The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Pesto Plant-based Chick'n & Mediterranean-style Lentils
Your next weeknight winner is vegan - and you can't even tell. 100% plant-based chick'n tossed with vibrant pesto. Full-of-fibre lentils flavoured with piquant olives and aromatic Italian paste. Spinach for added vitamin A, and plenty of courgette and peppers to up the veg.
Ready in 20
High protein
1/3 daily fibre
4 of 5 a day
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Italian paste (Rapeseed oil, Sundried Tomatoes, Water, Vinegar White Wine, Olive oil extra virgin, Sea salt, Garlic, Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, Yeast extract powder, Black pepper)
- 15g pitted black olives (Olives, Water, Red Wine Vinegar, Sea Salt, Grape Must)
- 1 vegetable stock cube (use half) (Celery) (Sea salt, potato starch*, sustainable palm oil*, sugar*, vegetables*(6,8%) [celery*, onion*, carrot*, parsnip*, tomato*], sunflower oil*, yeast extract, caramelised sugar*, herbs* & spices* ( lovage*, turmeric*, parsley*, black pepper*) *Organic ingredients)
- 230g lentils (Cereals Containing Gluten) (Rehydrated lentils, water, tomato paste, salt, antioxidant: ascorbic acid)
- 200g passata (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 20g pine nuts
- 1 courgette
- 1 pepper
- 1 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 20g baby spinach
- 160g plant-based chick'n pieces (Soya) (water, soy protein concentrate, extra virgin olive oil, salt, natural flavouring, spices, vitamin B12)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 465
Protein: 25g
Carbs: 26g
Fat: 26g
Ingredients
- 1 courgette (use half)
- 20g baby spinach (use half)
- 1 vegetable stock cube (use a quarter) (Celery) (Sea salt, potato starch*, sustainable palm oil*, sugar*, vegetables*(6,8%) [celery*, onion*, carrot*, parsnip*, tomato*], sunflower oil*, yeast extract, caramelised sugar*, herbs* & spices* ( lovage*, turmeric*, parsley*, black pepper*) *Organic ingredients)
- 200g passata (use half) (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 160g plant-based chick'n pieces (use half) (Soya) (water, soy protein concentrate, extra virgin olive oil, salt, natural flavouring, spices, vitamin B12)
- 230g lentils (use half) (Cereals Containing Gluten) (Rehydrated lentils, water, tomato paste, salt, antioxidant: ascorbic acid)
- 1 tbsp green pesto (use half) (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 1 pepper (use half)
- 15g pitted black olives (use half) (Olives, Water, Red Wine Vinegar, Sea Salt, Grape Must)
- 1 tbsp Italian paste (use half) (Rapeseed oil, Sundried Tomatoes, Water, Vinegar White Wine, Olive oil extra virgin, Sea salt, Garlic, Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, Yeast extract powder, Black pepper)
- 10g pine nuts (use half)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 453
Protein: 25g
Carbs: 25g
Fat: 25g
Ingredients
- 320g plant-based chick'n pieces (Soya) (water, soy protein concentrate, extra virgin olive oil, salt, natural flavouring, spices, vitamin B12)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 101
Protein: 14g
Carbs: 1g
Fat: 2.3g
Pesto Plant-based Chick'n & Mediterranean-style Lentils
Your next weeknight winner is vegan - and you can't even tell. 100% plant-based chick'n tossed with vibrant pesto. Full-of-fibre lentils flavoured with piquant olives and aromatic Italian paste. Spinach for added vitamin A, and plenty of courgette and peppers to up the veg.
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Cooking Instructions
- Thinly slice the courgette into half-moons. Cut the pepper into 2-3cm squares. Heat a large saucepan with 1/2 tbsp oil on medium heat. Add the courgette and pepper and cook for 4-6 mins, until softening. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Boil a half-full kettle. Drain and rinse the lentils. Halve the olives. Add both to the saucepan along with the passata, Italian paste, spinach and 150ml hot water (75ml for 1 person). Crumble in half the stock cube and stir. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 4-5 mins, until the sauce thickens.
- Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast for 2-3 mins, tossing regularly, until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Reheat the pan on high heat with 1/2 tbsp oil. Add the chick'n and cook for 4-6 mins, until golden. Remove from the heat and toss with the pesto.
- Serve the lentils in bowls and top with the chick'n. Scatter over the pine nuts.
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