Vegan Lentil Bolognese

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

For more inspiration, also browse all lentil recipes.

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

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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

US CustomaryMetric

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.

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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

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