One of the most disappointing moments of not really being a meat eater (I say ‘not really’, as I still cook and taste meat as part of my work and love of cooking), for me, is when a big bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese is put on the table.

The hearty sauce filled bubbling away on the stove for hours on end only to result in me eating either plain pasta with Parmesan, or some left overs, never feels satisfying.

Enter my Lentil Bolognese.

It’s vegan, but just as hearty and delicious as the original, meaty version. The ingredients are mostly the same as the original so it’s easy to do a big cook up of both in tandem if you have a family with varying dietary preferences like mine. And, topped with plenty of parmesan cheese, I’m never left feeling like I missed out.

Natalie’s Lentil Bolognese
Makes 6-8 generous serves.

Ingredients
- 2 Onions, diced
- Olive Oil
- 3 carrots, diced
- 15 or so button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 3 heaped tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cans of cooked brown lentils, rinsed and drained. You can also use dried red lentils if you prefer, or a mix.
- 3 400gm tins of finely chopped tomatoes (I used Mutti Polpa, here).
- Fresh or dried oregano, or fresh basil (or both)
- 3-4 large bay leaves

Method

1. Place the onions, carrots and a generous glug of olive oil into a large saucepan. Cook on a medium heat until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until they start to soften.

3. Add the garlic and stir through for 30 seconds or so, before adding the tomato paste. Stir until it’s coating most of the ingredients.

4. Add the lentils, herbs and bay leaves, then the canned tomatoes. Also add two tomato cans filled with water to the pot before bringing up to a boil.

5. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and with the lid resting just off to the side on top (allow steam out but hopefully stop splatters), cook for 1.5-2 hours, keeping an eye on it to make sure the liquid doesn’t reduce too much (just add a little more water if it starts to dry out but keep in mind your serving time - you don’t want watery bolognese in the end!).

6. Before serving, remove the bay leaves and season well with salt and pepper. If you have any fresh basil or oregano, a little added at the end is also delicious.

7. Serve on your favourite pasta and top with plenty of parmesan cheese. If you’re vegan, or have vegan guests, nutritional yeast is a delicious alternative.

Enjoy!

There would be easier ways to show you my Lentil Bolognese, but this seemed much more fun.

I love to batch freeze this bolognese into individual portions I can whip out when the rest of my family is having the meaty version. If you are going to freeze some, make sure you leave a little more liquid in it to allow it not to dry out when you cook it again out of the freezer (alternatively add some water before reheating in the pot).

I hope this gets more hearty pastas onto vegetarian tables this Winter.

Nat x

Years and years ago, flicking through an old magazine at Mum and Dad’s (which I can’t imagine finding now as my parents don’t really read magazines), I remember seeing fenugreek powder and fennel seeds in a soup recipe with pumpkin and lentils. At the time having received fenugreek powder as a part of a gift in a kind of food hamper, I was excited to discover a way I could use it. I was probably about 22, still working an office job and hadn’t yet realised how important food would be in my life.

Although this recipe doesn’t contain fenugreek powder as it’s much harder to come by than fennel seeds (which are readily available in supermarkets), I’ve been making what I think is a version of this soup ever since.

*Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup - Natalie Zee*

With only eight ingredients, most of which I usually have at home anyway, and perfect for freezing, this has become a favourite soup of mine over the years (alongside my beloved Minestrone and Carrot & Potato Soup). It’s not Alexander’s favourite so I often make it to freeze in batches, pulling it out when the boys are eating meat. (For those new here, I do not eat meat but I do cook it for them).

Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup
(with Fennel)

Ingredients
- 1/2 a small cabbage, roughly shredded
- 1kg of diced pumpkin
- 3 tsp of fennel seeds, ground into a rough powder (I use a mortar and pestle)
- 1 large leek, washed, halved and sliced
- 1 and a 1/2 cups of green/brown lentils, rinsed
- 2 cups of vegetable stock (chicken would also work)
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 2 tbsp of olive oil

Method
1. In a large saucepan, cook the leek in butter and oil until it begins to caramelise.

2. Add the fennel seeds and cabbage. Cook, stirring until the cabbage is well wilted (3-5 minutes, for me).

3. Add the pumpkin, lentils, stock and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer>

4. Once the pumpkin is cooked and the lentils are just tender, season with salt and serve immediately.

It’s delicious served with fresh crusty bread, but I really would say that of almost any soup.

*Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup Recipe Card for Pinterest - Natalie Zee*

You could make it a vegan soup by omitting the butter or using vegan butter, but the butter really does add a delicious flavour to the leeks so unless you’re vegan I would encourage you to use it (adding more wouldn’t hurt, either!).

Let me know if you try it and, well, happy Winter!

Nat xx

Natalie's Lentil Bolognese

Pumpkin, Lentil & Cabbage Soup

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