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    Home » Pasta

    Lentil bolognese

    Published: Sep 10, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Our lentil bolognese recipe is inspired by Italian bolognese sauce. It's a flavorful and hearty sauce, perfect with pasta, gnocchi, or lasagna.

    Our recipe is simple; it has a rich taste and meaty texture. You can make it for an everyday dinner or meal prep, as it keeps in the fridge for several days.

    lentil bolognese with tagliatelle
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Meal prep
    • Storage
    • Why is it called bolognese?
    • Similar Recipes
    • More lentil recipes
    • Recipe

    Check out our best Italian recipe collection!

    Lentil bolognese is the meat-free version of a classic Italian sauce, ragù alla Bolognese.

    We substitute green or brown lentils for ground beef and pork in this recipe.

    Lentils are an excellent ground meat replacement because they have a rich earthy taste, keep their texture, and are rich in minerals and healthy plant protein.

    Our aim with this sauce is to stay as close as possible to the original Italian recipe and cook it with simple everyday ingredients.

    Like the original, our lentil bolognese is perfect with pasta - especially tagliatelle, pappardelle, rigatoni, spaghetti, penne, and fettuccine, - with lasagna or with homemade gnocchi.

    It's also perfect for adding flavor and nutrition to zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. Let's see how to make it!

    lentil bolognese in a dutch oven

    Ingredients

    ingredients for lentil bolognese

    Olive oil

    We use extra virgin olive oil to make the flavor base of this recipe. You can substitute the olive oil with three tablespoons of water if you want to make this recipe oil-free.

    Onion, celery, and carrot

    Finely chopped onion, celery, and carrot are essential to add flavor to the sauce. We fry them gently in a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

    We recommend chopping these veggies by hand with a chef's knife, although it takes a little longer. Alternatively, you can blitz them up with a food processor.

    Rosemary

    We use fresh rosemary and bay leaves to add that classic bolognese aroma to our sauce.

    Mushrooms

    Use white or brown mushrooms grated with the large holes of a box grater. Mushrooms add flavor and texture. They make the sauce meatier and richer.

    Lentils

    We use dry brown or green lentils. Lentils are a great meat replacement for this sauce for flavor, nutrition, and texture.

    If you feel like trying other varieties of bolognese, our tempeh bolognese, mushroom bolognese, and tofu bolognese are good alternatives.

    Wine

    Dry white wine, sometimes red wine, is used in the original bolognese recipe to provide flavor and acidity.

    If you prefer not to cook with wine, use vegetable stock.

    Tomato puree

    We like to use Italian tomato passata, which comes in a glass bottle. But any other good-quality tomato puree or canned crushed tomatoes work well here.

    Optionally, add a tablespoon of tomato paste to make the sauce richer.

    Vegetable stock

    We use vegetable stock for cooking the lentils. You can make the broth yourself or use a store-bought one.

    Milk

    Milk is optional but recommended. They add it to the original Italian bolognese recipe to help break down the meat's fibers and add a sweetness to the sauce.

    We like to add unsweetened soy milk or unsweetened almond milk to balance the acidity of the tomato sauce and recreate that touch of sweetness of the original bolognese recipe.

    Soy sauce

    Soy sauce is optional but recommended. We did several tests of this vegan bolognese with and without soy sauce, and there is a clear difference in taste.

    Soy sauce adds saltiness, sweetness, and savory (that irresistible umami flavor) to the final dish, bringing this recipe to the next level and making it much tastier.

    You can substitute balsamic vinegar for soy sauce.

    Salt and pepper

    We use sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you want to add heat, go for a pinch of red pepper flakes.

    To make this recipe gluten-free make sure to serve it with gluten-free pasta, and use a soy sauce alternative such as gluten-free tamari sauce.

    spaghetti with lentil bolognese

    Instructions

    Step 1: Make the flavor base

    Finely chop onion, celery, and carrot. You can chop the vegetables with a knife or blend them for a few seconds in a food processor.

    Grate the mushrooms with the large wholes of a box grater.

