Lentil Bolognese Sauce

You will not miss the beef in this richly flavored, stick-to-your-ribs Lentil Bolognese Sauce.  This green lentil bolognese recipe is made with dried green lentils, carrots, celery, onion and garlic all simmered in a delicious tomato base seasoned with authentic Italian flavors. It’s quick and easy to make, and if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they taste even better the next day.

This vegan Lentil Bolognese is easy to make and its deliciously satisfying.  It’s a perfect meatless meal to make any night of the week.  

This rich vegan lentil bolognese sauce is made basically like a traditional beef bolognese sauce, but we’re using lentils instead of the meat. Vegetable broth is added to the sauce to cook the lentils until they’re tender.  I’ve used French green lentils here, because they tend to hold their shape a little better during the cooking process than other types of lentils.  Sometimes I’ll add chopped mushrooms and zucchini to this lentil sauce for added flavor. 

Green Lentil Bolognese Recipe Ingredients

Serve this green lentil bolognese over spaghetti noodles (or another pasta) or layer it into a lasagna dish.  It also makes a really good Lentil sloppy Joe with melted mozzarella!

• Dried Lentils. We use green lentils for this recipe.
• Aromatics. A delicious combination of onion, celery, carrot and garlic add so much flavor to this sauce.
• Olive Oil. We saute our aromatics in extra-virgin olive oil until they are tender and aromatic.
• Seasoning. This bolognese sauce is perfectly seasoned with dried oregano, thyme, dill and bay leaves.
• Tomatoes. We use canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes for this sauce.
• Broth. We use vegetable broth for this recipe, but you can use chicken broth if you prefer. Also a little red wine adds a depth of flavor to this sauce, but it’s totally optional. Just add a little more broth if you don’t add any wine.
• Pasta. Pick your favorite pasta to serve this bolognese sauce with.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Make Lentil Bolognese

1. Chop Vegetables. Process onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor until finely minced.
2. Saute Vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add onion mixture, oregano, thyme and dill. 
3. Add Lentils. Add lentils, tomatoes, bay leaf and stock to the onion mixture. Place lid on pot and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
4. Cook Pasta. While the lentil bolognese is cooking, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. 
5. Serve. Divide pasta noodles on plates and ladle the lentil bolognese over the pasta. Garnish with parmesan cheese and finely chopped basil or parsley leaves.

Storing Leftovers

Store Leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, leftovers should last up to 5 days.

Why You Will Love This Green Lentil Bolognese

• Easy. It takes just minutes to pull together, and then all that’s left to do is let it simmer. 
• Great Tasting. This lentil bolognese sauce is rich, flavorful and perfectly seasoned.
• Meatless Meal. It’s great meatless meal you can make when you’re in the mood for a lighter Italian dish.

More Lentil Recipes 

• Lentil Chili
• Lentil Rice Soup
• Lentil Vegetable Soup
• Sausage Lentil Soup
• Italian Lentil Soup
• Hearty Lentil Stew
• Red Lentil Soup
• Mexican Lentil Soup
• French Lentil Soup
• Vegan Lentil Soup
• Vegan Mulligatawny Soup

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 6 servings

Lentil Bolognese Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

You will not miss the beef in this richly flavored, stick-to-your-ribs Lentil Bolognese Sauce.  This green lentil bolognese recipe is made with dried green lentils, carrots, celery, onion and garlic all simmered in a delicious tomato base seasoned with authentic Italian flavors. It’s quick and easy to make, and if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they taste even better the next day.

Ingredients

• 1 brown onion, peeled, 
coarsely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 1 celery stick, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, halved
• 2-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 cup French green lentils
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 3 cups vegetable broth (or you can use chicken broth if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional - if you omit wine, add 1/2 cup more broth)
• 1 package dry noodles of your choice
• Serve with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley or chopped basil

Instructions

1. Process onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped/minced.
2.  Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add onion mixture, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and dill.
4. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until soft. Transfer to a bowl.
5. Add lentils, tomatoes and stock to the onion mixture.
6. Bring to a simmer and pour in 1/4 cup of the red wine.
7. Reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until lentils are tender.
8. About 5 minutes before the sauce is done, stir in the rest of the wine.
9. While the lentils are cooking, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
10. Top spaghetti with bolognaise and generously garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 399mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 6g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.