Simple Vegan Mince: Made With Lentils
A plate of lentils is a wondrous thing. They may not look that exciting, but they're tasty, nutritious and plant-based. They're also good at soaking up flavours and using to make all sorts of meals. This recipe is for a simple vegan mince. It's easy-to-make, but delicious nonetheless. Eat it just as it is, or use it as the base for other dishes.
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 321kcal
Ingredients
- 125 g whole lentils (I used small British grown olive green lentils)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- ¼ tsp sea or rock salt
- 2 sprig fresh rosemary or use ¼ tsp dried herbs
- 2 sprig fresh thyme or use ¼ tsp dried herbs
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1 tsp tamari (affiliate link)
- good grinding of black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the lentils for at least an hour in water if you can. The longer they soak, the more digestible they become and the quicker to cook.125 g whole lentils
- Drain off the soaking water, replace with fresh and drain again. This is usually enough to get rid of any debris, but if not repeat until the lentils are clean.
- Cover the lentils with 350ml water, add the bay leaf and place the lid on the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are soft, but still hold their shape. How much water the lentils absorb depends on how long the lentils have soaked. So check to make sure the lentils haven't dried out towards the end of cooking and add more water if needed.1 bay leaf
- Meanwhile, fry the onions in the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until translucent.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 small onion
- Add the salt and herbs and continue to fry until the onion starts to caramelise. Give an occasional stir to prevent burning. This will take around 4-5 minutes.¼ tsp sea or rock salt, 2 sprig fresh rosemary, 2 sprig fresh thyme
- Add the garlic, give a good stir, then stir in the diced tomato.1 clove garlic, 1 large tomato
- Let the tomato cook for ten minutes, then tip in the cooked lentils. If there's still an obvious amount of liquid left in the pan, drain them first, but a small amount is fine.1 tsp tamari (affiliate link)
- Add the tamari, stir and let the whole lot cook until all the liquid has evaporated, but not so much that the lentils are dry.
- Stir in the black pepper and taste test. If you feel the lentils need more salt, tamari or pepper, now is the time to add them.good grinding of black pepper
Notes
You can soak the lentils up to twenty four hours before cooking. The night before is always a good bet.
You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.
Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.
Nutrition
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 842mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 591IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 5mg