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    Home » Recipes

    Vegan Red Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese

    Published: Apr 20, 2020 · Modified: Nov 21, 2022 by REALMEALDEAL ·

    pinterest image with close up or red lentil bolognese in bowl

    A Vegan Red Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese is a tasty meat-free alternative to traditional bolognese. The lentils and mushrooms have a real 'meaty' quality to them and cook in a rich and thick tomato sauce. It's also full of protein, gluten free and goes perfectly with any pasta. For a more traditional vegetarian ragu sauce, you'll love my Easy Quorn Bolognese.

    bowl of vegan bolognese sauce served over parpadelle pasta topped with fresh basil
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Red lentils cook quickly, are budget-friendly, and packed with protein. For more simple recipes using Lentils, check out my Roasted Red Pepper and Lentil Soup or Chickpea and Lentil Curry 

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Serving Suggestion
    • Sustainability
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe
    • More popular pasta recipes

    Ingredients

    This vegan bolognese can be made from storecupboard/pantry ingredients and is a great standby.

    labelled ingredients for vegan red lentil and mushroom bolognese
    • Red Lentils. We use red lentils as they don't need pre-soaking and cook more quickly than other types of lentils.
    • Mushrooms. You can use most mushroom varieties and choose how small you would like to chop them.
    • Worcestershire Sauce. This sauce adds umami to a dish but is not vegan as it contains anchovies. However, vegan versions are available.
    • Pasta. You can serve lentil bolognese with any type of pasta. Typically Italians serve bolognese with long pasta or noodles such as spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine or pappardelle which are thicker pasta strips.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    diced onion frying in pan

    Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat and fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft.

    diced mushrooms with oregano garlic and onions in pan

    Add the garlic, mushrooms, and oregano and fry for a further 3 minutes.

    passata, red lentils, mushrooms and onion simmering in pan

    Stir in the passata and red lentils.

    fresh basil added to stock, passata, mushrooms, lentils and onion

    Add the hot vegetable stock Worcestershire sauce and most of the fresh basil, stir and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, cook in the oven at 180°C/360°F/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes

    Substitutions

    • Red Lentils - Red lentils are very easy to use. They don't need pre-soaking and they cook in 15 - 20 minutes. You can of course use other lentils, but these will take longer to cook. Green, brown, or yellow lentils take around 35 - 45 minutes. If using these varieties then you may need to add more stock due to the longer cooking time. Canned or tinned lentils are already cooked so will work well as an alternative.
    • Vegetables - there are lots of different vegetables you can add to this lentil bolognese to make the recipe serve more portions or as a way to avoid food waste. Red bell peppers, aubergine (eggplant), or courgette (zucchini) can all be added as they don't have a long cooking time. If you're looking to add something green, try kale or fresh spinach.
    • Passata - Passata is a thick tomato puree. You can use tinned or canned chopped tomatoes instead but you may need to slightly reduce the amount of stock, depending on how much water is in the variety of tinned tomatoes.
    • Gluten Free - the red lentil bolognese sauce is gluten-free. Serve it with gluten-free pasta or see the other serving suggestions for more gluten-free options.

    Variations

    A lentil and mushroom ragu or bolognese can easily be spiced up and you can add in other vegetables. See also Substitutions for more ways to make this recipe.

    • Spicy - add a few chili pepper flakes to spice it up a little. Add them with the oregano, mushrooms, and onion.
    • Deluxe - add a splash of red wine to the lentil bolognese with the oregano, mushrooms, and onion. You should add wine to a dish early on so it has time to evaporate. Red wine will give a deeper colour and add some flavour.
    • Budget-friendly - adding in some extra vegetables such as carrots, celery or red bell peppers can make this red lentil bolognese stretch further and make more meals.

    Equipment

    I love meals that can all be cooked in one pot. You can simmer this vegan bolognese on the hob or stove top, or if you prefer just pop it in the oven with a lid on. An oven-proof casserole dish such as stone bakeware is the best option.

    Serving Suggestion

    A lentil ragu goes well with pappardelle pasta which looks like thick ribbons. You can of course serve it with any type of pasta or with gnocchi, mashed potato, rice or crusty or garlic bread. It's also delicious on top of a baked jacket potato or with a simple homemade Flatbread. You can also serve it with spiralized courgette or zucchini if you're avoiding carbs.

    close up of red lentil and mushroom bolognese in bowl topped with fresh basil

    Sustainability

    If you're looking to incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet, this meat-free red lentil bolognese is a great option. All the ingredients are available organic. Try to buy the vegetables lose if possible to minimise packaging. Shopping locally and buying locally-grown produce will reduce the carbon footprint and help support the local economy.

    Storage

    A Red lentil bolognese will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and freeze for up to 6 months. I often make a batch of this and keep some in the freezer as it makes a great standby meal. Remember, cooked pasta can also be frozen if you cook too much. Rinse it with cold water to prevent it from sticking and freeze it in portion sizes.

    Top tip

    A lentil vegan bolognese can be prepped ahead of time and then reheated. It also freezes well so why not make a batch that will save on energy consumption and costs?