    Rinse the lentils and ensure no foreign objects such as stones, soil, or dirt.

    prepped vegetables

    Warm up the olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot, then gently fry onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes.

    Tip: To keep the sauce lighter, you can skip the oil. In this case, add the chopped onion to a cold pan. Then put the pan on medium to low heat, and let it warm up slowly.

    The onion contains natural oils that will come out when heated up. Move the onion around the pan, and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

    Then add the chopped celery and the chopped carrot and keep stirring for two more minutes.

    onion, celery, and carrot in dutch oven

    Add grated mushrooms, rosemary, and bay leaves.

    Sauté on medium-high heat for 5 minutes; then, when the pan is dry, add the wine and let it evaporate completely.

    grated mushrooms in the pan

    Step 2: Add lentils

    Add vegetable stock, tomato puree, lentils, salt, and pepper to the dutch oven.

    broth, lentils, and tomato puree

    Bring to a boil then simmer on medium heat until the lentils are ready. It'll take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the lentils. Stir occasionally. Add more vegetable broth or water if necessary.

    Note: at this point, the sauce should be somewhat thick and the lentils tender but still intact, with a slight bite.

    lentil bolognese is almost ready

    Add milk and soy sauce, stir, then remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaves.

    soy sauce and milk added to the bolognese

    Step 3: Blend some sauce

    Blend some of the sauce with an immersion blender to make the lentil bolognese thicker, creamier, and more similar in texture to the original bolognese.

    Don't over-blend it, or it'll turn into lentil hummus.

    Tip: blending some of the sauce makes it more appealing to kids and adults who don't want to eat lentils.

    blend some lentil bolognese with immersion blender

    Simmer for a few more minutes, stir, taste, and adjust for salt. Your lentil bolognese is ready.

    lentil bolognese in a dutch oven

    Serving suggestions

    The best way to serve lentil bolognese is with tagliatelle; however, you can easily replace those with most other pasta types, such as rigatoni or spaghetti.

    You can add a couple of ladlefuls of lentil bolognese on top of your favorite pasta and sprinkle with parsley or parmesan cheese.

    spaghetti with lentil bolognese

    Or, if you want to do it like the Italians, undercook the pasta by 2 minutes, drain it, and add it to a pan with a ladleful of reserved pasta cooking water and the lentil bolognese.

    Toss gently until the sauce coats the pasta, and serve with fresh basil on top.

    lentil bolognese with tagliatelle

    You can also use lentil bolognese to make lasagna or as a sauce for homemade gnocchi or sweet potato gnocchi.

    Serve with a side of veggies or salad. Our favorites side dishes for lentil bolognese are:

    • Roasted zucchini or air fryer zucchini
    • Roasted eggplant or air fryer eggplant
    • Crunchy and simple side salad
    • Italian salad with oregano dressing
    • Shaved brussels sprouts salad
    • Roasted broccoli
    • Roasted cauliflower or air fryer cauliflower
    • Green bean salad with mustard dressing
    • Roasted zucchini with lemon
      Roasted Zucchini
    • roasted eggplant
      Roasted Eggplant
    • simple side salad
      Side Salad
    • Italian Salad
      Italian Salad
    • shaved brussels sprouts salad
      Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
    • Baked broccoli with lemon and garlic
      Roasted Broccoli
    • roasted cauliflower
      Roasted Cauliflower
    • green bean salad
      Green Bean Salad

    Meal prep

    This lentil bolognese is the perfect recipe to make ahead of time, as its flavor improves as it sits in the fridge.

    You can make it up to 4 days in advance and store it in an airtight container, ready to be spooned onto your everyday meals.

    You can also make a big batch, doubling the recipe, and store half of it in the refrigerator and half in the freezer.

    lentil bolognese stored in a glass container

    Storage

    Store lentil bolognese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 - 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or a saucepan with a dash of water.

    To freeze, let it cool down completely at room temperature first, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 6 months.

    Thaw in the refrigerator over a few hours or in the microwave with the thawing function. Do not freeze multiple times.

