Chickpea and chestnut loaf
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
- Dietary
- Vegetarian
This flexible nut loaf recipe makes a great centrepiece for the festive season and it's the perfect size for a small gathering or to serve to a few vegetarians as part of a wider group. Feel free to swap the chickpeas for beans: black beans, borlotti or cannellini will all work.
For this recipe you will need a small (1lb) loaf tin and a food processor.
Each serving provides 353 kcal, 14g protein, 30.3g carbohydrate (of which 7.5g sugars), 17.4g fat (of which 4.8g saturates), 9.1g fibre and 0.14g salt.
By Elly Curshen
Ingredients
- 20g/¾oz butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 leek, finely sliced
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained
- 75g/2½oz mixed nuts, such as almonds, peanuts and walnuts
- 1 heaped tsp miso or yeast extract
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 50g/1¾oz cooked chestnuts
- 1 small apple, grated
- 30g/1oz panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- mashed potatoes, green veg and gravy, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line a small loaf tin with baking paper.
Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek, onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft but not browned.
Meanwhile, add two-thirds of the drained chickpeas, the nuts, miso, egg, chestnuts, apple, breadcrumbs and dried herbs to a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
Tip the mixture into a large bowl and add the cooked leek and onion and the rest of the chickpeas. Season well with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Transfer to the lined loaf tin, pressing firmly into the tin, then smooth out the surface.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until firm to the touch. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before removing and slicing.
Serve with mashed potato, green veg and gravy.
Recipe tips
To make this loaf ahead and freeze, put the uncooked mixture in a resealable bag, smoothed flat (for easy storage and faster defrosting) in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge). When ready to cook, tip into the lined tin and bake as directed.
The loaf can be eaten cold or reheated in the microwave. If you don't have a microwave, place slices in an ovenproof dish and heat in the oven until piping hot, covered with kitchen foil, so it doesn't dry out.
Any leftover nut roast is delicious in warm sandwiches or toasties with red onion chutney and a bit of your favourite cheese.
