• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Contact
Try my baking mixes!

The Toasted Pine Nut

fun. flavorful. feel-good recipes.

  • Shop My New Baking Mixes!
  • Recipes
    • Dessert
      • Cookies
      • Bars & Brownies
      • Breads & Muffins
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Pies & Crumbles
      • Candy
      • No Bake
    • Meal
      • Breakfast
      • Main Dishes
      • Appetizers
      • Sides
      • Snacks
      • Drinks
      • Salads
      • Sauces & Dips
      • Dessert
    • Diet
      • Gluten Free
      • Dairy Free
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Egg Free
      • Kid Friendly
      • Low Carb
      • Nut Free
    • Meat
      • Fish & Seafood
      • Chicken & Poultry
      • Beef & Pork
      • Meatless
    • Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Oven
      • Grill
      • Stovetop
    • Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Recipe Filter
  • Shop
    • My Baking Mixes
    • Kitchen Essentials
    • Pantry Items
    • Kid Favorites
    • Photography
  • Cookbook
  • Videos
Home Recipes Main Dishes Meatless

Vegan Lentil Bolognese

40 min
GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free NF Nut-Free
Avatar by: Lindsay Grimes Freedman
July 30, 2019 (Updated: September 14, 2021)
Jump to Recipe
Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Vegan Lentil Bolognese
Vegan Bolognese is hearty and filling, loaded with lentils and veggies! This recipe is the perfect way to add more veggies to your meal!

Lately I’ve been eating a lot more vegetarian. I don’t know if it’s a summer thing or I’m just more open to it, but veggie-based meals have been on my mind. 

Since my boys love pasta and red sauce and meat sauce, I thought it would be a fun to test out a meat-free bolognese sauce bulked up with lentils. 

If you want a meaty bolognese, try this 10 minute recipe! I love using chickpea pasta or lentils, zoodles are also a great option, but use whatever pasta is your fave! 

So, let’s jump into the recipe and make a tasty Vegan Lentil Bolognese! It’s hearty and filling, and I absolute love the flavor, so I can’t wait for you guys to try it!

  • Vegan Lentil Bolognese
  • Vegan Lentil Bolognese

Ingredients and substitutions for vegan bolognese

  • Olive oil – if you want to use coconut oil or avocado oil, that works! Use whatever you have on hand!
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes!
  • Cooked lentils – I love buying cooked lentils to make this recipe move that much quicker. But, if you want to make your own lentils you definitely can!
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Tomato sauce

How to make vegan bolognese:

Add the olive oil to a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the olive oil is hot, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent and slightly caramelized.

Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for 2 additional minutes before adding the lentils, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce.

Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for at least 20 minutes. Serve with pasta or veggie noodles of choice.

Vegan Lentil Bolognese

More savory vegan recipes to try:

  • Scallion Pancakes (gluten free + vegan)
  • Zucchini Chickpea Burgers
  • “Cheesy” Queso
  • Cashew Ranch Dip
  • Vegan Scrambled Eggs

Did you make this? Leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

Recipe
GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free NF Nut-Free

Vegan Lentil Bolognese

Vegan Bolognese is hearty and filling, loaded with lentils and veggies! This recipe is the perfect way to add more veggies to your meal!

AvatarRecipe by:Lindsay Grimes Freedman
Prep: 10 minCook: 30 minTotal: 40 min
Print recipe Rate recipe Pin Save recipe
Servings: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 cups cooked lentils
  • 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
  • 28 oz. tomato sauce

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Once the olive oil is hot, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent and slightly caramelized.
  3. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for 2 additional minutes before adding the lentils, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
  4. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for at least 20 minutes.
  5. Serve with pasta or veggie noodles of choice.

Tips

  • BIG thank you to my friend Allie from Miss Allie’s Kitchen for creating this delicious recipe and taking these gorgeous images for us!! I love her work and couldn’t be more excited she’s creating some tasty dishes to share here too!

