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
Yes, it’s naturally gluten-free with red lentils and quinoa.
Yes, slice and freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Red lentils are ideal because of their quick cooking time and texture. I do not recommend making substitutions.
It pairs well with hummus, avocado, and pretty much any sandwich toppings! One of my favorite combos is avocado, hummus, caramelized onions, pickled onions, finely sliced grilled tofu, and baby spinach. So delicious!
Yes this recipe is suitable for a whole food plant-based diet.
Soaking red lentils and quinoa softens them for blending, resulting in a better texture. It also reduces phytic acid, increasing the bioavailability of key nutrients like iron and zinc. This simple step helps you get more nutrition from your bread while ensuring a light, fluffy texture.
Yes, any neutral tasting yogurt will work fine.
I haven’t tried it myself, but a few people in the community have done a similar version with baking powder, so it’s worth trying.
There’s no good swap for this recipe. I’ve tested flaxseed multiple times and didn’t get consistent results. If you’re looking for a psyllium-free option, my 1-Ingredient GF Buckwheat Bread is the one to try.
Use whole psyllium husk. I haven’t tested it with powder, you might get a slightly different texture.
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How about baking powder instead of instant yeast? I have HIT and I don’t use yeast.
Some people in the community have mentioned using baking powder for this recipe, although I have not tried it myself!
Can I use regular dairy yogurt?
Love using lentils in bread ….so easy!
Thanks Cathy
I think any neutral tasting yogurt will work 🙂
This is the best lentil bread recipe out there, I’ve tried others. It’s fluffy and rises well. I make it every week.
Hey Bobbie, I’m so happy you’re loving the bread! Thanks for your review 💕
Hi, Since you are blending the mixture, can I use psyllium powder instead of the husk? And also, does it need to cook longer if there is no convection in my oven?
Thanks!
Hey John, I have not tried, but it should work with psyllium powder, I think it does absorb a bit more liquid than the husk, so if your first loaf is a little dry, it might be worth adding a bit of olive oil or little water for the next.
I’ve always baked with convection oven so cannot advice on a specific time, but it is my understanding that you would usually add 10 to 15 minutes of extra cooking.
I would love to know how you go if you give it a try 🙂
Thanks, will do! Have a great rest of your week!
Thanks John, you too!
I used the rule of thumb to use 80% of the quantity when using psyllium powder instead of husk. So I used 8 grams of psyllium powder and it worked great.
That’s awesome, thanks for sharing!
Can I use ground flax seed in place of psyllium husk?
I’ve been trying to use flaxseed instead, and the consistency is more dense (almost cake like), I also always get a very thin (about 2mm) layer of uncooked bread at the bottom, despite trying about 15 different ratio of ingredients and cooking times 😅. So it sort of works if you can’t have psyllium but I’m not satisfied enough with the results to share it as a recipe.
Would a pizza stone on the bottom shelf work, to cook the bottom of the bread? Just a thought… Looking forward to trying this very soon but my oven doesn’t keep a consistent heat, that’s why I’m trying out the heat stone.
Hey Anne, I can’t guarantee results as I have not tried, but it seems like a clever to concentrate the heat to me! I hope it works out, let us know how you go 🙂 I also have a quinoa red lentils wraps if you’re looking for a no-oven alternative 🙂
https://plantbaes.com/2-ingredient-quinoa-red-lentil-wraps/
made this, but it turned out very dense with only a few large holes. What did I do wrong?
Hi Soetkin, sorry you didn’t get the same results, it’s hard to say what went wrong without seeing your process 🙂 Did the bread rise when you let it rest? You can refer to the blog post photo if that’s helpful to see if you had a similar rise than mine. If not the yeast might be the issue, it might be the wrong kind, or it might be too old.
Otherwise the bread might have been a bit too wet, the lentils and quinoa might not have been drained thoroughly enough and they can hold a lot of extra water. I hope this is helpful 💕
Hello! What type of non-dairy yogurt did you use? Mine caved in mid way through baking. I had to use a smaller bread pan so I am not sure if this caused it or that I accidentally opened the oven 10 minutes into baking. Any thoughts? The taste is wonderful but I need to figure out what I did wrong.