Tempeh & Aubergine Ragu – Wild Root

Charlie Tomlinson, founder of plant-based kitchen Wild Root, shares a favourite recipe from her menu: Tempeh & Aubergine Ragu with Cheesy Garlic Polenta.

“It’s never been easier to explore plant-based cooking, with once-niche ingredients like nutritional yeast, tempeh and jackfruit now readily available,” comments Tomlinson. “Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just curious to try more plant-based meals, the growing accessibility of these speciality ingredients makes it simpler than ever to experiment with new flavours and textures. With so many options at our fingertips, giving plant-based eating a go has never been more convenient or delicious.”

Ingredients — tempeh and ragu

200g organic tempeh
1 red onion, diced
1 aubergine, diced
1 courgette, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tin plum tomatoes
200ml passata
60g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
15g fresh basil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp Italian herbs
2 tbsp lemon juice
400ml-600ml boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients — cheesy garlic polenta
140g dried polenta
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 garlic cloves, crushed
750ml-1000ml almond milk
Salt to taste

Method

1. Dice the veg. Add onion to a pan with a little oil, fry for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add crushed garlic, sauté for a minute. Add aubergine and courgette. Fry off all the veg until soft, approx. ten minutes.

2. Add plum tomatoes and passata, with 300ml of boiling water. Bring to the boil. Crumble in the tempeh. Add sun-dried tomatoes, chilli flakes, Italian herbs and balsamic.

3. Once boiling, turn down to simmer for 35 minutes. Stir occasionally. If the ragu becomes too thick add the additional 300ml of boiling water.

4. After 35 minutes, season liberally, stir through fresh basil and taste. Keep on a low heat whilst you prepare your polenta.

5. In a saucepan add a drizzle of oil and sauté crushed garlic on a low heat. Once golden (but not burnt) pour in 250ml of milk and warm through.

6. Slowly start to whisk in the polenta. As it thickens add more milk — up to 1000ml, or until you achieve the desired consistency. You want it to have a porridge-like consistency. Continuously whisk to avoid lumps.

7. Add salt to taste and nutritional yeast for extra cheesy flavour.

8. Divide the polenta between four bowls and smooth with the back of a spoon. Add the rich ragu and top with vegan hard cheese.

Charlie Tomlinson, founder, Wild Root