Name: Vegan Spicy Lentil Bolognese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 small onion (finely chopped); 1 large carrot (finely chopped); 2 celery stocks/sticks (finely chopped); 2 large cloves garlic (finely chopped); 1 Tbsp olive oil (for cooking); 4 fresh tomatoes (chopped); 1.5 Tbsp fresh oregano; 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste); 1/2 Tbsp dried basil; 1/2 Tbsp red chilli flakes; 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup; 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or more to taste); 1 can cooked lentils (398 mL)

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A thick and savoury Vegan Spicy Lentil Bolognese with freshly stewed tomatoes, carrot, celery, and oregano.

This hearty homeade sauce is packed with vegetables, for a nutrient rich sauce. It’s made with fresh and wholesome ingredients for a comforting healthy meal.

Serve it overtop a bowl of al dente spaghetti or pasta of your choice and top with with fresh chopped parsley and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese!

Why To Use Fresh Tomatoes

I like to use fresh tomatoes in this Vegan Spicy Lentil Bolognese recipe instead of canned. When you make a pasta sauce with canned tomatoes, it has a different texture and taste. Canned tomatoes are are soft and taste more acidic. This is because canned tomatoes are heated in the canning process and are therefore already peeled and cooked.

Fresh tomatoes are more juicy and sweet. Plus, you can control how soft you want them if you are cooking yourself. It’s just as quick to use fresh tomatoes, as they will soon stew and break down in the heated saucepan. Real tomatoes are best in this recipe to get hearty and fresh tasting sauce.

Ingredients in Vegan Spicy Lentil Bolognese

Onion
Celery
Carrot

Garlic
Olive oil (As always I use a quality olive oil such as Acropolis Organic Olive Oil)
Fresh Tomatoes (Use fresh tomatoes, chopped in this recipe instead of canned tomato)

Fresh Oregano (you can substitute with 1/4 tsp dried oregano if preferred)
Salt
Dried Basil

Red chilli flakes
Maple syrup
Garlic powder

Cooked lentils (I used a small can of Bioitalia Organic Lentils, which are BPA FREE).

How to Make Vegan Spicy Lentil Bolognese

Add chopped onions, carrots, celery to a saucepan with olive oil and medium low heat and stir until onions softened about 5 minutes.

Add in chopped tomatoes, oregano, salt, basil and red chilli flakes, garlic powder and maple syrup and stir.

Increase heat to medium or medium high and allow tomatoes to stew until sauce thickens (but still has some liquid to it). About 8 minutes. Taste an add more salt and garlic powder of desired.

Add in cooked lentils and stir for another 2 minutes.

Serve with pasta of choice and garnish with parsley or vegan parmesan cheese.

Tips for Making the Best Bolognese

Use canned lentils!

Canned lentils will give you the perfect consistency to your sauce. Canned lentils have been cooked to a perfect firmness and have a lovely texture. Sure you can use dry lentils that you cook yourself but they will typically be softer and can sometime end up with a mushy sauce.

Use brown or green lentils, not red

Red lentils are much too soft to use in this bolognese sauce.

If you use dry lentils cook them, then pat them dry!

Be sure to cook your dry lentils before using them in the recipe, and dry them so they don’t make your sauce mushy or watery.

Use fresh tomatoes, rather than canned

This will make a lovely hearty thick sauce rather than an overly ‘saucey’ sauce.

Add a touch of starchy water from your boiling pasta

if you find your Bolognese sauce to be a little on the thicker side and you want to thin it out (it also adds flavour).

Common Questions

What type of lentils can i use?

Use green or brown lentils, not red lentils as they are too soft. Cooked canned lentils will give you the best consistency in this sauce.

Can I use canned tomatoes?

It’s best the use fresh tomatoes in this recipe and let them stew and break down in the sauce. It’s quick and will taste the most fresh.

Can I Freeze this vegan spicy lentil bolognese?

Absolutely! Let the sauce cool completely. Do not leave it out for more than two hours, as that’s when bacteria can start to form. Once it’s cool, freeze in an air tight container for up to 3 months.