Welcome to my final red wine recipe of the month, I have to say, I think this one could be my favourite. This week’s recipe is for a red wine and lentil paste recipe. Paste? I know that sounds gross, but think of it as pate inspired without the liver.
I’ve served this as a topping on some gluten free garlic bread, but the nature of this dish means it can be used in so many different ways – as a topping, a filling, a dip, a side. Truly, however you want to use it, it will probably work.
For this recipe, I used The White Rabbit Garlicky Focaccine breads, but any garlic bread would work if you wanted to recreate my serving suggestion.
I also used the Kallo Tomato & Herb stock, which isn’t the easiest to find but definitely worth hunting down if you can. Regular vegetable stock can be used if you can’t find this one, but try to find something similar.
Nutritional Information
Although the ingredients list for this recipe is fairly simple, it still has quite a lot going on in the nutrition department. Lentils are a great source of plant based protein, but they also have quite a strong vitamin profile, added with the walnuts, which are a good source of healthy fats and provide omega 3, this simple dish has the foundations of a very balanced and healthy meal.
Each serving of this recipe (¼ recipe) contains 13g of protein and 6.5g of fibre. In terms of vitamins and minerals, each serving provides a third of the recommended daily amount of B1, 60% of your daily folate, 3.7mg of iron and just under two thirds of the recommended daily amount of omega 3.
Suggested Post: Plant Based Sources of Iron
Alternative uses:
As mentioned, I served mine on some garlic bread, almost like a pate. However, if this idea isn’t quite for you, or you have leftovers, here are some alternative serving suggestions.
On the day I was making these, I only made two. The other half of the filling went in some pastry to make a lentil bake.
Due to the nature of the paste recipe, and how it sticks together, you could also use the same method to make it into anything like meatballs or burgers. Prep the same way, and when it’s been pulsed in the food processor, shape into your desired dish with your hands and place it in the oven. Best guess is around 20 minutes for meatballs and maybe a few extra for burgers.
How long does it keep?
In an airtight container, without adding any other form of preservative, you’ll get 4-5 days.
Can I reheat & freeze?
Before we get into reheating options, you can eat this cold! If you’d rather not reheat or you’re in a hurry, this is perfectly fine eaten cold.
You can reheat, although the texture may suffer slightly. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, you’ll probably need to add a few extra drops of water or wine to prevent it drying out. I don’t recommend reheating in a pan as it will dry out so rapidly, trying to keep it moist enough while warming it back through would be a serious effort (although not impossible if you don’t have/ don’t like to use a microwave).
You can freeze it, but you’ll need to defrost to reheat as instructed above. Do not reheat from frozen.
Red wine and lentil paste recipe
A hearty and versatile red wine and lentil paste recipe, a great source of protein and added walnuts provide a source of healthy fats, including some omega 3.
This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, soy free and vegan. It does contain nuts.
Red wine and lentil paste recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 2 cups tomato & herb vegetable stock
- 180 ml red wine ¾ cup
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 4 large sundried tomatoes optional
- 1 tsp mixed Italian herbs
- Pinch of chilli flakes to taste
- ¼ cup walnut pieces
Instructions
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Add the lentils, stock and wine to a saucepan, bring to the boil then leave on a low boil for approximately 35 minutes until the lentils are cooked and almost all of the liquid has gone.
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Once the lentils are read, transfer to a food processor with all of the remaining ingredients and pulse until a thick paste forms.
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If serving with the garlic bread as shown
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Have your garlic bread cooked and ready approximately 2-3 minutes after the lentils, this should provide you with enough time to make the paste and have it ready at the same time. Remove the garlic breads from the oven when ready, coat in a thick layer of the paste, then place back in the oven for a further 2-3 minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy!
Do you like the sound of this recipe? How would you opt to serve yours?
Until next time,
Sophie
The recipe is really interesting. I must try this once. Thanks for sharing.
Your lentil paste is such a fun and nutritious way to bring some new flavors to the dinner table. I especially liked your idea to use the leftovers or any extra to make into meatballs!
Oh Sophie, this sounds absolutely delicious. I like the idea of eating this as a pate but lentil meatballs would also be fun. I love lentils any way, to be honest, and don’t eat nearly enough of them. Love this recipe, thanks so much for sharing.
Descobri este site essa semana e já estou adorando os conteúdos, são ótimos!
Parabéns!
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