    Why is it called bolognese?

    Bolognese means Bologna-Style. Bologna is a beautiful and vibrant city in Italy with some of the country's oldest and richest culinary traditions.

    Walking through the small alleyways of the old town, you can smell the food coming from hundreds of local shops selling from fresh homemade pasta to all kinds of local cured meats.

    Bologna city skyline
    Bologna (Italy) city view

    Think mortadella (bologna in English), lasagna, tortellini, many types of cured meats, tigelle, parmigiano reggiano, and many other dishes. They all come from Bologna and the surrounding region of Emilia Romagna.

    And Ragù alla bolognese is one of the most well-known dishes made in Bologna.

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    • Tempeh Bolognese
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    Recipe

    lentil bolognese

    Lentil Bolognese

    Author: Nico
    Our lentil bolognese recipe is inspired by Italian bolognese sauce. It's a flavorful and hearty sauce, perfect with pasta, gnocchi, or lasagna.
    Our recipe is simple; it has a rich taste and meaty texture. You can make it for an everyday dinner or meal prep, as it keeps in the fridge for several days.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 13 votes
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main, Sauce
    Cuisine International, Italian
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 189 kcal

    Equipment

    • Immersion blender

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
    • 1 medium onion
    • 1 stalk celery
    • 1 large carrot
    • 1 sprig rosemary + 1 bay leaf optional
    • 8 ounces white mushrooms
    • 1 cup green lentils or brown lentils
    • ⅓ cup wine dry white or red
    • 24.5 ounces (one glass bottle) tomato passata or tomato puree
    • 4 - 5 cups vegetable stock
    • ⅓ cup milk we used unsweetened soy milk
    • ⅓ cup soy sauce we used reduced sodium soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions
     

    MAKE THE FLAVOR BASE

    • Finely chop onion, celery, and carrot. You can chop the vegetables with a knife or blend them for a few seconds in a food processor.
      Grate the mushrooms with the large wholes of a box grater.
      Rinse the lentils and ensure no foreign objects such as stones, soil, or dirt.
      prepped vegetables
    • Warm up the olive oil in a dutch oven or large skillet, then gently fry onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes.
      onion, celery, and carrot in dutch oven
    • Add grated mushrooms, rosemary, and bay leaves.Sauté on medium-high heat for 5 minutes; then, when the pan is dry, add the wine and let it evaporate completely.
      grated mushrooms in the pan

    ADD LENTILS

    • Add vegetable stock, tomato puree, lentils, salt, and pepper to the dutch oven.
      broth, lentils, and tomato puree
    • Simmer until the lentils are ready. It'll take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the lentils. Stir occasionally. Add more vegetable broth or water if necessary.
      lentil bolognese is almost ready
    • Add milk and soy sauce, stir, then remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaves.
      soy sauce and milk added to the bolognese

    BLEND SOME SAUCE

    • Blend some of the sauce with an immersion blender to make the lentil bolognese thicker, creamier, and more similar in texture to the original bolognese.
      Don't over-blend it, or it'll turn into lentil hummus.
      blend some lentil bolognese with immersion blender
    • Simmer for a few more minutes, stir, taste, and adjust for salt. Your lentil bolognese is ready.
      lentil bolognese in a dutch oven

    SERVING SUGGESTIONS

    • You can add a couple of ladlefuls of lentil bolognese on top of your favorite pasta.
      spaghetti with lentil bolognese
    • Or, if you want to do it like the Italians, undercook the pasta by 2 minutes, drain it, and add it to a pan with a ladleful of reserved pasta cooking water and the lentil bolognese.
      Toss gently until the sauce coats the pasta, and serve with fresh basil on top.
      lentil bolognese with tagliatelle

