Lentils are a highly nutritious and make for an excellent alternative to meat for this hearty mushroom ragù.

How to prepare mushrooms
No waste and no fuss make mushrooms one of the easiest ingredients to prepare. There is no need to peel mushrooms, apart from being time consuming a lot of goodness and flavour is in the skin. Wipe mushrooms gently with a damp cloth. If necessary, simply use a soft brush to remove any dirt from the skin surface and trim the stem end. If there is some residual compost still on the mushroom when you buy them, just brush it off. Do not soak mushrooms in water, as the mushrooms will absorb water.