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This vegan lentil bolognese is a true delight. It's as delicious as its traditional version but made using lentils. So it's healthy, full of protein, and ridiculously good. To make it, you only need 9 ingredients and 1 hour of time. Once ready, you can serve it with spaghetti or even with gnocchi, or use it to fill lasagna, cannelloni, or ravioli. Either way, it will be super tasty.
If you like this recipe, you absolutely must try this vegan mushroom ragout, it's so yummy. If you're interested in other vegan meat substitutes, you should try this vegan roast beef or this vegan chicken, both are delicious!
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⭐ Why I love this recipe
I love this vegan lentil bolognese because it's healthy, full of fiber, easy to make, and delicious. Plus, it's super versatile because you can use it to make lasagna or serve it with any type of pasta.
Whenever I make it, I always double the recipe and freeze a portion. This way, it's always ready to be used when I don't have time to cook. So it's not only good but also convenient!
🧾 Ingredients
Just a handful of ingredients are needed for this vegan bolognese recipe. Most of them, I'm sure, you already have in your kitchen. Let's take a look at the key ingredients together:
- Red or green lentils: To make this vegan bolognese, I use red or green lentils. I soak the green lentils in boiling water for 30 minutes before cooking. Red lentils tend to have a softer texture once cooked, while green lentils remain slightly al dente. I like to alternate between them; the cooking process remains the same.
- Canned peeled tomatoes: I use canned Italian tomatoes because they're the most flavorful. If you can't find them, use any type of canned tomatoes you find; the result will be delicious either way.
- Tomato paste: I use it because it adds a touch of umami to the bolognese and makes it super flavorful. In my opinion, it's the key ingredient for making a delicious bolognese.
- Red wine: I use a bold red wine. It flavors the bolognese and gives it an intense color. If you prefer, you can also use white wine though.
🥄 Equipment
To make this recipe, you only need a large skillet or pot. If you want to finely chop the vegetables, you can use a food processor to help, but I prefer using a sharp knife and a cutting board.
🥣 How to make
As mentioned, this vegan lentil bolognese is straightforward to make and ready to serve in a little over 1 hour. Here's a visual of how it's done:
Step 1: Heat the oil over medium to high heat. Once hot add in the onion, carrot and celery and brown for 7-8 minutes. Stir constantly.
Step 2: Add in tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the red lentils and sautè for 2 ore minutes on high heat. Deglaze with the wine and simmer until completely evaporated.
Step 3: Pour in the canned tomatoes and using a spatula break them up in chunks. Season with salt and pepper and mix until combined. Simmer on low-medium heat, with the lid half on, for about 1 hour. Stir every now and then and add a dash of water if needed.
Step 4: Once cooked, pour in the soy milk and stir. The Bolognese is ready once the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick and creamy.
👨🏻🍳 Expert tip
You can make this recipe with any type of lentil. Red lentils are the only ones you don't have to soak before making the bolognese. Instead, green, brown, black, etc., lentils need to be soaked. You can soak them in cold water overnight or for 30 minutes in boiling water.
Additionally, when the bolognese is cooking, stir it every 20 minutes and add a splash of water if you see that it's too dry. Depending on the lentils you use, the bolognese will absorb more or less liquid.
💭 Top tip
I recommend doubling the recipe. This way, you can freeze a portion of the bolognese to use another day. To freeze it, let it cool completely, and once cool, you can either vacuum seal it if you have a vacuum sealer, or put it in an airtight container and freeze it for 1-2 months.
When you want to cook it, simply take it out of the freezer the night before, and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, heat it in a pot and serve it as you prefer.
🥑 Variations
These are my favorite lentil bolognese variations:
- Spicy lentil bolognese: Add 1 or 2 chopped red chilis to the bolognese to make it extra spicy. Adjust the amount of chilis to your liking.
- Herbs lentil bolognese: To add extra flavor to the bolognese, you can add 1 tablespoon of herbs such as fresh oregano, rosemary, sage, or thyme. I always do it in the summer when the herbs in my garden are ready. It's so delicious!
🥗 What to serve with
As I mentioned before, you can use this lentil bolognese to make lasagna, ravioli, cannelloni, or you can serve it with gnocchi or any type of pasta. In Italy, bolognese is typically served with tagliatelle; try serving it with this vegan spinach tagliatelle, they're delicious!
Alternatively, you can also serve the bolognese with roasted vegetables, such as cauliflower or broccoli.
❄️ Storage
You can either store this vegan lentil bolognese in the fridge or in the freezer:
- Fridge: place the bolognese in an airtight container and store in the fridge up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: place in an air-tight container and store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving.
To reheat, place the bolognese in a saucepan and cook for a couple of minutes until warm.
📔 FAQ
You can use red, green, brown, or black lentils. These last 3 types of lentils need to be soaked either in cold water overnight or in boiling water for 30 minutes before making the vegan lentil bolognese.
The red wine adds a touch of flavor and color that is difficult to achieve with another ingredient. If you want to substitute it, I recommend using white wine or leaving it out altogether. However, this will have an effect on the taste of the bolognese.
Yes you can. You can store the bolognese for 3-4 days in the fridge or store it in the freezer for up to 1-2 months.
🎥 Video
📖 Recipe
Vegan Lentil Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 celery stick finely chopped
- 1 small carrot finaley chopped
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 250 g red lentils
- 200 ml red wine
- 800 g canned peeled tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 200 ml soy milk optional
- 1 handful fresh basil optional
- 400 g pasta of your choice spaghetti, tagliatelle, maccheroni
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium to high heat. Stir in onion, garlic, carrot and celery and brown for 7-8 minutes. Sir constantly. Add in tomato paste and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add in lentils and sauté for 2 ore minutes on high heat. Pour in wine and simmer until completely evaporated. Pour in canned tomatoes and using a spatula break them up in chunks. Adjust salt and pepper and mix until combined.
- Simmer on low heat, with the lid on, for about 1 hour. Stir every now and then and add a dash of water if needed. Once cooked, pour in soy milk and stir. The Bolognese is ready once the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick and creamy.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook the pasta until al dente, drain and serve with the bolognese.
vorbelutrioperbir says
Whats Happening i'm new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It absolutely helpful and it has aided me out loads. I hope to contribute & help different customers like its aided me. Great job.
STEFAN says
Easy to make and delicious.
Sue says
This is an excellent recipe. I used mushrooms instead of celery because I didn’t have any, and I used two heaped dessert spoons of Oatly creamy oat fraiche instead of the soya milk, I put the Oatly in the sauce and simmered it. I didn’t think the lentils would cook in the tomatoes, but they did.
Luciano Desouza says
Surprisingly delicious and easy to make. I used a food processor to finely chop the vegetables. Thanks for sharing.
carlocao says
Hi Luciano, I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for the feedback. X Carlo
Livia says
I made this recipe a couple of times and it's absolutely delicious! Thank you Carlo for sharing it with us!
Justicefrog says
No salt, pepper, herbs or spices???
carlocao says
Maybe if you read the recipe you'll find that salt and pepper are listed and used in the recipe? What's the point of reviewing a recipe if you don't even read it?