One pot beef, lentil and bean ragù
Beef mince stretched further with red lentils and kidney beans, simmered in one pot until it's thick, deeply savoury and carries a serious amount of protein for the price of a jar of tomatoes. Good over pasta, rice or a slice of toast, and better again the day after it's made.
Notable for: fibre, iron, antioxidants
Ingredients
- 550 gprime beef mince
- 150 gsplit red lentils
- 410 gred kidney beans in brine
- 800 gchopped tomatoes
- 100 gtomato puree
- 200 gbrown onions, diced
- 200 gcarrots, diced
- 20 gcrushed garlic
- 10 gdried mixed herbs
- 1stock cubes
- 10 mlolive oil
- 30 ggrated parmesan, to serve, optional
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion and carrot over medium heat for 6 minutes until softened, then add the garlic for 30 seconds.
Add the beef mince and break it up as it browns, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes until no pink remains.
Stir through the mixed herbs, then add the canned tomatoes, tomato puree, red lentils, the crumbled stock cube and 400 ml water.
Bring to a simmer, then cook uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have softened and the sauce has thickened.
Drain the kidney beans and stir them through for the final 5 minutes, just to heat through.
Season to taste and serve with the parmesan grated over, if using.
Let the lentils do the thickening
Red lentils break down completely as they simmer, which is what turns this from a thin mince sauce into a thick ragù without extra tomato paste or a long reduction. Give them the full 25 minutes or the sauce stays thin and the lentils stay gritty.
Storage
Keeps four days in the fridge and freezes well.
Reheat gently with a splash of water, as it thickens further once cold.
Cost per serving is indicative, based on New Zealand supermarket prices as at September 2026. Batch prices your own week against your own store on the day. Nutrition figures, including calories, are estimates rather than label readings, so always check the packet if you have an allergy. "Notable for" reflects well-established qualities of the ingredients used, not a lab measurement of this exact dish.