Rich and robust, this vegan lentil bolognese recipe is hearty, “meaty” and full of depth of flavor. Toss it with your favorite pasta, or spoon it over creamy polenta- either way, this simple nourishing vegan meal is one the whole family will enjoy. With a video!
The last few nights have been chilly here. The air smells of leaves, pine, and woodsmoke from nearby chimneys. It’s getting darker sooner. I’ve got my wool socks on, and all I want to eat right now is pasta—and bread! Cozy comfort food.
So this is how this flavorful dish came to be. Brian and I were both craving something rich and “meaty” the other day, something that would hold up to a glass of red wine, all the while staying plant-based. Full of protein, fiber, and umami flavor, this vegan bolognese sauce was delicious over spaghetti. Then we served the leftovers over creamy polenta the second night. I can’t decide which way I liked it better. Both were so good!
Why you’ll love this!
- Healthy! Full of protein and fiber, this is a powerhouse of nutrients while being totally vegan and plant-based.
- Flavorful. We show you how to create umami and depth in this recipe so you won’t miss the meat.
- Great for meal prep. Think of Vegan Bolognese as your new “Sunday sauce”. Make it ahead for the busy week, and serve it up over pasta, polenta, spaghetti squash, etc.- it will keep up to 4 days.
Lentil Bolognese | 60-sec Video
Ingredients in Lentil Bolognese
- Lentils- the smaller the better! I prefer black Caviar lentils (or sub-French Green Lentils or red lentils)
- Onions and garlic – for depth of flavor
- Carrots and celery- for sweetness and complexity
- Fresh oregano or thyme –or substitute 2 teaspoons dried oregano, or Italian herbs and bay leaf
- Tomato paste – to add depth and richness
- Red wine -optional, to add complexity
- Fresh tomatoes –or sub canned tomatoes
- Vegetable broth or substitute water plus veggie bullion, or chicken stock
- Hemp seeds (or toasted walnuts or pecans) for texture and richness
- Balsamic vinegar – for a punch of flavor and brightness
- Salt and black pepper
How to make Lentil Bolognese (instructions)
Step one
In a large pot or Dutch oven saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant and golden.
Step two
Add carrots, celery and garlic, continue cooking and stirring about 5 minutes. Add herbs and seasonings. You could add other vegetables at this time, too- mushrooms, red bell pepper, even zucchini.
Step three
Add tomato paste, browning it a bit. Deglaze -add a generous splash of red wine ( or dry white wine) and cook this off. (Optional.)
Step four
Add tomatoes and their juices and cook these down a bit.
Add the lentils, hemp seeds or walnut nuts, and broth.
Step five
Bring to a boil and cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes
Step six
Once the lentils are tender, remove the lid and cook off some of the liquid.
Step seven
Taste and adjust seasonings, and stir in the balsamic vinegar.
Chef’s Tips
- Toasted ground walnuts add really great earthy flavor (make sure to grind finely using a food processor or coffee grinder) but I like the ease of adding the hemp seeds– no grinding necessary!
- Use small lentils! Keep in mind the smaller the lentils the faster the bolognese will cook! These little black caviar lentils are the best for quick cooking- just 20 minutes of cooking time. Of course, you can use other lentils, but they will likely take longer.
- For added depth at the end, add a tiny splash of soy sauce or miso paste.
Serving Suggestions
- Spoon the lentil Bolognese over creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or toss it with your favorite pasta or gluten-free pasta.
- Top with fresh basil ribbons and red pepper flakes.
- Keep it vegan if you like or sprinkle it with parmesan or pecorino cheese. Vegans may enjoy our vegan cheesy sprinkle.
Lentil Pasta Storage
Lentil pasta can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days or can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheat over low heat in a covered saucepan.
More Favorite Lentil recipes!
