Vegetarian Red Lentil Bolognese

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 g lentils, red
• 4 large onions, possibly vegetable onions, more if needed
• 1 dash of olive oil or sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp paprika powder, hot
• 2 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• 2 tsp, levelled pepper, black
• 1 tsp, levelled sugar
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp basil
• ½ bunch of spring onions
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• ½ tsp herbal salt
• 1 can of pizza tomatoes
• ½ tube(s) tomato paste
• 1 tsp, heaped mustard, medium hot

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Peel and dice the onions. Add a generous splash of olive oil to a deep frying pan or cast iron pot and add the diced onions. Sauté while stirring until the onions begin to brown. Once they have taken on some color, add 1 tablespoon of hot paprika, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of herb salt. Now add the lentils to the pot and fry briefly for 2-3 minutes while stirring. Deglaze with the vegetable stock, bring everything to a boil, and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then add the pizza tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of sweet paprika, another teaspoon of black pepper, the sugar, the mustard, the basil, and the oregano. Also add the sliced ​​spring onions. Bring everything back to a boil and simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The consistency should ideally be similar to a Bolognese sauce, i.e. a bit thicker. The lentils should be firm to the bite. Serve with noodles of your choice. Tip: Adding more onions makes the dish more juicy. You can also use vegetable onions.