Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce

This vegan lentil Bolognese sauce is hearty, nutritious, and only takes 25 minutes to cook! It’s also cheap to make and freezes well.

We’re not vegan, or even strictly vegetarian, however, over the last year and a half we’ve been introducing more and more plant-based meals into our weekly line-up.

Dishes like roasted chickpea tacos, pasta with greens, pistachios, and lemon, and mushrooms stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and olives are a lighter, healthier, and filling option.

We especially love vegan lentil Bolognese sauce. Even if you’ve never cooked with lentils before, it really couldn’t be easier! Just sautée, then simmer, a handful of basic ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. Add the lentils, and 25 minutes later you’ll have a rich and zest sauce that freezes beautifully! We don’t miss the meat when we eat this dish.

Ingredients For Making Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ onion, diced
• Two cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon each of dried basil, dried thyme, and salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup red wine or Port
• ½ cup (113g) dried red split lentils

How To Make Vegan Lentil Bolognese Step-By-Step:

1. Heat the olive oil in a deep-sided skillet over medium to low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them together until fragrant and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the fennel seeds, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper to the onions and garlic. Continue to cook for one minute.
3. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and dried split red lentils. Simmer the sauce gently on low-medium heat for 20 minutes.
4. Add the red wine to the pot and simmer for 5 more minutes or until the lentils are tender. Serve the sauce hot on top of, or tossed with, your favourite cooked pasta.

Notes For Making This Recipe:

• Unless you detest the flavour of anise or licorice, don’t skip the fennel seeds! They add a note of pungent flavour, reminiscent of a true Italian meat ragu, you simply can’t get with any other herb or spice.
• Red wine is good, however, Port is better. I always keep a bottle of cheap Port in my pantry for tomato and beef-based recipes. Port adds a deeper, earthier note than wine. If you don’t include alcohol in your diet simply omit.
• You could try substituting other dried lentils, or even canned lentils, however, I have only tested this recipe with dried red split lentils. I like them because they cook quickly and don’t turn to mush in the sauce.
• If you are vegetarian, try adding ½ cup of 35% heavy cream to the sauce when you add the wine or Port. Furthermore, serve it with grated Parmesan on top to take it to the next level!

Looking For More Plant-Based Family Meal Recipes? How About:

Roasted Chickpea Tacos

Vegan Mac & Cheese

Easy Minestrone Soup With Chickpeas And Rice

Vegan Chickpea, Sweet Potato, And Kale Curry