publicationmedia-verification" content="e1322166-9f17-48d2-91a8-6ef3e24e5faa

Lentil and Sweet Potato Bolognaise – Weaning and Vegan Recipe

Lentil and Sweet Potato Bolognaise – Weaning and Vegan Recipe

I must admit I do like to cook from scratch if I am making any food for the little man. He is 7 months now and having more textures and variety. Of course I don’t mind the odd pouch if we are out and about but usually he has home cooked food. I also like to try and cook a little more vegetarian for us as a family and although I know I could never go fully vegan, I do try these recipes too. Lentil and sweet potato bolognaise is perfect for us as a family and for him.

I know for health reasons it is a good idea to eat less meat and perhaps try more plant-based options. There is often less fat and calories in plant-based alternatives such as beans and lentils, so perfect for aiming to lose a little weight. But there is also more fibre, which is great for bowel health.

Lentils have all sorts of health benefits and the red ones in the recipe are rich in iron, folate and a source of protein.

I scoured the internet for recipes for a lentil bolognaise and ended up kind of making one up myself, after getting some ideas from a few others. There are often so many and I like to tweak the vegetables and the weights of the ingredients.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Bolognaise

My lentil bolognaise is easy to prepare but takes around an hour to simmer and cook through. It is really easy to either blend of mash down if serving to a younger baby too.

I’ve struggled a little more with my little man eating lumps and we have had to move slowly with him. We used to blend down this lentil bolognaise recipe all the time but now we can serve it to him as it comes and he will eat it! I always think it is a huge challenge to get your kids to eat more lumps but they always get there in the end.

lentil and sweet potato bolognaise blended

The Ingredients

Serves 2 adults and 2 children

  • 1 small onion – chopped finely
  • 2 medium carrots – diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic – chopped finely
  • 1 medium sweet potato – diced
  • 1-2 sticks of celery – sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 can of chopped tomatoes
  • 1/4 large carton of passata 
  • 100g of red lentils (dried)
  • Few splashes of balsamic vinegar
  • Italian herbs to taste
  • 1/2 a tsp of vegetable stock
  • 1/2 a tsp of onion gravy granules  (these can be omitted if cooking for a baby)
  • 300mls of water 

Method

– Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onions and garlic and fry for a few minutes, until soft.

– Add the carrots, sweet potato and celery. Fry for a few minutes.

– Add the dried red lentils and mix well.

– Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, herbs, stock (if adding), water and balsamic vinegar. Stir well and bring to the boil.

– Turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until everything is soft.

– Blend or mash down if servings for a baby.

– Serve with pasta and this dish does go lovely with some cheese (if not following a vegan diet).

lentil and sweet potato bolognaise

It’s a lovely recipe as the sweetness of the sweet potato goes really well with the sharpness of the balsamic vinegar. It’s tomatoey and just packed with veggies and goodness.

We always serve with wholemeal pasta to get an extra boost of fibre too!

If you make please let me know how you get on in the comments!

 

Lentil and Sweet Potato Bolognaise

A vegan recipe, packed with vegetables and perfect for weaning.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Frying pan
  • Knife
  • Chopping Board
  • Peeler

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small onion
  • 2 medium carrots Diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1-2 Sticks of celery
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 can 400g chopped tomatoes
  • 1/4 carton passata You can vary this to your taste
  • 100 g red lentils
  • 5 splashes balsamic Vinegar
  • Italian herb Add to taste
  • 1/2 tsp vegetable stock Omit for a baby or if you prefer
  • 1/2 tsp onion gravy gravy granules Omit for a baby or if you prefer
  • 300 mls water

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onions and garlic and fry for a few minutes, until soft.
  • Add the carrots, sweet potato and celery. Fry for a few minutes.
  • Add the dried red lentils and mix well.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, herbs, stock (if adding), water and balsamic vinegar. Stir well and bring to the boil.
  • Turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until everything is soft.
  • Blend or mash down if servings for a baby.
  • Serve with pasta and this dish does go lovely with some cheese (if not following a vegan diet).
Keyword vegan, vegetarian, weaning

lentil and sweet potato bolognaise

Share:

9 Comments

  1. October 4, 2019 / 5:29 pm

    Oh yum! This looks and sounds lovely and healthy too. I really love sweet potatoes. I must give this a try soon.

  2. October 4, 2019 / 7:56 pm

    This looks really delicious and nice and easy to make too. We’ll have to give it a go!

  3. October 5, 2019 / 6:45 am

    That really does look good! I’ve never been that sure about lentils, but in this recipe, they seem quite hidden. One that I’ll have to try. X

  4. October 5, 2019 / 8:30 am

    I love these types of recipes for little ones as they’re great way to hide lots of veggies

  5. October 5, 2019 / 10:56 am

    What a nutritious and delicious recipe to wean your baby on! Great way to pack on a whole lot of goodness.

  6. October 5, 2019 / 8:18 pm

    Oh that sounds really tasty. I often forget about lentils until some reminds me and I do love lentil-based dishes. Off to the shops tomorrow so will pick some up!

  7. October 7, 2019 / 12:02 am

    This sounds like something my kids might like. I use sweet potato quite a lot in cooking as they love it.

  8. Frances Heaton
    November 4, 2019 / 6:04 am

    Delicious recipes. I love trying new dishes and would love to make some of these.

  9. Nadia Josephine
    November 11, 2019 / 9:50 am

    This looks delicious! I amm definitely going to give this a go. Tasty, healthy and not too tricky to make!