Lentils Bolognese, have you heard of it?
My dearest men and women, today is a new recipe day and this one is suitable for all vegetarians, people who want to be vegetarians, flexitarians, or “experimenters” of this life! By the way, don’t use these words at home, you run the serious risk of committing some errors while speaking Portuguese.
Jokes aside… I decided to bring you a vegetarian recipe with an ingredient that I like a lot and that is super versatile: lentils!
Lately, there have been a lot of people asking me if I’m becoming a vegetarian. I laughed a lot! Me? Vegetarian? Don’t get me wrong, but I think that’s a feat that will never happen in my life! I love to eat fish and meat, fish especially… How can I leave out my grilled fish, my sushi, and my ceviche? I can’t!
It’s true that I love vegetarian food and eat a lot of vegetables at home. It is also true that I love the concept of #meatfreemonday and that every now and then I go all in on vegetarian culinary at home.
Still, I prefer to consider myself a flexitarian of sorts.
Flexitarians are all those who have a more flexible eating lifestyle, that is, who try to reduce a little the consumption of meat and fish (without too much exaggeration) and favor the consumption of vegetables.
Yes, it is a trendy concept. But it is perhaps the simplest way to look at my lifestyle and my diet. The truth is that here at home I usually have 1 to 3 meals a week with vegetables only (dinners, because that’s when we sit together at the table).
Well, as I said, today I bring you a recipe for lentils bolognese. A nice alternative to the traditional bolognese, super tasty and simple to make.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that my recipes are generally simple and easy. I love to cook and the kitchen is my therapeutic and relaxation office, but I hate spending an entire day in the kitchen to make just one dish. And that’s exactly why my recipes are also flexible and adaptable.
Let’s start? Who wants this recipe for Lentils Bolognese?
Check my suggestion for a vegetarian starter in Simple Guacamole.
LENTILS BOLOGNESE RECIPE (approx. 6 servings)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large onion
- 1 large tomato
- Olive oil to taste
- 1 cup lentils (preferably soaked overnight)
- 1 package of tomato sauce
- Basil leaves to taste
- Oreganos to taste
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Garlic and ginger in powder to taste (approx 1 csp each)
- Parmesan cheese to taste
PREPARATION METHOD:
- Start by chopping the onion and place it in a pan with olive oil so that it sautés.
- Once the onion is soft and translucent, add the diced tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
- While the onions and tomatoes cook, drain the lentils and add them to the pan. Mix them well and let them cook for a while.
- If necessary, reserve some of the water from the lentils and gradually add it to the pot, so that the lentils don’t stick to the bottom.
- Add the tomato sauce and cook over medium heat until the lentils soften.
- So that the sauce doesn’t thicken too much, you can gradually add water.
- Now add some basil leaves (according to your taste) and add salt and pepper.
- Then add the garlic and ginger powder and mix well.
- Stir well until the seasonings are well incorporated. I like to add the seasonings at this stage to ensure that all the ingredients are well seasoned and not just the broth.
- Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
- Put a good amount of Parmesan cheese on top and mix it well, so that the bolognese becomes creamy.
- For serving, I suggest decorating with Parmesan cheese on top and some basil leaves.
- Serve.
Suggestion: Instead of parmesan cheese you can also use parmesan vegan cheese or nutritional yeast.
You can use packages of peeled tomatoes instead of tomato sauce (I often do this).
As for the seasonings, you can add them before, if you prefer. It won’t interfere with the final result of the recipe.
If you like this recipe, try getting creative. Why not use chickpeas or red beans? It will probably taste great!
