Lentil Bolognese recipe

Try this Lentil Bolognese recipe for a healthy, veggie spin on a real classic.

The only thing I like about colder weather is getting to create all of these comforting recipes (check out Gizzi Erksine’s spaghetti meatballs too if you haven’t already!). Everybody loves bolognese, it’s easy to make and full of flavour. This dish uses lentils as a replacement for beef. Not only is this a cheaper way to make your bolognese, but it’s also a great source of lean protein and other vital minerals that our bodies need. The great thing is, they also taste delicious in this dish! I can assure you, after eating this you won’t be missing your beef mince. You could even try serving this without telling anyone that you used lentils instead, and see what they say!

From meat eaters to vegans, this dish will surely please any guest and provide you with a wonderful, filling bowl of comfort food! Oh, and another benefit of using lentils is it’s naturally a low-fat option, and this dish only uses a small drizzle of oil. I used olive oil when frying my onions – and only about 1/2 to a cap full. Trust me, you don’t need much. With this dish, you won’t be missing any of the traditional bolognese staples that I’ve taken out of this recipe!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (45g) red lentils

1/4 cup (50 g) green lentils

1/4 cup (50g) yellow lentils

1/4 cup (45g) brown lentils

5 1/2 cups (1 litre + 250ml) water

1 onion peeled and finely chopped

Drizzle of oil

1 courgette/zucchini (100g)

5 mushrooms (125g)

1/2 leek (100g)

2 X 400g tins chopped tomatoes (3 cups worth)

2tbsp basil

2tbsp oregano

3 crushed garlic cloves

4 tbsp tomato purée

Small bunch fresh thyme

1tbsp garlic puree

2tbsp paprika

1tbsp smoked paprika

1tsp hot chilli powder

1tbsp yeast extract (marmite)

1tbsp vegetable stock

3 bay leaves

Salt and black pepper, to taste – be generous with these!

Method:

1. Firstly, cook your lentils. Fill a large pan with the 5 1/2 cups of water, and then pour in all of your lentils with a pinch of salt. Cook on a medium heat for 35-40 minutes.

2. In the meantime, add your courgette, mushroom, tomatoes and leek into a food processor. Blend until finely chopped. Set aside.

3. Finely slice your onion, and then add it into a pan on a low-medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Fry for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until translucent and golden. After this, add in the oregano, basil, thyme, garlic cloves, garlic puree and tomato puree. Stir and fry for another 1-2 minutes.

4. Next, pour your chopped vegetables into your onion mixture. Stir in and cook for 5-10 minutes. Allow the vegetables to sweat and shrink, releasing some liquid.

5. Now, add in your 2 tins of tomatoes, yeast extract, vegetable stock, bay leaves, paprika, smoked paprika, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Stir together, and reduce the heat. Allow the sauce to simmer and cook slowly until your lentils have cooked.

6. When your lentils have cooked and absorbed water, scoop them into the Bolognese sauce. Stir, and bring up the heat to a medium temperature. Stir and cook for a further 10-15 minutes so that the lentils can suck up some of the juice, and the flavours can develop. In the meantime, scoop with the spaghetti you are serving it with – I personally like quinoa spaghetti. Tonight, I had mine with a fettuccine spaghetti I bought made from edamame!

7. When your bolognese has cooked, pour on top of your spaghetti, or stir into your spaghetti – depending on how you like to eat it. Serve and enjoy!