- 50+ Pantry Staples for the Vegan Kitchen
- Our 25 BEST Lentil Recipes! (Plus how to cook Lentils)
- Red Lentil Soup
- Vegan Lasagna Bolognese
- Turkey Mushroom Bolognese
- Simple Braised French Lentils
- Moroccan Lentil Quinoa Soup
- Easy Healthy Veggie-Driven Pasta Recipes! (Vegan-adaptable)
- High Protein Meatless Meals
On the homefront: It’s been a beautiful week here. The leaves are turning, the sun is shining, and the birds are singing. Nature doesn’t seem to notice what is in the news or all the world drama and happenings; it just keeps unfolding in its own time.
Mercury is in retrograde until mid-October, meaning it has the appearance of moving backward in the sky. During this time, some believe this backward motion can disrupt travel, communication and technology. Coincidence, perhaps, but compelling given the events of this week. 😉
And while it is always good to have a healthy dose of cynicism I find this retrograde particularly interesting. How life often mirrors a bigger story. Are we not, after all, made of stars? Lately, on a personal level, I’ve noticed, “signs” directing me to be “patient and wait”, or hold my tongue, or delay a big decision, or to not force things.
When I take heed, things are easier…
I hope you are having a beautiful start to your week friends! Enjoy this recipe for Lentil Bolognese and please share how you serve it or adapt this!
xoxo
Lentil Bolognese Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: vegan main, pasta,
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Rich and robust, this plant-based Lentil Bolognese is hearty, “meaty” and full of depth of flavor. Toss it with your favorite pasta, or spoon it over creamy polenta- either way, this simple nourishing vegan meal is one the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cup carrots, small diced
- 1 1/2 cups celery diced
- 4–6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes- optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs)
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- Generous splash red wine (optional) 1/4 cup-ish
- 1 1/4 cups black caviar lentils (or other small lentils for quick cooking-see notes)
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced with juices (or sub a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes)
- 3 1/2 cups veggie stock or broth (or sub water plus 2-3 boullion cubes)
- 3/4 cup ground toasted walnuts (hemp hearts or ground pecans)
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes stirring until fragrant. Lower heat to medium, then add the carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and herbs. Saute 7-8 minutes, stirring.
- Add the tomato paste, browning it just a bit in the pan (this will deepen the flavor), then deglaze with wine if you want, scraping up any brown bits. Once most of the wine has cooked off add the tomatoes and their juices, cook them down for just a few minutes.
- Add the lentils, veggie stock and hemp seeds or walnuts. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, lower heat to low, and simmer gently 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Bigger lentils will take longer. Uncover.
- Continue cooking uncovered until most of the liquid has cooked off. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, vinegar and chili flakes to your liking. Keep in mind, you want this just slightly salty if tossing with pasta.
- Serve this tossed with your favorite pasta or serve it over this creamy polenta or this Instant Pot Polenta. Sprinkle with optional pecorino cheese… or try this Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle!
Notes
If using hemp seeds- use the shelled soft “hearts”- not the whole seeds ( these will be gritty).
Broth: If your veggie broth is bland or your bolognese is bland, you can intensify the depth here by adding a tiny splash of soy sauce, or miso paste mixed with a little water, or a little veggie stock bouillon paste.
Lentils: For fast cooking use small lentils: French Green Lentils or Split Red lentils. Brown lentils will take mush longer to cook.
Storage: This can be made ahead and will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 268
- Sugar: 6.4 g
- Sodium: 481.6 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.9 g
- Fiber: 6.6 g
- Protein: 13.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I’ve made this recipe so many times and my husband and I just love it! I thought I’d make it for family, is it gluten free with gluten free pasta or even topped with mashed potato like a shepherds pie?
Yes gluten free. All your options sound great!
I am blown away at the complexity of the flavours. Definitely a keeper!
Great to hear Jan!
What an excellent recipe! 5 stars for sure, so meaty and delicious. Perfect for meal prep and pairs well with so many foods.
I’ve had eat with roasted sweet potatoes, with fried plantains and it’s delicious with zoodles as well. Thank you so much Sylvia for all your excellent and healthy recipes!
So glad you are enjoying Bansoa!
