Gluten Free Vegan Brown Lentil & Vegetable Pasta
8Piggies! It is DAY 10 of "I LOVE Vitamix" month, and we are giving away a fabulous Vitamix 5200. Don't miss out on your chance to win! Enter, and share on Facebook and Twitter for bonus entries. The more your piggy name is mentioned in subsequent entries, the more chances you have to get your hands on that blender! Good Luck.
I thought I would post one of my all-time favourite healthy vegan pasta recipes. I have not made the entire recipe in a Vitamix. I just blended part of the pasta sauce. However, this is a fantastic example of how your blender can help you with all kinds of healthy recipes, whether they are fully blended or not.
This recipe utilizes a home made tomato puree that you can whip up in a few pulses by placing the tomatoes in your blender. If you don't have fresh tomatoes you can use a small tin of crushed tomatoes and a tablespoon of tomato paste. But I prefer not to use canned produce if I can help it. This recipe does require quite a bit of chopping and preparation, and the whole recipe simmers for a total of about an hour and a half, which makes it a bit longer than most of my quick easy recipes. But trust me, the results will be worth it!
I served this up to Joann when she came to visit last week, and she said it was the best vegetarian pasta she had ever tasted. Those of you who have been following me for a while would remember her from the Raw Vegan Garlic Kale Chips post. She, a self proclaimed toxic omnivore and "I don't DO healthy" green food skeptic, ate the entire bag in one sitting and begged for me! This recipe also appears to have the same vegan black magic! As I dropped her off at the airport she reluctantly said with a wry grin, "I don't know what's wrong with me.....I hope I'm not getting sick. I actually enjoyed all of that veggie woo woo food. I need the recipe for that lentil pasta. That makes me want to be a piggy!"
I think that just about says it all. Give this vegan lentil pasta a go and let me know what you think. This vegan pasta recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free and soy free. A fantastic health allergy-friendly meal for the whole family. If you are serving it to children just leave out the red chilli flakes.
But indulge in this recipe with caution: it can turn the most rigid whole foods skeptic into a healthy piggy, and have them oinking for more. Oink Oink Oink!!!!!!
Gluten Free Vegan Brown Lentil & Vegetable Pasta
- 2 cups brown lentils
- 10 cups filtered water
- 6 cups vegetable broth (I use Massel when I can't make my own)
- 2 cups finely chopped brown onion (about 1 medium)
- 2 cups carrot (about 4 carrots) finely diced
- 1 cup zucchini (about 1 medium) finely diced
- 1 cup finely chopped broccoli stalk or broccoli slaw
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley (about 1 bunch) chopped finely
- 1 ½ cups chopped tomato (about 2 medium tomatoes)
- ½ cup chopped celery (about 1 -2 ribs)
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomato
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp raw agave nectar
- 2 tsp Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- ½ Tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried red chili pepper flakes (optional. leave out if serving to children)
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- Cook the lentils in 10 cups of water and a pinch of salt for about 30-40 minutes until cooked.
- While the lentils are cooking:
- Blend the tomatoes and the sun dried tomatoes with the agave and ½ tsp Celtic sea salt until pureed. Set aside.
- Heat 1 cup of the vegetable broth with 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp cracked pepper, and ½ tsp red chili flakes and saute the garlic and onions for about 5 minutes until translucent.
- Now add in the celery and carrots and stir for another few minutes.
- Next add in the broccoli, zucchini, tomato puree, and remaining stock and bring to the boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and add in the cooked lentils and parsley.
- Simmer for 30 minutes. Check frequently in case you need to add a bit more stock.
- Serve tossed through gluten free pasta of your choice. YUMMO!
- Serve 8
Piggy Cooking Tips
don’t waste those broccoli stalks
Have you ever been asked the question “Do you eat the heads of the broccoli or the stalks”? My answer – both! Most people prefer the heads. But the stalks are really tasty and useful too. If a recipe calls for only the heads of the broccoli don’t throw away the precious stalks! They are loaded with nutrients and really tasty. My favourite way to use the stalks is to grate or julienne the stalks to make broccoli slaw. Toss with some olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic and you have a quick raw salad that is bursting with green power!
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Piggy Grunts!
Add Your GruntI love finding new vegetarian recipes. Look forward to trying this one. Looks Yummy.
I just found your site a few weeks ago…and I’m in love with it! I want to make everything!!!! Every recipe is just so easy, and wholesome!
I tried this recipe last week and it was good…but a day later, when the flavours had blended together, it was DELICIOUS! Oh, and it freezes beautifully…when I got home from work tonight, I cooked some brown rice spaghetti, popped a single serving frozen cube of the lentil sauce in a pot to heat…and 10 minutes later I was chowing down on healthy comfort food (seriously, whoever would’ve thought that healthy AND comfort foods could have such a happy, little marriage?!?) Thanks so much for all the great recipes!
Hey Jenny!
Yes! This DOES taste better the longer it sits.
Thankyou for your lovely comments.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
It takes a bit longer than most of my recipes.
But the extra time is SO worth it.
So great to have you here :)
Can’t wait to hear what you think of some of the other recipes.
Oh you have really given me something to SINK my teeth into here, beautiful Blender Babe! Thank you SOOOO much. I love lentils, I love trying new gluten free pasta recipes and sorry to sound like a stalker, I love you too! AWESOME! I bet this is one even my dairy and meat obsessed spousal-dude will love.
LOL! Lori!
Oh, you make me laugh!
I CANNOT wait to hear what you think of this recipe! Let me know. Oink Oink :)