Description
A rich, hearty vegan Bolognese sauce made with green lentils, vegetables, and aromatic herbs that rivals traditional meat sauce in flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup dried green lentils, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- 1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion, carrots, and celery for 8-10 minutes until softened.
- 2. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 3. Add mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes until browned and moisture evaporates.
- 4. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes until caramelized.
- 5. Add wine if using, scraping up browned bits. Simmer 3-4 minutes.
- 6. Add lentils, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- 7. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover partially. Simmer 35-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
- 8. Remove bay leaves, stir in parsley and balsamic vinegar. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Notes
Store in refrigerator up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. Sauce improves in flavor after a day. Add liquid when reheating if needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 9g