Weekends are pretty awesome. Make yours even more so by cooking up this Vegan Lentil and Quinoa Steak, and then smothering it in a savory mushroom sauce. A healthy, protein-packed, gluten-free, soy-free recipe.

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.

Ingredients 

• 1 ¼ cup brown or green lentils (already cooked or canned. Drain thoroughly and mash lightly)
• 1 cup quinoa (already cooked)
• 3 medium potatoes (about 300 grams, boiled and mashed thoroughly)
• 3 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sage (or use thyme or oregano)
• 2 tbsp tamari (optional)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 recipe mushroom gravy (follow link to the recipe)

Instructions

• Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. The mixture should easily hold together when you ball up a piece in your fist.
• Form six round steaks, patting the sides and the top to shape them evenly.
• Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the steaks, giving at least an inch of space between each. Cook 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat or until the underside is golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side until well done.
• Serve hot with mushroom gravy. You can heat up leftovers on a skillet.