My vegan lentil and green spelt Bolognese sauce

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 150 g lentils, red
• 100 g green spelt meal
• 3 carrots
• 3 stalk(s) Celery or 1 large piece of celeriac
• 3 onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 70 g tomato paste or 2 large tbsp
• 700 ml tomatoes, pureed
• 600 ml water
• 1 tbsp, leveled vegetable stock powder
• 1 tbsp, heaped oregano, dried
• 1 tsp, heaped thyme, dried
• 1 tsp, heaped basil, dried
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• Tomatoes, pureed, to extend
• chili powder
• Balsamic vinegar
• zucchini
• Mushrooms

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Basic recipe, great for kids, rich in protein

Chop the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic very finely. I use a food processor to chop them. Heat olive oil in a large pot. I use a 5-liter pot. The bottom should be well coated with oil. Sauté the vegetables for 3 minutes, then add the tomato paste and roast briefly. Add the lentils and green spelt, roast for 30 seconds, and then add the passata and water. The tomatoes should be good quality, so don’t be afraid to spend a few cents more here. The water will be absorbed by the lentils. Add the vegetable stock and all the seasonings except the salt. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently with the lid on for 25 minutes. Stir every few minutes to prevent burning. This creates a thicker sauce. When the lentils are cooked, season with salt and taste again. The base sauce is now ready. Children love this sauce. For little lentil haters, simply puree it, and they won’t notice it. We serve it with spaghetti. If you like, you can sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. I always make a large batch of this sauce. I freeze two portions and eat the other portion right away. If you don’t want to freeze anything, you should reduce the amount. For the portion we’re eating right away, I add another can of tomato puree and briefly bring the sauce back to a boil. If desired, I add roasted vegetables, such as zucchini or mushrooms.