    Video Recipe

    https://youtu.be/b3vqaSW4frQ

    Notes

    Nutritional values are an estimate for one serving of lentil bolognese out of eight servings.
    We recommend serving it with 80 grams/3 ounces of dry pasta per person.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Lentil Bolognese
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 189 Calories from Fat 36
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4g6%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Trans Fat 0g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 3g
    Cholesterol 0mg0%
    Potassium 824mg24%
    Carbohydrates 28g9%
    Dietary Fiber 10g42%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 10g20%
    Vitamin A 2251IU45%
    Vitamin B6 0.3mg15%
    Vitamin C 13mg16%
    Vitamin E 2mg13%
    Vitamin K 9µg9%
    Calcium 56mg6%
    Folate 140µg35%
    Iron 4mg22%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 65mg16%
    Zinc 2mg13%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joanna

      January 01, 2023 at 5:27 pm

      I love this recipe so much, it's the 2nd time I am making this 🙂

      I used fewer liquids in my recipe, not 1/3 cup of soy sauce and the milk suggested here.
      How come other people had great texture with these amounts mentioned here?

      Bon appetite to everyone.

      Reply
      • Louise

        January 02, 2023 at 5:56 am

        Hi Johanna, I'm so happy you liked the recipe! Sorry, which texture and changes are you looking for in your lentil bolognese? Let me know, and we'll try to help.
        Kindest, Louise

        Reply
    2. Brigitte

      November 01, 2022 at 10:38 pm

      5 stars
      I posted a comment already but tonight I actually ate it with the noodles and being a meat lover , I don’t want to eat meat anymore it’s the best bolognese sauce I have ever made !! Even with the meat I like this one better . Thanks again healthier too !

      Reply
      • Nico

        November 02, 2022 at 5:21 am

        Hi Brigitte, thanks so much for your kind comments, I'm very happy you like the sauce - amazing that it can work as a vegetarian alternative for you. I really appreciate your feedback. Have an amazing day, Nico

        Reply
    3. Brigitte

      October 31, 2022 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      I made this wonderful sauce , I used 28oz crushed tomatoes in puree I didn’t have what the recipe asked for , I should have probably used only 24 oz like the recipe said , I didn’t want to have left over tomato sauce . I ended up using only 3 cups of broth and I started with only 1 tbs of soy just incase it’s too salty . My broth only had 120mg of salt , I would suggest you use low sodium broth to be able to add more soy . It’s a fantastic taste I really like it , next time I will use crushed tomatoes no puree it will be less tomato taste but frankly it’s so good . Anyone can adjust the recipe to their own taste , I also added a tsp liquid smoke !! Thank you

      Reply
    4. Eva

      September 26, 2022 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      Best lentil bolo.I ve been referring to this recipe all the time i make lentil bolognese. Super umami, perfect texture

      Reply
    5. Eva

      September 26, 2022 at 3:32 pm

      5 stars
      This is simply the best recipe for lentil bolognese. Great on tagliatelle and as filling for lasagne, it's savoury and has a lot of umami. Also perfect perfect texture. I love it and being referring to this recipe every time I make lentil bolognese.

      Reply
      • Louise Valentin

        September 26, 2022 at 3:42 pm

        Hi Eva, I'm so happy to hear that you like this lentil bolognese! Thanks for your kind comment and for taking the time to come back and leave a review. Cheers, Nico

        Reply
    6. Rachel C

      February 27, 2022 at 6:39 pm

      5 stars
      This is extremely good, lots of flavour. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis. 👍☺️

      Reply
      • Nico

        March 01, 2022 at 11:05 am

        Hi Rachel,
        Thanks so much I'm delighted you liked it!! That's the best comment I can get 🙂 Cheers, Nico

        Reply
        • David

          March 04, 2022 at 12:33 pm

          5 stars
          Fantastic, tasty recipe.
          Thank you.

          Reply
          • Chef Nico

            March 04, 2022 at 4:09 pm

            Thanks for commenting David, I am super happy you like the bolognese!

            Reply
        • Sandra

          December 20, 2022 at 10:55 pm

          5 stars
          Simply delicious!

          Reply
          • Louise

            December 21, 2022 at 7:21 am

            I'm delighted to hear, Sandra! Thanks for leaving a comment. Kindest, Louise

            Reply

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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

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