpful to you! And thank you for coming back to leave such a kind comment!
I totally agree about this bread’s quality compared to other GF breads.
I subscribe to an app that tells me exactly how my body will react to every food, and most GF breads are scored very, very low. This one not only scores nearly 100 (out of 100) but is actually *good* for my blood sugar and fat metabolism. Not to mention, full of protein. It’s so exciting!
And yes, 2 cups of soaked lentils had me a little edgy, for sure, but it was the perfect amount for the 9×5 loaf pan and baked up beautifully.
A keeper for sure!
Like you, I’ll experiment too – and I love that you used rosemary since it’s an herb we like a lot too. Will definitely try it. Maybe next time I’ll used two smaller loaf pans and try two different flavor profiles!
We loved it! Our Walmart had all of the ingredients listed and the recipe is pretty easy to follow. I have everything needed to make it again. My family gives it two thumbs up and five stars.
My only tip would be to sift your baking powder, I didn’t and had to stir more to break it up which broke up the crumbs of feta.
Hello! I’m so glad it was enjoyed by all! thank you for the five star rating!
Stella,
I am very anxious to make this, but is it 2 cups dried lentils which becomes 4 after soaking? Can red lentil flour be used instead? If so how much. I need these questions answered before I can move forward.
Thanks for your help.
Dale
This was delicious but I cheated. I didn’t have time to soak the lentils overnight, I washed them thoroughly and microwaved them until soft on full power for 10 minutes. then I squeezed all of the excess liquid out of them and continued the recipe from there. next time I’ll be adding chili and sun-dried tomatoes. brilliant texture.
That’s a great shortcut tip! Thanks for sharing!
Came out very good for a brunch with celiac guests
Curious if nutritional information is per loaf or per slice(especially calories)
Thank you
HI Judy, the nutritional info is per slice. I’m so happy it was enjoyed by all your guests!