Ultimate Vegan Ragù

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks (125g)
1 onions, peeled and chopped into large chunks (150g)
150g oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
30g dried porcini, roughly blitzed
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped into large chunks (175g)
60ml olive oil
35g miso paste, white is suggested but red will work too
20g harissa – you can omit if you’re not keen on spice
2 tbsp tomato paste
45ml soy sauce
1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
90g dried brown or green lentils
50g pearl barley – or if making a GF version, use soaked buckwheat groats.
500ml vegetable or chicken stock
80ml coconut cream
50ml red wine
Salt and pep

Summary

Sometimes you just need a spag bol or spag bol equivalent. This recipe delivers an incredible punch of umami flavour that will satisfy vegans and meat-eaters alike. It also happens to be extremely easy to throw together (all in one baking dish and in the oven) and can be served with pasta or used as the base for a lasagne or shepherd’s pie. It’s a new winter staple for us – give it a try and let us know what you think!

Ultimate Vegan Ragù

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan.

Working in batches, put the first six ingredients into a food processor and pulse until everything is very finely chopped (or very finely chop everything by hand if you don’t have a food processor).

Put the chopped vegetables into a large, high-sided baking tray with the 60ml oil, 35g miso, 20g harissa, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 45ml soy sauce and 1tsp crushed cumin seeds and mix very well. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until browned around the edges and bubbling.

Reduce the heat to 180°C fan.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the tray, along with 100ml of water, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a very generous grind of black pepper. Stir very well, scraping the crispy sides and bottom with a spatula. Cover tightly with foil and bake for another 40 minutes. When 40 minutes is up, check the lentils and barley are cooked through, if they’re still a bit bitey, add a splash more water, stir to combine, put the lid back on and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a final 5 minutes. Set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed a little before serving.