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    Home » Recipes » Entree

    Published: Apr 13, 2022 · Modified: Dec 6, 2022 by carlocao · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce (Traditional Italian Recipe)

    Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf: Deutsch

    Jump to recipe

    Are you looking for a recipe to make an absolutely delicious lentil bolognese? Then you're in the right place! This lentil bolognese is super simple to make, requires only 9 ingredients, and is healthy and delicious!

    Image: Vegan lentil bolognese sauce in the saucepan

    This recipe is inspired by the traditional method of making bolognese. In fact, the only ingredient that sets it apart from the traditional version are the red lentils used to replace the ground meat.

    If you're skeptical because of the lentils, don't be. the lentils absorb the flavors of the sauce and achieve a consistency very similar to that of meat. I've made this recipe for a lot of non-vegans and everyone has always loved it!

    Before you jump into the kitchen to prepare this recipe I recommend you read this blog-post carefully. The recipe is simple but there are a few details to keep in mind when making it.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Substitute ingredients
    • Red lentils
    • Chopped carrot, celery & onion
    • Canned peeled tomatoes (it. pelati)
    • Red or white wine?
    • Tomato paste
    • How to make
    • Step 1: brown the soffritto
    • Step 2: Stir in lentils & red wine
    • Step 3: Pour in the canned tomatoes
    • Step 4: Simmer gently until thick
    • How to store bolognese sauce
    • What to serve with bolognese
    • What to serve with bolognese instead of pasta
    • More recipes you may like:
    • If you try this recipe….
    • Pinterest
    • 📖 Recipe/Rezept
    • 💬 Comments/Kommentar
    Image: Vegan lentil bolognese sauce in the saucepan

    Ingredients

    You only need a handful of ingredients to make this recipe. Many of which I'm sure you'll already have in your kitchen. But let's see together exactly what ingredients you'll need:

    • red lentils
    • canned peeled tomatoes
    • carrot
    • celery
    • red or white wine
    • tomato paste
    • onion
    • olive oil
    • soy milk (optional)
    Image: ingredients for the vegan lentil bolognese sauce
    Ingredients, from left to right: red lentils, pelati, chopped carrot, chopped celery, red wine, tomato paste, chopped onion, olive oil and soy milk

    Substitute ingredients

    Because I already know that many of you will ask me how to substitute ingredients, below I will explain which ones can be substituted and which ones cannot.

    Obviously I recommend that you follow the recipe to the letter for best results.

    Red lentils

    Red lentils are used to replace ground meat in plant-based bolognese for two reasons.

    First, they have the ability to absorb the flavors of the sauce making the bolognese extra delicious.

    Secondly this type of lentils, having grains that are not too large, cooks faster than others making sure the bolognese does not have to cook excessively long.

    Having said this red lentils can be substituted with any other type of lentil or with ground soy or mushrooms. Be aware, if you substitute lentils you will have to add more or less water and adapt the cooking time.

    Image: red lentils into a bowl
    red lentils

    Chopped carrot, celery & onion

    The basic of a soffritto changes from person to person but to make a traditional bolognese, carrot, celery and onion are always used.

    Carrot helps the texture of the bolognese and gives a touch of sweetness; celery gives a touch of freshness and onion adds some delightful aromas.

    If you don't have one of the three you can simply leave it off. In the case of the onion you can also use onion powder if you don't have a fresh one at home.

    Image: chopped carrot and celery

    Canned peeled tomatoes (it. pelati)

    Peeled tomatoes are the main staple of our bolognese. For this reason, I highly recommend using organic, high quality, non-grinded peeled tomatoes.

    If you can't find peeled tomatoes in your local supermarket, I recommend using non-spiced tomato pulp.

    Image: passata di pomodori in a jar
    canned peeled tomatoes

    Red or white wine?

    To make the bolognese even more delicious, we add a dash of wine before adding the peeled tomatoes.

    Normally red wine is used because it has a more aromatic taste and because it gives a more intense color to the sauce. But you can also use white wine perfectly.

    Tomato paste

    The tomato paste is added to the soffritto just before pouring in the peeled tomatoes and is used to add flavor and give a more vibrant color to the lentil bolognese.

    In case you do not have it at home or cannot find it, you can also leave it away. Its use is recommended but optional.

    Image: tomato paste
    tomato paste

    How to make

    Now that we know exactly what ingredients are used (and how they can be substituted) to make a vegan bolognese, we can move on to the recipe.

