Lentil Bolognese with Sweet Potato Noodles
By Claire Georgiou, Reboot Naturopath, B.HSc ND
You might be used to seeing a bolognese sauce only with meat, but here’s a new trick…use lentils instead! This is a filling meal that will satisfy the entire family with a few inexpensive ingredients, plus it is super easy to make. My husband wasn’t impressed with the sound of it, but really loved it when he tried it, and so did my kids! This is a plant-based meal that provides plenty of protein, fiber, iron, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and potassium. I also made zucchini and carrot noodles to really enjoy a range of different pastas with the sweet potato.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 large brown onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 carrot, chopped into small cubes
- 1 celery stalk, chopped into small cubes
- 1 cup (200 g) red lentils
- 1 cup (250 g) tomato passata or tomato sauce
- 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes
- 200g of mushrooms, quartered
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup (125 ml) red wine (optional) otherwise add water
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 cup (50 g) fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
Directions
- Chop and prepare all vegetables as suggested.
- Heat oil on low heat and sauté onions, garlic, carrots and celery for 5 minutes.
- Add in the remaining ingredients (except the sweet potato) and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through and the sauce has thickened; you can add extra water if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Spiralize the sweet potatoes and blanch, steam or heat in frying pan for 2-3 minutes to soften them up.
- Serve with vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Substitutions
- Onion – leeks, red onion, white onion
- Red lentils – brown lentils
- Tomato passata – tomatoes, finely chopped
- Carrot – pumpkin, winter squash
- Celery – chard
- Sweet potato – zucchini
Calories: 350
Fat: 4.5g
Trans Fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 450mg
Carbohydrates: 56g
Fiber: 12g
Sugars: 12g
Protein: 17g