Nutrition Info:

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 522
  • Sugar: 23g
  • Sodium: 2011mg
  • Fat: 6g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.9g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 88.1g
  • Fiber: 39.3g
  • Protein: 32.6g
  • Cholesterol: 2mg
© The Toasted Pine Nut

Did you make this?

I love seeing what you made! Tag me on social @thetoastedpinenut

Rate recipe Tag me on Instagram

Enjoy!! xo

1023 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Save
  • Email
overhead image of a gluten free sprinkle cookie with a bite taken out on a white counter

Never miss a recipe!

Join our pine nut family and get recipes delivered right to your inbox.

Join now!
15 no bake desserts

You May Also Like...

  • This is an image of a stack of chocolate chop granola bars on a white piece of parchment paper and white background.
    Chewy Gluten Free & Vegan Granola Bars
  • This is an overhead image of a plate with an egg scramble drizzled with ketchup. A fork lays on the right side of the plate along with a small metal cup of ketchup. A cup of orange juice is in the top right corner of the image and some raspberries are scattered on the white counter. A blue tea towel is in the bottom left of the image.
    Vegan Scrambled Eggs
  • Scallion Pancakes (gluten free + vegan)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

If you love this recipe it would mean SO MUCH to me if you give it a star rating and leave a comment about it. Not only do I love basking in the glory of your recipe love, but (perhaps more importantly 😋) it helps other readers find my recipes online. Thanks so much for your feedback!!

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Lindsay

Hi Friend!

I'm Lindsay I love sharing simple, better-for-you recipes. When I'm not in the kitchen, you can find me at the beach watching my kids boogie board and soaking in that warm Cali sun (with sunscreen, of course).

Read more...

Recipe Key

GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free NF Nut-Free P Paleo Browse All
good and gooey

Try My New Baking Mixes!

Use the code pine nut
For 10% off

Check em’ out!

Most Popular

Chocolate Quinoa Crisps

overhead image of a muffin tin filled with 12 raw eggs sprinkled with pepper

Oven-Baked Eggs in a Muffin Tin

This is a side view of a chocolate almond butter bar with a bite taken out of it. The bar sits on a white piece of parchment paper and is sprinkled with salt. More bars are blurred in the background.

No Bake Almond Butter Bars

Lemon + Avocado Kale Salad

Freebie alert!

Get My Free No Bake Desserts eBook!

Explore

More Meatless

This is an overhead view of a cast iron skillet with chickpeas and mushrooms in a marsala sauce. A wood spoon is scooping up some of the chickpeas and leaning against the skillet. The chickpeas are topped with parsley leaves.
★★★★★

Chickpea Mushroom Marsala

This is a side view of a stack of quesadilla sliced. The quesadilla has chickpeas, jackfruit, and little pieces of cilantro. The stack is topped with a queso. The stack of quesadilla pieces are on a white plate on a white surface with a white background.

Vegan Buffalo Chickpea + Jackfruit Quesadillas

This is an overhead image of a shallow bowl with hot pink beetroot pasta topped with sautéed greens and a nutty mixture on top. A fork dips into the bowl and leans against the right side of the dish. Another bowl with pasta is to the top right corner of the image. A small bowl with nutty gremolata is to the top left corner of the image.

Almond Beetroot Pasta + Nutty Gremolata

This is an overhead image of a shallow bowl with pumpkin soup on a white counter. The soup is topped with sage leaves, pecans, and quinoa. A spoon is dipping into the soup to the left side of the bowl. Another bowl of soup is to the top left of the image.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup

Browse All
15 No bake desserts

Download my FREE No Bake Dessert Ebook!

As seen on:

Food Network
Shape
Men's Health
NBC
Kitchn
Glamour
  • Browse by Diet
    • Gluten Free
    • Dairy Free
    • Vegan
    • Egg Free
    • Low Carb
    • Recipe Filter
  • Explore Resources
    • FAQ
    • My Baking Mixes
    • Cookbook
    • Shop Favorites
    • Web Stories
    • Meet Lindsay
Follow

@thetoastedpinenut

Accessibility

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Contact

© 2022 The Toasted Pine Nut
|
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Support by Foodie Digital
Back to Top
1023 shares