    Below I'll explain step by step how to make a mouthwatering lentil bolognese!

    Image: browning onion in a pan

    Step 1: brown the soffritto

    To make a good bolognese full of flavor we need to make a great soffritto.

    To do this we only need to saute onion, carrot and celery until they start to caramelize. Once browned and fragrant we can add the tomato paste. We stir well and cook everything for another two minutes before moving on to the next step.

    Browned soffritto

    Step 2: Stir in lentils & red wine

    Once the soffritto is ready we can add the lentils, mix well and sauté for 2 minutes over high heat.

    Then we pour in the wine and simmer until the wine has evaporated completely. Once it has evaporated we can move on to the next step.

    Image: lentil bolognese sauce

    Step 3: Pour in the canned tomatoes

    When the wine has completely evaporated we add the peeled tomatoes and using spatula we break them up in order to incorporate them into the sauce.

    Once incorporated, we add a dash of water, mix well and let our bolognese simmer for about an hour over low heat with the lid half closed, stirring occasionally.

    Image: lentil bolognese sauce once pelati are added

    Step 4: Simmer gently until thick

    The bolognese is ready when the lentils are tender and the sauce is nice and thick and not too runny.

    In the photo below you can see what the bolognese should look like once it's ready.

    Image: vegan lentil bolognese sauce once cooked
    lentil bolognese ready to be served

    How to store bolognese sauce

    You can either store the bolognese in the fridge or in the freezer, depending on how long you want to store it for.

    • Fridge: place the bolognese in an air-tight 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 serving.

    To reheat, place the bolognese in a saucepan and cook for a couple of minutes until warm.

    What to serve with bolognese

    Bolognese is usually served with pappardelle or tagliatelle. That being said you can serve it with any type of pasta you like.

    If you want to make pappardelle with bolognese sauce (see image below) click here to check out the recipe.

    Image: vegan pappardelle with bolognese sauce
    pappardelle with bolognese sauce

    What to serve with bolognese instead of pasta

    If you don't want to serve bolognese with pasta, I recommend serving it as a topping for a polenta, as a filling for fajitas, or simply with some baked vegetables.

    More recipes you may like:

    • Extra Tender Vegan Roast Beef
    • Easy & Delicious Vegan Shredded Chicken
    • The Ultimate Vegan Wellington
    • Vegan Chickpea Cutlets

    If you try this recipe….

    Please let me know! Leave a comment, rate the recipe and don't forget to tag a photo with #carlocao or #vegaliciously on Instagram or Tiktok.

    Pinterest

    Feel free to pin the image below and if you want to follow me there, feel free to click here ðŸ˜Œ

    📖 Recipe/Rezept

    Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce (Traditional Italian Recipe)

    Carlo Cao
    Are you looking for a recipe to make an absolutely delicious lentil bolognese? Then you're in the right place! This lentil bolognese is super simple to make, requires only 9 ingredients, and is healthy and delicious!
    4.80 from 25 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 red onion finely chopped
    • 1 celery stick finely chopped
    • 1 small carrot finaley chopped
    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tbsp 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

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oil over medium to high heat.
    • Stir in onion, carrot and celery and brown for 7-8 minutes. Sir constantly.
    • Add in tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.
    • Add in lentils and sautè 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.
    Keyword bolognese, lentil
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    • Vegan Potato Gratin
    • Vegan Mushroom Wellington
    • Best Ever Vegan Lasagne with Bolognese & Bechamel Sauce

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. zoritoler imol says

      March 24, 2023 at 8:18 pm

      naturally like your website but you have to test the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth however I will certainly come back again.

      Reply
    2. Sue says

      November 20, 2022 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    3. Luciano Desouza says

      November 02, 2022 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      Surprisingly delicious and easy to make. I used a food processor to finely chop the vegetables. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • carlocao says

        November 03, 2022 at 10:04 am

        Hi Luciano, I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for the feedback. X Carlo

        Reply
    4. Livia says

      October 18, 2022 at 2:33 pm

      I made this recipe a couple of times and it's absolutely delicious! Thank you Carlo for sharing it with us!

      Reply
    5. Justicefrog says

      July 01, 2022 at 11:03 am

      3 stars
      No salt, pepper, herbs or spices???

      Reply
      • carlocao says

        July 18, 2022 at 11:48 am

        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?

        Reply

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    I'm Carlo Cao a Swiss-Italian foodie! I started cooking for my whole family when I was 12 and since then I have never stopped. Welcome to my kitchen and let my recipes inspire you!

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