Lentil Bolognese

This lentil bolognese makes the perfect make-ahead meatless meal for busy weeknights! It can be prepped in less than 10 minutes and left to cook in the crockpot for an easy and delicious dinner that is also freezer-friendly! {Gluten-free & vegan}

Why Make This Recipe

Easy – With this lentil bolognese recipe, you literally dump all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and press start. There’s minimal prep work required and the end result is a super mouthwatering dish!

Family-friendly – Whenever I make this recipe, it always gets two thumbs up from the family and it’s one of our toddler’s favourite meals! Serve it over pasta and sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top to make it even more kid-friendly!

Make-ahead – What I love about this recipe is that you can prepare it in advance and it just keeps getting better and better as all of those delicious flavours come together!

Freezer-friendly – This recipe makes for the ultimate freezer meal! You can either freeze it before or after cooking for a quick and easy meal for those busy weeknights!

Meatless meal – We’re always looking to incorporate more meatless meals into our menu rotation. Since lentils form the base of this dish, it’s not only completely plant-based and packed with fibre and protein, it’s also budget-friendly too!

Ingredient Notes

Lentils – The lentils are the star of this dish and replace the meat in your classic bolognese sauce. Use dry green or brown lentils for best results since they hold their shape better than red split lentils.

Spices – The cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes are paramount to this recipe because they add so much additional flavour to the sauce. Add more red pepper flakes if you prefer a little more of a spicy kick!

Coconut milk – The coconut milk is the secret ingredient that makes this sauce more rich and velvety. Use full-fat canned coconut milk for the best texture and flavour. You can also sub in lite coconut milk if that’s what you have on hand.

Tomato sauce – I used canned tomato sauce made with tomatoes, garlic and salt. Look for one with minimal processed ingredients and lower in sodium if possible.

Spinach – Spinach is a great way to incorporate those dark green leafy vegetables! I used frozen spinach nuggets since the spinach is finely chopped which makes it more subtle and kid-friendly. Feel free to sub in a couple of handfuls of fresh chopped baby spinach instead if desired. It’s a great way to use up spinach that’s about to go bad!

Step by Step Instructions

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and stir to combine.

Cook on high for 3.5-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Serve warm.

Recipe Tips

• If you’d like to cook up the onions and garlic before adding them to the slow cooker to add more depth of flavour, you can certainly do so. Add some olive oil to a pan or the slow cooker if your crock pot has a “sautee” function and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant.
• Use dry green lentils for best results. If you use red split lentils, they will turn out mushy. We want the lentils to retain their shape to resemble the texture of a meat sauce.
• The lentils tend to absorb the liquid the longer that it sits which means that the sauce can get quite thick. If you want to thin out your sauce or make it more creamy, add a bit more broth or coconut milk. Add some additional spices to compensate if you do add more liquid.
• If you want the lentil bolognese sauce to have more heat, increase the amount of red pepper flakes, adding a small amount at a time, until desired level of heat is achieved.

Recipe FAQs

What type of lentils should I use?

I recommend using dry green or brown lentils since they will hold their shape the best when cooked. Red split lentils tend to go mushy and are not the best option for this dish. You could also try adding canned lentils if desired, but I would recommend leaving out the broth so that the sauce isn’t too runny.

Can I make this recipe on stove top?

Yes! If you don’t want to make this recipe in the slow cooker, you can prepare it in a sauce pan on the stove as well.

To do so, heat some olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant. Add the broth, tomato sauce, coconut milk, lentils, spices and spinach and stir. Bring the mixture to a light simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until lentils are cooked.

Storage guidelines

You can store the bolognese sauce in the fridge in a covered sauce pan or air-tight container for up to four days.

To reheat: Place mixture in a sauce pan on the stove top over low heat until heated through. Just make sure that you stir it frequently so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. You can also dump it back in the crock pot and adjust it on the warm setting. You may also wish to add a bit more broth or coconut milk if the mixture has thickened up too much.

Does this recipe make a good freezer meal?

Yes, it makes the perfect freezer meal! You can freeze it one of two ways.

You can either place all of the ingredients raw into a ziploc bag or container and freeze for up to three months. When ready to cook, thaw it out in a large bowl of water for a couple of minutes and dump the mixture into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Alternatively, you can cook the sauce and freeze it in an air-tight container for up to three months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours or place container in a bowl of water to defrost. Follow the reheating instructions above!

Can I add more vegetables?

For sure! This sauce recipe is fairly basic to keep it nice and simple, but feel free to add more vegetables to incorporate even more texture, flavour and nutrients.

Vegetables that would work well include peppers, zucchini, shredded carrot and mushrooms!

Serving suggestions

There are a number of ways to serve up this dish. You can serve it up on a bed of pasta, rice or quinoa or try zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash or cauliflower rice for a lower carb option.

I recommend topping it with some fresh basil or parsley to add lots of fresh flavour. You can also sprinkle some shredded cheese on top. If you need the dish to be dairy-free, leave the cheese off altogether or try a plant-based vegan cheese.

Pair it with a vegetable side for a balanced meal! Some recipes that would work well include:

• Beet Kale Salad
• Vegan Caesar Salad with Roasted Sriracha Chickpeas
• Asparagus Tomato Salad
• Roasted Asparagus Spring Salad
• Oven Roasted Broccoli or cauliflower

More similar recipes

• Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup
• Red Curry Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
• Vegan Lentil Tacos
• Greek Lentil Salad
• Lentil Pesto Pasta Salad
• Sun-Dried Tomato Lentil Veggie Cups
• Lemon Lentil Soup

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