Red Lentils and Vegetables
Don’t be intimidated about cooking with lentils, they are incredibly easy to prepare. If you are try to cook with less meat; lentils are a filling alternative, packed full of nutrition and a brilliant addition to your family’s weekly meal plan.
This is the perfect recipe to batch cook, as it freezes really well. You can also use it in so many ways ~ as a sauce for spaghetti, as a layer in a vegetable based lasagna, top with mash and cook in the oven, it also makes a lovely warming soup (with a little extra stock added and blended). Or, simply serve with rice and a little yogurt, couscous or quinoa: hopefully that is a few ideas to get you started.
Ingredients ~
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery sticks, peeled finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
500g red lentils, rinsed thoroughly in running water
1 (680g bottle) tomato passata
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1.5 litres vegetable stock (no salt added), or water
Take a big cooking pot and heat the olive oil gently. Add the vegetables (onions, carrots and celery) cook until soft and translucent (15-20mins). Add the garlic, and cook for a further 1-2 mins stirring so the garlic doesn’t catch. Then add the lentils, passata, tomato purée, thyme leaves and stock (or water).
Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until everything has reduced. The red lentils and vegetables should be completely soft and cooked through. You might need more liquid too, add a little more if needed. Finish with a grind of black pepper and you are ready to serve. I usually serve with a dollop of natural yogurt, some chopped parsley and a little rice.