Lentil Salisbury steaks with mushroom gravy
Savory lentil patties browned until crusty and simmered in a rich onion and mushroom gravy, served over buttery mashed potatoes, the diner classic made meatless and every bit as cozy.
- 80 min total
- 50 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $2.53 a serving
- 630 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 cup lentils, brown or green, rinsed
- 2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ cup butter, divided
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups vegetable broth
From your pantry
- 2½ cups water
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp dried thyme
Each serving has about 630 calories, 24 g protein, 91 g carbs and 21 g fat, and costs about $2.53 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No russet potatoes? Yukon Gold potatoes work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No baby bella mushrooms? White mushrooms work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Put the lentils, water and of salt in a and over high heat.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
25 minutes, until very soft. and let cool 10 minutes.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Medium heatTimer: 25 min
Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, add 1 teaspoon salt, and .
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
15 minutes, until a fork slides in easily, then and mash with 2 tablespoons butter and the milk.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
High heatTimer: 15 min
Cover to keep warm.
Mash the lentils in a big bowl, then mix in the panko, egg, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the tomato paste, ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper. Shape into 8 oval patties about ½ inch thick.
Dolly’s tip: Wet your hands so the mixture doesn’t stick while you shape.Heat the oil in a large over medium heat and the patties 3 to 4 minutes a side, until crusty and firm. Move them to a plate.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium heatTimer: 7 min
Dolly’s tip: Leave them alone until they release easily. Moving them too soon breaks the crust.Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the same . Add the mushrooms and onion and cook 8 minutes, until .
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium heatTimer: 8 min
Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute. Slowly in the broth, the last tablespoon of soy sauce and the thyme, and 3 to 4 minutes, until the gravy .
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min
Dolly’s tip: Pour the broth in slowly while you whisk, and the gravy stays smooth.Slide the patties back into the gravy, spoon it over them, and 3 minutes.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 3 min
Serve the patties on the mashed potatoes with plenty of gravy spooned over everything.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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