Recipe challenge #1: Vegan Bolognese

I rarely have trouble coming up with things to cook. The problem I have instead is deciding which of all the ideas should become reality. This is never easy, but I found a way to make it so! I asked some of my co-vegans on this vegan month what dish they miss and would like to be made vegan. My dearest sister answered spaghetti and meat sauce, so here it is! My vegan Bolognese! 

The meatiness of this dish really astonished me. The Bolognese is made from Puy lentils and finely chopped mushrooms that are allowed to simmer until the flavors are so rich and deep they knock the socks off any meaty meat sauce. To further add to the meatiness of the sauce it contains miso, which  is basically umami in paste form. If you don't have miso, don't despair. You can use soy sauce too, although I prefer the miso. Keep in mind that both miso and soy are salty, so you won't have to add that much additional salt to the sauce. Try it at the end to correct the seasoning.

I was lucky enough to have a lot of time on my hands when making this dish, so I let the sauce bubble away on the stove for more than two hours. This is not necessary, you essentially only have to cook it until the lentils are done, but the longer you leave it the more the flavors will develop. Give it some time! Once done, the mushrooms, onions and miso will have done their job well, and you'll have the meatiest of meatless Bolognese sauces!

I'd love to do more of these recipe challenges, so if you have a dish you want a really good vegan version of, let me know by leaving a comment!

Enough for 3

1 small yellow onion

1 carrot

1 stalk of celery

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp salt

100 g mushrooms, such as cremini

¼ - ½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp grated nutmeg

1-2 bay leaves

1 ½ dl red wine

1-1 ½ dl Puy lentils

3 dl water

400 g canned tomatoes, preferably whole but crushed will work too

2 tsp dried thyme (or more if fresh)

1 tsp dried oregano (or more if fresh)

2 tbsp miso

Salt and pepper

Chop the onion and finely dice the carrot and celery. Mince the garlic. Heat a pot over low heat. Add a splash of oil and the onion. Fry until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic, carrot and celery. Fry for another 8-10 minutes over low heat, until the vegetables have started to soften.

Meanwhile, put the mushrooms in a blender and pulse until finely chopped. You can chop them by hand too; just make sure they're really fine. Add the mushrooms to the pot together with the salt, nutmeg and paprika. Fry for a few more minutes. Add the wine and cook until all the liquid has evaporated.

Once the wine has cooked into the mix and your kitchen smells wonderful, add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and the lower the heat to a soft simmer. Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer away for at least 45 minutes. Stir it every now and then and add more water if needed. If you have the time and the patience, let it hang out on your stovetop for longer, an hour or more. This way the flavors will deepen and give you an even better result. You could also cook it in the oven on low heat.

Once you think your Bolognese is done cooking, check the seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with pasta, good bread and a nice salad. It doesn't get better than this.