Lentil Bolognese

This comforting Lentil Bolognese is the ultimate healthy comfort food. It’s loaded with veggies and lentils and can be enjoyed on your favourite pasta, spaghetti squash, or even on its own! 

A comforting vegetarian bolognese

This recipe for Lentil Bolognese is loaded with flavour and is equally as delicious as a traditional bolognese sauce.

You’ll need to devote a little more time to make this recipe, but what’s the rush anyway? Time is your friend when making a super-rich and flavourful bolognese sauce. And trust me, it’s SO worth it. Time is actually the secret ingredient that makes a bolognese taste so delicious. It allows all the flavours to really come out and creates a sauce that is just so damn good.

The good news is since you’re going to have to open a bottle of red wine anyways for this recipe, you can put on some music, pour yourself a glass, and relax in the kitchen while you cook!

This is one of my top dinner recipes to make when I want something hearty and cozy, along with my West African Peanut Stew and Stuffed Pepper Soup.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• This dish is the ultimate comfort food. Need I say more?
• It’s naturally vegan, gluten-free and high in protein so it’s a great dish that everyone can enjoy.
• The combinations of salty, sweet, and sour give this sauce incredible flavour.

How to make a Lentil Bolognese

Pulse the veggies in a food processor then add them to a pan or pot to brown. Cook the veggies down for about 15 minutes stirring constantly to prevent them from burning. Don’t rush this step and only cook them for 5 minutes. You want them to really cook down and build flavour.

Next add the red wine. And not just a splash, an entire 3/4 cup of red wine. Again, don’t skip this and use water or broth instead. Red wine is a key ingredient in baking this bolognese taste incredible. Let the wine cook off in the pot.

Now add the lentils, crushed tomatoes and seasoning and let everything cook down. Give it about 20-30 minutes simmering on low. Or if you have the time, let it cook on low for up to an hour. Then use an emulsion blender (or regular blender) and pulse the mixture just slightly to break it down. Don’t over pulse it though! You want to make sure to have texture in your bolognese.

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Serve up this bolognese on top of your favourite pasta, some spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, rice, on its own, or however you like!

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

• Give the veggies time to brown in the pan. Don’t rush through this step and only cook them for 5 minutes! Browing the veggies builds flavour which is essential for a delicious vegetarian bolognese.
• Don’t replace the red wine in this recipe with water or broth. Red wine is also essential in this dish for making a super flavourful bolognese sauce. Any type of red wine will work.
• French lentils or beluga lentils work best in this recipe. Don’t substitute with red lentils.
• Make sure to remove the bay leaves before blending the sauce! Bay leaves are very tough and it will be unpleasant to eat little chunks of them.
• Only blend the sauce ever so slightly! Don’t go crazy and blend it up into a puree. You want the sauce to still have a nice chunky texture and be able to see some pieces of lentils in there.
• Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge, or freeze leftovers.

Other lentil recipes to try

• Lentil Shepherd’s pie
• Weeknight slow cooker lentil soup
• Vegan lentil moussaka

If you tried this Lentil Bolognese or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

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