Store Cupboard Vegetable Bolognaise Recipe

I use the term store cupboard loosely as we keep most of our veg in the fridge if there’s room. This is a really cheap veggie meal recipe that slipped off our menu radar for years until this week when I was trying to plan some balanced family meals for the week ahead.

Serves 6

Ingredients

15ml (1 tbsp.) olive oil
1 onion
4 carrots
2 sticks celery
4 garlic cloves
400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes
300ml (1/2 pt.) vegetable stock

300ml (1/2pt) white wine (or all stock if not available)

115g (1/2 cup) red lentils
5g (tsp.) basil
5g (tsp.) oregano
Salt & pepper

Method

Roughly chop all the vegetable ingredients, then add them to a food processor and chop more finely.

Heat the oil and gently fry the vegetables until soft (about 10 minutes)

Stir in the tomatoes, wine, stock, lentils and herbs. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked, stirring occasionally and adding more water if the lentils begin to dry out.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with spaghetti and grated cheese.

This can also be adapted to make a vegetarian lasagne or used as a base for a red bean chilli if kidney beans, chilli, cumin and mixed spices are added.

We ate this for tea this evening with leek gratin (post to follow). Yummm.