Absolutely amazing! I used LSA mix instead of the walnuts, and a small leek instead of the celery. My husband, who eats meat, gave it a 10/10. Thanks so much!
Sounds great, glad you liked it!
Oh my! From a meat eating family of 4 adults, you can imagine the faces when I suggested this! Well that didn’t last long! Absolutely blooming tasty and quick & easy to make. They loved it and said they’d love it again! Whoooop!
Second recipe from this site!
Wonderful! So happy you all enjoyed!
Just made this, didn’t change the recipe at all – I only had walnuts, so I used those – and spooned it over polenta.
WOW! It’s really delicious!
Thanks for the recipe 😊
So happy you liked this Martina!
Can this be made on stove top?
Yes, of course, Linda- directions are for stovetop. 🙂
I was it immediately drawn to this recipe, but I’m so glad I finally tried it. Very tasty and satisfying!
Thanks so much for taking the time to review Karisa!
Thanks you for another excellent recipe! I didn’t change a thing. It’s delicious and hearty.
Great to hear Christine!
We love this bolognese sauce. We doubled recipe – cooking time to simmer to desired consistency increased significantly. It freezes well!
Great to hear Lisa!
Made this mostly as written (except did not toast the walnuts first), it was FANTASTIC! Will definitely make again and possibly try adding mushrooms to the mix as well as fresh tomatoes when they’re available locally. I made rice to go with it instead of pasta, only because we had pasta the day prior. Oh, I also used French lentils for the first time and they tend to stay firmer, which I appreciated but my husband wanted to cook them longer to get them softer (we’re used to red lentils which tend to turn to mush). Such lovely recipes on this site, looking forward to trying more!!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this Lauri! Really appreciate the review.
Can this be frozen?
Others have commented success with freezing.
Incredibly delicious! I followed the recipe as described (although I doubled the batch and I’m so glad I did! :)). It’s healthy, hearty, and simply delicious. I also made the Hummus recipe (with slightly alterations) and added it to my pasta dish – amazing meal! Became like a carbonara bolognese if there were such a thing :)…. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe.
Great to hear Dina!
Awesome base recipe, thanks! I used a cup of wine and it was even tastier. 😁 Plus subbed half green and red lentils for texture, and varied the herbs. Very very tasty.
Great, glad you enjoyed!
Made this for dinner tonight – very filling and satisfying with lots of texture and a great aroma. I served it on top of mashed potatos (with margarine, onion soup poqder and oat milk), with a cucumber side salad 🙂
Sounds great! Thanks for the review Stephanie. 🙂
I found this recipe while searching for something to feed my vegan guests. I’m so glad I found it as it’s now one of my favorite lentil dishes.
Nice to hear!
Great
I have made this before, and given it great reviews. Today I tried to double it, so as to give 1/2 to my pregnant daughter, and obviously forgot something, as it is so bland.
So I am trying to salvage a big pot of bland tasting stew (again, my fault) and debating what to do.
Add another can of tomatoes? I know it needs more broth, but what else can I do to give it some delicious flavor?
Hi Sharon, I noticed the recipe multiplier did not multiply the wine. Other than that try adding more tomato paste, salt, broth (or boullion cube) and balsamic. If too tart, sugar can help too.
This recipe is incredibly delicious. Followed the instructions as written and use hemp seeds without toasting it’s so good!! I love your recipes. Thank you so much. Monique
So happy you are enjoying Monique!
This was delishous, used vegan butter instead of oil and left out the celery but was so tasty 😋
great to hear!
3 stars because I’m a hard ass. I am a restaurant chef 25 years and made this first as written. Didn’t get the mouth feel of bolognese which is important making an alternative. The alternatives I used is a vegetarian “chicken stock’, cooking a bit longer than stated which didn’t leave the veg still firm. Adding more evoo better yet a cashew butter or other vegan butter to round out the flavor and adding some pasta water at the end to starch it up otherwise it was very hard to not end up with past then the sauce at the end. Polenta might be my first choice for this and all the little nitpicks might not be noticed. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks for your feedback Mo. 🙂