    FAQ

    Do you need to soak red lentils?

    Red lentils don't need to be pre-soaked before adding to dishes. Adding them straight to sauces will help them soak up some of the flavour from the sauce. Just rinse them in cold water before adding to dishes to get rid of any dust.

    Why do my red lentils turn to mush?

    If you simmer red lentils at too high a temperature, they can turn mushy.

    📖 Recipe

    bolw of red lentil and mushroom bolognese served over parpadelle pasta

    Vegan Red Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese

    REALMEALDEAL
    This vegan bolognese sauce with red lentils and mushrooms in a thick tomato sauce is ready in just 30 minutes.
    5 from 9 votes
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings (Adjustable) 4
    Calories 377 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil organic, fairtrade
    • 1 onion peeled & chopped, organic
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled & crushed, organic
    • 600 g mushrooms washed & diced, organic
    • 2 teaspoon oregano chopped, organic
    • 700 g passata organic
    • 250 g dried red lentils organic
    • 200 ml vegetable stock organic
    • 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce organic
    • 4 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
    • 1 dash black pepper organic,fairtrade
    • 1 dash salt

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or oven proof casserole dish over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft
      1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion
    • Add the garlic, mushrooms and oregano and fry for a further 3 minutes
      2 cloves garlic, 600 g mushrooms, 2 teaspoon oregano
    • Add the passata and lentils and stir together
      700 g passata, 250 g dried red lentils
    • Add the hot vegetable stock, Worcestershire sauce, and most of the fresh basil, stir and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, cook in the oven at 180°C/360°F/gas mark 4 for 30 minutes
      200 ml vegetable stock, 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, 4 tablespoon fresh basil, 1 dash black pepper, 1 dash salt

    Notes

    The nutritional values are estimates 

    Tips

    Dried Red lentils are the easiest to use as they cook quickly. Green, brown or yellow lentils need to be simmered for around 35 - 45 minutes. If using these varieties you may need to add more stock due to the longer cooking time. Canned or tinned lentils are already cooked so will work well as an alternative.

    Substitutions

    • Red Lentils - Dried Red lentils are very easy to use. They don't need pre-soaking and they cook in 15 - 20 minutes. You can of course use other lentils, but these will take longer to cook. Green, brown, or yellow lentils take around 35 - 45 minutes. If using these varieties then you may need to add more stock due to the longer cooking time. Canned or tinned lentils are already cooked so will work well as an alternative.
    • Vegetables - there are lots of different vegetables you can add to this lentil bolognese to make the recipe serve more portions or as a way to avoid food waste. Red bell peppers, aubergine (eggplant), or courgette (zucchini) can all be added as they don't have a long cooking time. If you're looking to add something green, try kale or fresh spinach.
    • Passata - Passata is a thick tomato puree. You can use tinned or canned chopped tomatoes instead but you may need to slightly reduce the amount of stock, depending on how much water is in the variety of tinned tomatoes.
    • Gluten Free - the red lentil bolognese sauce is gluten-free. Serve it with gluten-free pasta or see the other serving suggestions for more gluten-free options.

    Storage

    Store in the fridge for 3-4 days and freeze it for up to 6 months.
     

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 24gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 381mgPotassium: 1975mgFiber: 25gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 1153IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 10mg

    The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.

    Average Carbon Emissions

    Author REALMEALDEAL
    Tried this recipe?Mention @realmealdealuk or tag #realmealdeal!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Kathleen

      November 22, 2022 at 9:43 pm

      Oh does this look marvelous! My family will devour this pasta up.

      Reply
    2. Elizabeth

      November 22, 2022 at 9:33 pm

      Thanks for this great week night meal recipe. It looks so tasty!

      Reply
    3. Gina Abernathy

      November 22, 2022 at 8:57 pm

      My family loves pasta and this was great! I made this for dinner last night and everyone loved it!

      Reply
    4. Anjali

      November 22, 2022 at 8:32 pm

      This was a hearty and delicious dinner for our family!! Everyone loved it and we had no leftovers!

      Reply
    5. Sisley White - Sew White

      November 22, 2022 at 8:19 pm

      I made this for my vegan relatives and they loved it. As did the meat eaters who didn't know it was vegan.

      Reply
    6. Bernice Houghton

      October 31, 2022 at 10:56 am

      I love the healthy low calorie meals thank you so much x

      Reply
    7. Catherine Horrigan

      April 13, 2021 at 7:50 pm

      Another lovely easy meal. The mushrooms provide a lovely meaty texture. I ran out of red lentils so used half green ones for a slightly different texture.

      Reply
      • REALMEALDEAL

        April 14, 2021 at 11:24 am

        This is one of my favourite meat free meals. Thanks for sharing that you used half red and half green lentils and that it worked out ok.

        Reply
    8. Daphne Morgan

      May 19, 2020 at 12:48 pm

      Absolutely delicious even for the meat eaters in our family. Easy recipe to follow, not too many ingredients & timings spot on. Generous portions.
      Will definitely be serving this again.

      Reply

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