Vegan Lentil Bolognese

Do you also love inviting friends over for dinner? For me, there’s nothing better than gathering all my loved ones around the table, sharing delicious food, lively conversations, and plenty of laughter—a perfect way to escape the daily grind for a while! Of course, it’s essential to keep things stress-free in the kitchen and to make sure there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Whenever I ask my group chat what everyone eats, I get a colorful mix of responses: no meat, no dairy, no soy, no gluten… The bigger the group, the longer the list gets. That’s why it’s the perfect opportunity to cook a hearty, flavorful lentil Bolognese! It’s packed with tasty vegetables, uses ingredients easily found at any supermarket, and the lentils give it that classic Bolognese texture—without the need for meat substitutes or soy products. This dish is guaranteed to make everyone happy and complete, and best of all, you won’t be stuck in the kitchen all night. It practically cooks itself and can even be made a day in advance—because it tastes even better the next day!

Don’t worry—despite the lentils, it’s incredibly quick to prepare because we’re using red lentils. They only take about 20 minutes to cook. The sauce gets a unique twist from a piece of dark chocolate, which makes it rich and gives it an incredible depth of flavor. Serve it with plenty of spaghetti, which is easy to find in gluten-free options if needed.

R941 Vegan Lentil Bolognese
R941 Vegan Lentil Bolognese
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Vegan Lentil Bolognese

4 servings
45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Bolognese:

  • 2 onions
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 small celery stalks
  • 250 g (8.75 oz) mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 500 g (1 lbs) strained tomatoes
  • 500 g (1 lbs) diced tomatoes
  • 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable broth
  • 250 g (8.75 oz) red lentils
  • 4 tsp Italian herbs
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 20 g (0.75 oz) dark chocolate (100% cocoa)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for frying
  • salt
  • pepper

Additionally:

  • 500 g (1 lbs) spaghetti
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast
  • fresh herbs

Instructions

  1. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Dice the carrots, celery, and mushrooms into small cubes.

  2. Heat olive oil in a medium pot. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Stir in the tomato paste and let it fry for a few seconds. Add the diced carrots, celery, and mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes while stirring. Pour in the pureed and chopped tomatoes along with the vegetable broth. Finally, add the red lentils, Italian herbs, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Cover and let the Bolognese simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked.

  3. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. When draining, reserve 100 milliliters of the pasta water. Stir the reserved pasta water into the Bolognese and serve the spaghetti with the sauce. Garnish with vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast and fresh herbs.

R941 Vegan Lentil Bolognese
R941 Vegan Lentil Bolognese
R941 Vegan Lentil Bolognese

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