🥕Vege-Bolognese – Plant-based🌱 & KIDS APPROVED🧒🏽

Needing more veggie-packed meals that the kids will actually EAT and LOVE? or maybe looking to add some delicious plant-based meals to your weekly menu! Well look no further my Vege Bolognese, has been approved by a true Italian 🇮🇹🤣🤣  now that’s saying something 👌🏽This is my plant-based take on the traditional bolognese, packed full of veggie-goodness, the kids will never know🙊 Just delicious 😋

*Chef Tip: Use a food processor to chop your veggies coarsely (think the size of chopped onions, still chunky but not mushy) this will help disguise the veggies in the bolognese sauce and give that “mince like” texture. 

Ingredients :

  • • 1 brown onion (chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 2 sticks of celery (chopped)
  • 1 large carrot (chopped)
  • 50 g olive oil
  • 1 cup of TVP (textured veg protein) – You can find this in the health food aisle, soaked in 1 cup of vegetable stock.
  • 400 g of mixed vegetables (chopped) (I like a mix of pumpkin approx 100g of each, 1 zucchini, 1 carrot, and a handful of mushrooms)
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 2  vegetable stock cubes (diluted in 50 ml of water)
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 tsp dried oregano 
  • 150 g tomato paste 
  • 400 g canned chopped tomatoes 
  • Lots of love (most important ingredient)
  • 1 sprig fresh basil, leaves only, for serving (optional)
  • Plant-based parmesan or grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
  • Serve with 500 grams of pasta of choice. I love gluten-free quinoa pasta – for a lighter option.

How to: 

  1. Heat olive oil and place chopped celery, garlic, 1 carrot, and brown onion and cook on medium to high heat for 5 – 7 minutes.
  2. Add re-hydrated TVP, chopped mixed veggies, bay leaf, pepper, and dried oregano. Stir with a spatula to break up and loosen and cook for a further 5 minutes (medium to high), continuously stirring. 
  3. Add stock cubes diluted in 50 ml of water, tomato paste, and canned tomatoes and cook for  20 – 25 minutes on medium to high stirring every few minutes (making sure it does not burn on the bottom- adjust heat as necessary).
  4. Carefully remove and discard bay leaf. Serve with cooked pasta, torn basil leaves (optional) and Parmesan cheese (optional).
  5. Give thanks, bless your food and enjoy!

Buon-appetito beauties 😘

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