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“Love how easy this was to make! Followed everything step by step except I used 1.5 cups of quinoa and 0.5 cups of red lentils because I ran out of lentils, and used flax seeds instead of psyllium because that’s what I had on hand! Still worked! This will be a staple in my home!”
I’m really excited to share this Red Lentil Quinoa Bread recipe with you! After the massive success of our One-Ingredient GF Buckwheat Bread, so many of you have been asking me for more bread alternatives. After testing this new bread recipe over a dozen times, I’m so happy to say it is absolutely amazing! It has quickly become a staple in our kitchen because it’s effortless to make, uses simple ingredients, and is the perfect base for protein and fiber-packed sandwiches. Good quality gluten-free bread can be pretty expensive, too… where I live, it’s usually around $10 to $15 a loaf, but this budget-friendly version comes to around $3.70 AUD ($2.50 USD)!
Red lentils, quinoa, and yogurt are staples in many homes. If you’ve done any gluten-free baking before, I bet you have some psyllium husk in your pantry. If you’re unfamiliar with it, you’ll be happy to know that it’s widely available, budget-friendly, and has a long shelf life. Psyllium husk is a key ingredient in making gluten-free bread more bouncy and elastic, qualities usually provided by gluten.
After a quick blend, short rise, and bake, the result is a soft, fluffy, and light oil-free bread. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the lentils are completely undetectable in the flavor. This bread is perfect for toasts and sandwiches, and I suspect it will have the ideal texture for gluten-free vegan French toast. Something I’ll definitely have to try soon! If you love this one, my easiest red lentil bread and gluten-free seeded bread are next on your bake list.
Why I Love This Recipe
- High in protein: from the combination of red lentils and quinoa.
- Gluten-free: making it a great option for those avoiding wheat.
- Rich in fiber: promoting healthy digestion.
- Oil-Free: perfect for those following a whole food plant-based diet (WFPB).
- Simple ingredients: that are easy to find and affordable.
- Quick to make: once you’ve soaked the red lentils and quinoa, the bread takes less than 2 hours before being ready to eat.
- Straightforward: no fermentation or complicated steps are required; this recipe is foolproof!!
Ingredient Notes
- Red lentils: These split lentils cook quickly and blend smoothly. They’re a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. Lentils are rich in minerals, including iron; two slices of this bread bring 4 mg of iron, making it a great start to an iron-packed sandwich.
- Quinoa: A perfect gluten-free grain that adds texture and boosts the protein content. Always rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove the bitter coating.
- Instant yeast: Helps the bread rise.
- Dairy-free yogurt: This adds moisture and binds the dough together. If preferred, you can substitute with olive oil, which will yield a slightly different, slightly more moist texture.
- Psyllium husk is essential for keeping the bread moist and adding fiber. It acts as a binder in place of gluten.
How to Make This Recipe (Summary)
Rinse the lentils and quinoa thoroughly to remove bitterness. Soak them in cold water for 6-12 hours in the fridge, then drain and rinse again.
Blend the lentils, quinoa, yeast, yogurt (or olive oil), psyllium husk, salt, and water until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a lined loaf pan and let it rest uncovered for 30 minutes to rise.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) with a metal tray on the bottom rack. Bake the loaf for 50 minutes,
Once golden, remove from the loaf tin and let it cool completely before slicing. View recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Variations and Tips
- For a salt-free option, swap for your spices of choice. For extra flavor, add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or herbs. Garlic helps our body absorb iron, so it makes a great pairing. Garlic bread, anyone?
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing to prevent it from crumbling.
- Meal-Prep: It’s easy to prep in advance and can be frozen. I usually keep half fresh, wrapped in a clean kitchen cloth, to consume in a couple of days and slice and freeze the rest. Toast when ready to eat, and it’s as good as fresh! This way, you can toast a piece whenever you want some delicious bread.
- Cost-effective: Good quality, nourishing, gluten-free bread can be pretty expensive where we live, often costing around $15 AUD ($9.80 USD), whereas this Red Lentil and Quinoa Breads come out at about $3.7 AUD ($2.5 USD). Of course, this can vary depending on your location.
- This bread pairs wonderfully with some avocados, or our Red Lentils Hummus, or Beet Hummus, and topped with Easy Pickled onions.
- If you like the idea of using lentils in gluten-free alternatives to baked goods, try our GF Pizza Crust or 2-Ingredient Quinoa-Red Lentils Wraps.
- For another delicious, dense bread alternative, try our viral 1-Ingredient Buckwheat Bread, or Gluten-free Seeded Bread.
Why You’ll Love This Red Lentil Quinoa Bread TLDR
- Gluten-free
- High-protein
- Oil-Free
- Simple ingredients
- Healthy and satisfying
- Vegan
Red Lentil Quinoa Bread (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (280 g) dried split red lentils
- 0.5 cups (85 g) dry quinoa
- 1 tbsp (7 g) instant dry yeast - see notes
- 3 tbsp (45 g) dairy-free yogurt - or sub 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp (10 g) whole psyllium husk
- 1 tsp (6 g) sea salt flakes
- 1.25 cups (295 ml) water
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the lentils and quinoa. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 6-12 hours in the fridge. Drain the lentils and quinoa thoroughly. They can hold a lot of extra water, which will keep the bread from cooking properly, I recommend letting them sit in a sieve for 10 minutes to remove the excess water
- In a high-speed blender, add the lentils, quinoa, yeast, yogurt, psyllium husk, salt, and 1.25 cups of water. Blend until smooth.
