This Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce is simple, delicious, and kid friendly. Made with everyday ingredients in just one pot so it's a quick no fuss meal on busy nights!
A little while back I shared a picture on Instagram of the Vegan Lentil Bolognese we were having for dinner and a few people were interested in the recipe so today I'm sharing my take on the traditional dish.
This bolognese sauce comes together in less than an hour with everyday ingredients you probably have on hand and uses just one pot. Perfect for busy nights when you need a quick and satisfying meal for the family!
Ingredients
Conventional bolognese sauce consists of several types of meat, white wine, and milk along with veggies and tomatoes. Obviously this recipe doesn't have any of that so it won't taste exactly like the traditional dish, but it does taste amazing in its own right.
The lentils provide a heartiness to the sauce while shredded carrot and onion and finely diced celery round out the flavor and pack in hidden nutrition. Shredding veggies in sauces like this is a great way to "hide" veggies for the kids who are pickier.
Normally bolognese sauce is served with a flat pasta like tagliatelle or tubed pastas like rigatoni, but we're going kid friendly here and my kids like the spirals of rotini. Feel free to use any pasta you like or that your little one's will eat.
- olive oil
- onion
- carrot
- celery
- garlic cloves
- tomato paste
- crushed tomatoes
- basil
- oregano
- thyme
- green or brown dry lentils
- vegetable broth or water
- salt and pepper
- pasta of choice
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making this sauce is straightforward and easy. Start by sautéing the vegetables before adding everything else. Then simmer until the lentils have softened and the sauce is flavorful. Cook the pasta while the sauce simmers and toss with the bolognese when it's done. Easy and delicious!
Equipment
There is no special equipment needed to make this recipe. A good sharp knife for dicing the vegetables and a few other basic kitchen tools are all you need.
Storage
Any leftover sauce should be cooled completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. Good for 3-4 days.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think! Leave a review and rating in the comments below. This helps me continue to provide great recipes for you.
Recipe
Vegan Lentil Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ an onion, diced or shredded or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup green or brown dry lentils
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb pasta
Instructions
- Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.2 tablespoon olive oil
- Add shredded carrot, diced celery, onion, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes to start softening.½ an onion, diced or shredded or 1 teaspoon onion powder , 1 carrot, shredded, 1 celery rib, diced
- Add tomato paste and garlic. Stir and cook for 1 minute longer.2 large garlic cloves, minced , 1 can tomato paste
- Add tomatoes, seasonings, lentils, and broth or water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer and cover.1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes , 2 teaspoon dried basil , ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme , 1 cup green or brown dry lentils , 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- Continue to simmer for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally or until lentils have softened and cooked through. Add additional broth or water if sauce starts to become too thick.
- Taste and adjust seasonings and salt to your liking.salt and pepper to taste
- While sauce simmers, prepare pasta according to package directions.1 lb pasta
- When sauce is ready toss with pasta and serve with vegan parmesan or a sprinkle with nutritional yeast and bread, if desired.
KLott says
What kind of lentils do you suggest?
Melissa says
I've made this with both brown and red lentils. I prefer brown because they hold their shape better while red get a little mushy, but really you could use either one. Hope this helps!
Kate says
Hi! Made this last night. I swapped out the carrot for zucchini (because that's what I had on hand). I loved it, my one-year-old loved it.. and even my husband loved it (he usually hates any type of bean)!!
Thank you!!
Melissa says
Hi Kate! That's so awesome! I'm glad everyone enjoyed the recipe. It can be so tough to find dishes everyone loves. Great idea to substitute the zucchini for the carrot. Thank you so much for the feedback and leaving a rating 🙂