Here's a quick, plant-based dinner recipe you'll definitely want to add to your monthly rotation: an easy and hearty vegan lentil bolognese! It's packed with flavor, ready in just 30 minutes, and works on pretty much any pasta. Plus, you can chop the veggies in no time with a food chopper, making this the ultimate weeknight win!
Does it really hit like bolognese?
Let's be real, recreating that meaty umami flavor with pantry staples isn't easy. But tamari (or soy sauce) does a great job of adding a rich, savory depth to the sauce, and the firm brown lentils bring a nice hearty texture.
Sure, it's not quite like a meat sauce, but the lentils make this recipe super easy to prepare on a busy day.
If you're craving a more authentic vegan bolognese that comes really close to the real deal, my TVP bolognese is the way to go! For an extra serving of veggies and a surprising texture, you might also wanna check out this cauliflower bolognese.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Canned brown lentils: They save you a lot of time as they don't need to cook in the sauce. I always keep a can of lentils in my pantry to be able to make this sauce any day with the veggies I have in the refrigerator. Do not substitute them with red lentils or green lentils as those would require more liquid to cook.
- Veggies: The key is to use a mix of onion, shallots, and garlic for more depth and flavor. To create an Italian sofrito, add in carrots, and zucchini or celery.
- Tomato passata: It's also called pureed tomatoes and is needed to create the sauce. You could replace them with canned diced tomatoes, but the sauce will be chunkier and less bolognese-like.
- Tamari: It has that salty, umami flavor that mimics the savory and meaty flavor of minced beef. You can substitute with dark soy sauce (gluten-free if needed) or coconut aminos.
- Seasonings: Keep it simple with basil, oregano, salt, and pepper, or use your favorite Italian seasoning.
Save time with a food chopper
Using a food chopper is a total time-saver when prepping veggies! You can use your regular food processor or a smaller food chopper. Both should be fitted with an S-blade .
The good thing is that food choppers can chop both firm vegetables (e.g., onions, carrots, celery, and squash) and softer veggies (e.g.,zucchini, mushrooms).
Peel them if necessary and cut them into semi-large pieces (no need to be precise here). Turn on the appliance and chopp until the veggies reach your desired size. Note that your food chopper will not dice vegetables, it will coarsely chop them.
Step-by-step with pictures
- Step 1: Aromatics. Remove the skin of the onion, shallot, and garlic. Cut them into pieces and mince them finely with a food chopper or with a knife (this might take you a little longer but it will be just as good).
- Step 2: Sauté. Add the chopped aromatics to a large pot or Dutch oven with a generous amount of olive oil (it makes a big difference in flavor). Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally while your prepare the rest of the veggies.
- Step 3: Carrots and zucchini. While the onions are in the pot, peel the carrots. Cut them into pieces and chop them with the food processor (or by hand). Add them to the pot and repeat with the zucchini. Don't add them to the food processor at the same time as the carrots are harder and need more time to be processed.
- Step 4: Make the sofrito. Add the chopped veggies to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes with the lid on (the steaming process will help the veggies cook quicker).
- Step 5: Simmer. Add the pureed tomatoes, drained and rinsed lentils, tamari, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to the pot. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, cook the pasta.
- Step 6: Finish making the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
Storage tips (fridge and freezer)
Storage: Keep the lentil bolognese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Simply reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. It's perfect for meal-prepping as well.
Freeze: You can freeze the bolognese for up to 6 months. I like to freeze it into individual portions if I have leftovers.
Defrost: To defrost the sauce, put it in the fridge overnight or let it sit on the kitchen counter for several hours before dinner. Alternatively, add it to a pot with a splash of water and let it thaw over medium-low heat.
My tip: Make a double batch and freeze half of it for quick dinners on busy weeknights.
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The recipe
30-Minutes Vegan Lentil Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- 1 shallot
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 large carrots
- 1 large zucchini
- 24.5 oz (700 ml) pureed tomatoes also known as tomato passata
- 14 oz (400 g) canned brown lentils
- 1 tablespoon tamari sub dark soy sauce, gluten-free if needed
- 1 teaspoon basil optional
- 1 teaspoon oregano optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 servings (300 g) spaghetti gluten-free if needed
Instructions
Aromatics: Peel the onion, shallot, garlic cloves and cut them into quarters. To save time, mince them in a food chopper or mince them finely with a knife.
Sauté: Add them to a Dutch oven or a large pot with some olive oil and sauté over medium heat.
Carrots & zucchini: While the onions are cooking, peel the carrots. Cut them into pieces (no need to be precise), and chop them in a food chopper (or very finely with a knife), and add them to the pot. Repeat with the zucchini.
Sauté: Sauté everything over medium-high heat with a lid on for 5 minutes.
Simmer: Drain and rinse the lentils. Add the pureed tomatoes, rinsed lentils, tamari, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.- Pasta: In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the pasta.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with the cooked pasta.
Nutrition
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Really delicious
Very glad you liked it!