- Line a 9.5x5x2.5in loaf pan with baking paper and transfer the mixture to the pan. Let it rest uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) fan forced, with a metal tray on the bottom rack.
- Place the loaf pan on the metal tray and bake for 50 minutes. Do not open the oven door while the bread is cooking. Remove from the pan and baking paper, as soon as you take it out of the oven, and place on a baking cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely before slicing. Once cooled, keep in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
Video
Per Serving/Portion
FAQ
Is this bread gluten-free?
Can I freeze this bread?
Can I use another type of lentil?
What should I serve with this bread?
Is this recipe WFPB?
Why do you need to soak the red lentils and quinoa?
Can I use regular dairy yogurt instead of dairy-free?
Can I skip the yeast or use baking powder?
What can I use instead of psyllium husk?
Whole psyllium husk or psyllium husk powder?
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Amazing! Sarah your recipes are so wonderful. I regularly make the buckwheat bread and this lentil one is going to be on my regular bread baking rotation too.
So happy to hear that Amber, thank you for your lovely words 💚
Turned out really yummy. More like a loaf. But why did the red colour all rise to the top? Is that just me? The slice is reddish on top half.
So happy you liked it! I’m intrigued, the inside of the bread is reddish or just the crust?
I’m doing keto so I would love to have an idea how many carbs are in this loaf. For example a 1-inch slice which is pretty much what you were doing in the video do you have any idea?
Click “nutritional information” under the recipe instruction to unveil, we keep them hidden as numbers do not serve everyone 🙂
Every time turned out perfect! Never had that red layer like I did in the first Time. However, today, I didn’t change a thing. I’m positive. I use the appropriate amounts of ingredients, but it turned out really thick almost more like a pizza dough if you will. What could I have done wrong?
I’m so happy it’s been working nicely for you! It sounds like maybe the fermentation did not happen this time? Have you changed yeast?
I plan to make this bread! In the recipe you warn that the lentils+quinoa can retain a lot of extra water. Therefore my question is: what should be the total weight of the soaked lentils+quinoa and the added water combined? With that info it should be impossible to make a mistake 🙂 Thanks!
I have not measured it, if you drain well there should not be an issue, but will update next time I make it 🙂
Ok thanks!
Thank you very much. My Mum has diabetes and i think it’s ideal receipt for healthy food
So happy it’s helpful 💕
Followed the recipe exactly, I poured the dough into the bread pan with parchment paper, cooked at 350 for 50 minutes and it stuck to the parchment paper 🙁 Any suggestions?
Sorry to hear that, we’ve never had that issue 🥲 Maybe try brushing it with olive oil or use non-stick parchment paper 💚
I have been making bread for weeks now and it’s one of my favourites.
I prefer it toasted, but it still satisfies my taste for bread-and is too filling to overeat. Comes out very good even though I use my old and very not speedy processor instead of a blender.
Very forgiving too…if one doesn’t get round to baking it and leaves lentils and quinoa soaking for days in the fridge, it still turns out just fine.
Thanks for sharing, Margaret! So happy you liked it 💚
Wow! I made this bread the other day and it turned out amazing. So fluffy yet it doesn’t crumble like most other GF breads do. I was immediately asked for the link to your recipe. 🙂
I added some seeds to the bread (pumpkin, chia and linseeds) and added 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of kefir (instead of the 3 tbs of yogurt or olive oil) but did everything else according to the recipe. Can’t wait to make it again and go try your buckwheat bread. Thank you so, so much for these fantastic recipes.
Wow Leo, that’s awesome, thanks for sharing your addition, I love the idea of adding kefir in there, I might have to try it myself! Let me know how you go with the buckwheat bread 💕
Can you confirm the serving size for the nutritional information?
I made 12 slices, you can find the serving sizes, just above the ingredient list. Hope you love it 💚
Thanks, yes I did see that, just thought the calories looked a bit high for the ingredients so wondered if that was for two slices. Thanks for the reply
Hi – about to try this after doing the buckwheat recipe for awhile. Could this be done in a bread machine that has a gluten free setting? I tried the buckwheat recipe that way and it did not work. Thanks!
Hi Craig, sorry, I’m not experienced with bread machines, so I would not know, let is know how you go 🙂
Could you use all Red lentils instead?
I have not tried 🙂 let us know if you do!
Can I omit the yeast?
You could try baking powder but I have not tested it myself
1. When adding the water in the volume indicated in the recipe, my (new) Kitchen Aid blender doesn’t get through the thickness of the mixture and I have to add another 100 ml to get it going again.
2. At 180 fan the bread is burnt not even half into the baking time, plus the inside is not fluffy and risen. So I seriously lower the temp & leave it in longer and cover it halfway through.
3. Also have a hard time getting it right in a loaf – creating smaller buns now.
When they turn out right – I’m
nearing perfection – I really like them.
But (even though I’d like to think of myself as experienced in cooking and baking) this is not the easiest of recipes!
This bread is delicious, nourishing, filling, with great texture and super easy to make! Thanks for this recipe! The ones I tried before were always too dry and this one is just perfect!
Thanks so much Maria, I’m so happy to hear that 💚
Hi Sarah!
I just tried your recipe, and it turned out great. The texture is surprisingly good, unlike some GF breads that feel a little slimy in the mouth. It’s fluffy, a cross between bread-like and cake-like, and slices perfectly well – even very thin slices. I’m giving it four stars as the strong lentil flavor takes some getting used to, and it’s a little too salty for my taste. I would give it 4.8, but that’s not an option.
Thanks for your feedback Peg, I’m glad you enjoyed it!