This hearty vegan dish is packed with protein thanks to the addition of tempeh and the red lentil pasta is a great way to up the fibre too. Using dried mushrooms gives the dish a wonderful rich and slightly earthy taste. Warming and comforting this is super easy to make – once you have chopped all the veggies you just let it simmer gently in a pan. I diced up the tempeh but if you wanted smaller pieces you could pulse it in a food processor. If you cannot find tempeh then use firm smoked tofu instead.

Vegan Tempeh Bolognese

Overview

Serves 6

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

 

What’s Good About It?

Tempeh is a fermented soy product and incredibly nutritious. A great protein source and also rich in many vitamins and minerals including calcium, magnesium, B vitamins as well as soy isoflavones known for various health benefits.

 

  1. Pour 200ml boiling water over the dried mushrooms and let them soak for 10 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan and add the onion and garlic. Saute over a medium heat for a couple of minutes then add the remaining vegetables, spices and tempeh.
  3. Stir well and cook gently for 10 minutes to develop the flavours.
  4. Drain the dried mushrooms reserving the liquid and finely chop.
  5. Add the tomatoes, mushroom stock and dried mushrooms and tomato puree. Add the maple syrup if using.
  6. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile cook your pasta until al dente and then drain.
  8. Tip the pasta into the bolognese and stir well.
  9. Season to taste.

Nutrition per serving 296kcal, Fat 6.9g, Carbohydrates 29.6g, Protein 23.6g

Did You Know?

You could replace the tempeh for sunflower mince instead or use 2 cans of kidney beans.

15g dried mushrooms

1tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 red peppers diced

300g mixed mushrooms, chopped

1tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp chilli powder or to taste

1tsp dried mixed herbs

400g tempeh or smoked tofu, diced or pulsed in a food processor

2 cans (400g) chopped tomatoes

60g tomato puree

1tsp maple syrup or xylitol – optional

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

250g Red Lentil Pasta or other pasta to serve