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Lentil bolognese with gluten free spaghetti

A TRADITIONAL BOLOGNESE WITH LENTILS INSTEAD OF MEAT

A bolognese without meat but with the same texture and kids always ask for more ! This is a delicious "vegan" lentil bolognese recipe that is insane.
Category Main Dish
Cuisine Vegan
Prep time 1 hour
Total time 1 hour
Servings 3 portions

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped into small pieces
  • 4 big tomatoes, chopped - (or 10-15 small ones)
  • 1 can organic chopped tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Harissa paste or Ajvar or some chili flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tsp stalks of fresh thyme chopped or 1-2 dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar
  • 1 pinch ground pepper and salt
  • 4-5 cups vegetable stock (mix hot water with 1 organic stock)
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Wash the lentils and set aside.
  • Heat one big pot with olive oil and stew the onion for 3 minutes (or until brown).
  • Add the garlic, Harissa paste (or the chili flakes) and Bay leave. Mix it well.
  • Add the tomato paste and do the same.
  • Toss the tomatoes and the carrots in the pot and stir all together until well-mixed. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes (until softened).
  • Open the can with the tomatoes and add it to the mixture.
  • Add all the spices, coconut sugar, lentils and add 4 cups of vegetable stock. Mix all of them together and let it boil for 5 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to simmer and put a lid on the pot. Let it simmer for the next 25-35 minutes. Check it out from time to time and stir well (the lentils are cooked when tender but not too soft). If the liquid is reducing too much add another cup of water. If you have time, allow it to cook for up to 1h (to thicken and develop more flavor but this is optional).
  • Taste the sauce, add more spices if needed, and remove the bay leaf.
  • You can serve this sauce over pasta of your choice, rice, or baked potato.
  • Bon Appetit !

Notes & Tips

*you can as well put the lentils straight away into the tomato sauce with 3 cups of liquid and let it boil for 20-25 minutes. I usually prefer to do it separately as I cook a bigger batch of lentils for the week. But it is up to you.