Easy Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce

• Soffrito (carrots and onions plus optional celery and garlic. ) A classic Bolognese is built on the 'trio' or soffrito of carrots, celery and onion, gently cooked down in olive oil. I don't always have celery to hand, but add it in if I do. I also like to add garlic to my base.
• Cooked Green or Brown Lentils - to me the best lentils to use to make bolognese are green or brown lentils as they keep their shape, plus have a lovely slightly peppery flavour. You can use red lentils, however these cook really quickly so tend to get a bit mushy. You can choose to cook your own lentils from scratch or use tinned or canned lentils.
• Chopped peeled tomatoes - I tend to use one standard tin/can of chopped tomatoes. (you can use whole tomatoes or crushed tomatoes too )
• Tomato paste - A large spoon of tomato paste adds to the depth of flavour and umami richness.
• Red wine - double-check it's vegan. Many supermarkets label their wine now as vegan so it's become much easier to check. I love this vegan red wine. If you choose to leave out the wine, you might want to add a little balsamic vinegar to balance the flavours.
• Herbs - thyme, oregano and bay leaf (use fresh or dried). Rosemary is also good.
• Cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt: to taste.
• Vegemite / Marmite These are yeast extracts and although optional, I love them because a spoonful gives a savoury deep, umami flavour, which goes a long way to helping out with the 'meaty' flavour you want in a ragu. You can leave it out or use a dash of soy sauce instead.

🍲How to pre-cook lentils

This recipe calls for 500g (6 ½ cups) of cooked puy or green lentils. You can choose to use tinned or canned lentils, but I tend to cook my own in batches as it's cheaper!.

To batch-cook lentils, I like to cook a whole 500g pack (2 ¾ cups) of dried lentils all at once, adding two bay leaves and a halved onion to them. To cook, cover the lentils generously with water or vegetable broth & simmer for around 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to let the water run dry. The lentils are cooked when they are squishy and tender. (nb: some lentils might take longer to cook, especially if they have been hanging around your cupboard for longer. Don't panic, just add more water and simmer on medium heat until soft)

I then portion the cooked lentils out into containers & freeze what I don't use, ready to pop into whatever it is I'm cooking.

You can also use pre-cooked tinned or canned or packaged green or brown lentils for this recipe.

I've included a few variations below, all of which I add depending on what I have in the fridge. Add them all... or none. Switch it up according to your tastes. Or get creative and add other extras. Different herbs, a few extra tomatoes or some other veggies can all easily be added to create interest and new flavours (and sneak in extra veggies!)

• Soya Mince: Add extra texture and protein by adding in 100g of dried soya mince. You'll need to add extra stock or wine to rehydrate the mince (add at the same time you add the lentils)
• Spicier: Add some red pepper flakes or chili powder to spice the lentil bolognese up to your taste.
• Bell Peppers: Finely chopped red bell peppers add a sweet note. Add at the same time you cook the carrots etc.
• Courgette/Zucchini: A great way to sneak extra veggies in! Finely chop and add at the same time as the carrots and onions.
• Mushrooms: Finely chop some mushrooms such as cremini or porcini mushrooms (or whizz in a food processor) and add at the same time as the carrots and onion. They give a great umami flavour and add extra texture.
• Eggplant/Aubergine: I often use up a sad eggplant by mincing it up and using it in the bolognese. The trick is to finely chop it, then cook it down in olive oil before adding in the carrots/onions etc.
• Added fresh herbs: Some fresh basil or parsley sprinkled over at the end is delicious.
• Walnut 'Meat': Add some whizzed up walnuts in at the same time as the lentils for a hearty and wholesome protein-rich addition.
• Marinara Sauce: If you don't have a tin of tomatoes to hand, you can substitute in a jar of marinara sauce if that's what you have in your cupboard.