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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Vegan Lentil Bolognese

    Jan 22, 2020 by Kaitlin

    Serve this high-protein vegan Red Lentil Bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta for a super hearty, satisfying and comforting meal. Made plant-based with nutrient-packed red lentils instead of beef!

    Bowl of pasta with vegan lentil bolognese sauce on top

    This red lentil vegan Bolognese is so satisfying and filled with protein and fiber. Plus it is simple to assemble with many pantry staples.

    Split red lentils only take about 10 minutes to cook making it a perfect alternative to finely minced beef.

    Note: I am not an expert in traditional Italian cooking. So this is simply my interpretation and vegan adaption of classic Bolognese.

    Bolognese over pasta in a bowl with fresh parsley

    What is Bolognese Sauce?

    Traditional Italian Bolognese is a super thick, meat-based pasta sauce.

    But instead of finely chopped beef, I use nutrient-packed red lentils as the star of this plant-based version. The texture is so wonderful and hearty.

    White wine and milk are also typically used. However I use tamari to deepen the flavor and optional nutritional yeast to add a "cheesy" taste.

    The result is a protein-packed, savory sauce that is incredibly satisfying when spooned over your favorite pasta.

    Close-up view of dry red lentils ingredient with a metal spoon

    Ingredients for Red Lentil Bolognese

    For this recipe you will heat in a large skillet:

    • Yellow onion: Or substitute white onion or sweet onion if desired.
    • Celery
    • Carrot
    • Garlic cloves: I like the taste of fresh garlic cloves best in this recipe, but you can substitute dried garlic powder if needed.
    • Red lentils: Or you could change it up with crushed walnuts, diced mushrooms, or other vegetables for your "meaty" base. Diced zucchini, bell pepper, or spinach would be great additions to stir in as well.
    • Vegetable broth: Be sure to use low sodium if desired.
    • Canned crushed tomatoes
    • Tamari: Or substitute soy sauce. I use tamari for gluten-free.
    • Italian seasoning: Or use another seasoning blend like dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, etc.
    • Pasta of choice: I use fusilli gluten-free pasta made from quinoa and brown rice. But you could use zucchini noodles, penne, rigatoni, etc.
    Bolognese sauce over fusilli pasta in a white bowl

    Serving

    Garnish: Top your bowl with a tablespoon of fresh basil or fresh parsley, red pepper flakes to taste, or your favorite vegan parmesan cheese before serving.

    Batch size: This recipe makes a large batch. The sauce recipe yields about 5.5 cups (without pasta) so be sure to reduce or halve if desired.

    Storage

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. We find they keep for about 4-5 days.

    Freezing note: I have not tried saving this sauce in the freezer. But I'm guessing it would do very well if you wanted to freeze some for 1-2 months.

    Bowl of vegan lentil bolognese sauce over pasta topped with parsley

    For more inspiration, also browse all lentil recipes.

    Bowl of pasta with vegan lentil bolognese sauce on top

    Vegan Lentil Bolognese

    Serve this high-protein lentil Bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta for a hearty, satisfying and comforting meal.
    4.84 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan
    Servings: 8 small bowls

    Ingredients

    • 16 oz. pasta (gluten-free if desired)
    • 1 small onion
    • 2 stalks celery
    • 1 carrot
    • 3-4 cloves garlic
    • 1 cup red lentils* (dry, uncooked)
    • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
    • 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
    • 1 Tbsp. tamari
    • 1 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning**
    • Optional: 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

    Toppings (optional):

    • Fresh basil, parsley, cashew parmesan, etc.

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain when finished.
    • Meanwhile, very finely dice onion, celery, and carrot. (Or use a food processor for quicker results.) Mince garlic.
    • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion, celery, and carrot for 7-8 minutes or until softened. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/broth for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
    • Add minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir and sauté 1 minute.
    • Add broth and red lentils (rinsed very well).
    • Bring to a light boil. Then decrease heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until lentils are cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
    • Stir in crushed tomatoes and tamari. Heat 5 more minutes. Add nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor if desired (optional).
    • For serving, spoon the sauce over the top of the pasta and garnish with any desired toppings.

    Notes

    *Thickness: Traditional Bolognese is a very thick sauce, but if you prefer yours a bit thinner simply decrease the amount of red lentils.
    **Herbs: If you don't have Italian seasoning, use other herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, etc. (Or a combination.)
    Other variations could include: Finely chopped walnuts or mushrooms for the base. Or other veggies as desired: bell pepper, zucchini, spinach.
    Yield: Sauce makes 5 1/2 cups (without pasta). Reduce or halve if desired because it's a large batch. I also suspect the sauce would freeze very well, but haven't tested that yet.

    Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Lentil Bolognese
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    323
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    2
    g
    3
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Potassium
     
    574
    mg
    16
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    66
    g
    22
    %
    Fiber
     
    11
    g
    46
    %
    Sugar
     
    6
    g
    7
    %
    Protein
     
    13
    g
    26
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1610
    IU
    32
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    12
    mg
    15
    %
    Calcium
     
    70
    mg
    7
    %
    Iron
     
    4
    mg
    22
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you make this recipe?Leave a star rating or comment below!

    If you are enjoying this Vegan Red Lentil Bolognese Sauce recipe, also check out:

    • Lentil Cabbage Soup
    • Ultimate Vegetable Soup
    • Easy Vegan Lasagna with Chickpea Ricotta
    • Red Lentil Sweet Potato Stew

    Follow The Garden Grazer on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook for more updates and inspiration.

    More Vegan Main Dish Recipes

    • Mushroom Pesto Pasta
    • Southwest Black Bean Burger
    • Tofu Fajitas (Easy Sheet Pan!)
    • Roasted Chickpea Salad with Hummus

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating:




    1. Jennifer

      August 27, 2022 at 12:16 pm

      5 stars
      Flavourful recipe. I did add minced mushrooms to it as well. Like a previous reviewer, I also found that the lentils need longer than 10 minutes - closer to 15. But overall, I liked this recipe.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        August 28, 2022 at 7:31 am

        Great call with the mushrooms. And thank you for sharing your helpful feedback with the cooking time - very appreciated. I'm glad you found another recipe you enjoy. Wishing you a lovely week, Jennifer! -Kaitlin

        Reply
    2. Diana

      May 06, 2022 at 6:22 pm

      4 stars
      Good recipe, except after cooking the lentils for 10 minutes, as stated, the liquid had absorbed but the lentils were far from being done.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        May 07, 2022 at 8:56 am

        Thank you for your feedback, Diana! Were you using split red lentils? They generally cook very quickly (and faster than other lentil varieties), but I will revisit and retest this recipe soon.

        Reply
    3. Ben Brown

      May 29, 2020 at 8:09 am

      5 stars
      Very delicious! Rich, hearty, and a few times my mind literally thought I was eating a meat sauce (even though I wasn't).

      Reply
      • Kaitlin McGinn

        June 06, 2020 at 1:57 pm

        So great to hear! Thanks for sharing.

        Reply

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    The Garden Grazer - Kaitlin profile photo

    Hi, I'm Kaitlin!
    I share vegan recipes that are easy & healthy. (Mostly whole food plant-based, oil-free, & gluten-free.) About Me →

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