Lentil Bolognese
A vegan take on the traditional bolognese using lentils, walnuts, carrots, and mushrooms. This delicious sauce is quick, easy, and loaded with nutrients.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried French or green lentils soaked overnight {See Note}
- 1 tablespoon coconut or avocado oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 4 medium mushrooms
- 1/2 cup walnuts + more for topping
- 4 garlic cloves grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon or oregano
- Sea salt black pepper, red chili flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Soak the lentils in warm water overnight or for 7-18 hours. Drain the soaking water and rinse the lentils. Throw in a small pot and cover with 2 cups of fresh filtered water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low, and let it simmer until fully cooked (about 20 minutes).
- While the lentils are cooking, add the onions, carrots, and mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add the chopped vegetables and saute for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. In the meantime, throw the walnuts into the food processor and pulse until finely ground.
- Add the ground walnuts to the skillet and stir to combine with the vegetables. Then add garlic, turmeric, and tomato paste and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the remaining ingredients and let the sauce simmer and thicken for about 10 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and stir to coat with the tomato sauce.
- Serve over your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles and enjoy!
Notes
I recommend soaking the lentils overnight to reduce the antinutrients and enhance digestion. However, lentils are lower in antinutrients and cook faster than other legumes. So it should be OK to skip soaking if you forget or are short on time. In that case, I'd like to cover the lentils with boiling water for 15 minutes, then rinse and use in the recipe.