This recipe is an absolute staple in our house. A great way to use up leftover veggies, it’s a kid-approved, freezer-friendly, protein-packed recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 C broccoli, finely chopped
- 2 small carrots, finely chopped
- 1 small red capsicum, finely chopped
- 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp “chicken” stock powder (I used Massal brand)
- 1/4 tsp ground fennel
- 1 700ml jar passata
- 115g dried red lentils, rinsed
- 1 C water
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- To save time and effort I usually chop the onion and garlic in a food processor and set them aside. Then I do the same with the broccoli, carrots, and capsicum. If you don’t have a food processor just finely chop everything.
- Fry onion and garlic on moderate heat until translucent, but not quite browning.
- Add in broccoli, carrots, and capsicum. Fry until softened.
- Add balsamic vinegar and cook for a further 30 seconds or until it has been absorbed and the strong vinegar smell has reduced.
- Add the herbs (oregano, basil, fennel), “chicken” stock powder, lentils, passata, and water.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are cooked, stirring occasionally. I use this time to cook enough pasta for the number of people I am serving.
- Once everything is cooked I add enough sauce to the cooked pasta to coat it generously. Save the rest of the sauce for another meal or pop it in the freezer for another time.