30-Minute Vegan Red Lentil Bolognese with Mushrooms
May 5, 2020 (Last updated Apr 23, 2026) by Hannah Sunderani
Today I am sharing an easy 30-minute Vegan Lentil Bolognese recipe. It’s hearty, flavourful, using red lentils instead of ground beef or turkey, and veggie loaded! What more could we want in a pasta dish? It’s truly the perfect weeknight dinner recipe.
I made this recipe for my parents and parents-in-law, and it was a WINNER. Certainly, this flavourful sauce is vegan skeptic approved, and one that the whole family will be happy to devour. I’ve recently started making it for my toddler and he loves it too! It’s a great way to get kids to eat vegetables vegetables are so finely chopped into the sauce.
Best of all, you can toss this recipe together almost as quickly as my Homemade Marinara Sauce, yet it’s filled with wholesome ingredients! Make a big batch for meal prep to enjoy throughout the week. Or, freeze this sauce to enjoy for a later date. When ready to eat, all you’ll need to do is simply cook up your favourite spaghetti noodles and top with the bolognese.
So, let me tell you exactly how to make this recipe so you can enjoy it pronto!
This Lentil Bolognese is…
- Made with pantry ingredients
- Skeptic approved
- Loaded with veggies
- Vegan
- Bold in flavour
- Packed with umami
- Newbie cook approved
- Rich in plant-based protein
Ingredient Notes
I wanted to keep this recipe as simple as possible, while still being loaded with veggies and flavour. To make the best lentil bolognese, you’ll need just 13 pantry staples, including your favourite pasta. Here’s the details:
- Veggies – I love a combination of grated carrots, zucchini, and finely chopped mushroom. They add both flavour and texture while beautifully complimenting the tomato-based sauce. The carrots bring a slightly sweet taste while the mushrooms have a meaty texture and are full of umami flavour. Make sure to check out my Youtube Channel to see exactly how I like to chop these veggies.
- Lentils – Incorporating lentils in a plant-based diet is a great way to increase the protein in your diet and keep you full until the next meal. The texture is similar to ground beef and is so much more affordable than store-bought plant-based protein. The quickest cooking lentils are red lentils. I highly recommend them over brown lentils or green lentils.
- Tomatoes – You’ll need both tomato paste and tomato sauce. Both add richness and depth and create the classic tomato base to the hearty sauce.
- Seasoning – I like to keep it super simple with just Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast for a savoury punch, and cayenne pepper flakes or red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
How to Make Lentil Bolognese
This lentil bolognese is so easy to make! It takes just 30 minutes and anyone can do it; you don’t need to be a master chef! Here’s how to do it:
MAKE THIS RECIPE WITH ME!
Cook along and make this plant-based bolognese with me on my YouTube Cooking Show (featuring Mitch, who doesn’t know how to cook. If he can do it, anyone can!).
Storage Instructions
This vegan lentil bolognese sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze this pasta sauce for up to 1 month.
To freeze, allow the lentil bolognese to cool completely to room temperature before transferring to a freezer safe bag, glass jar, or airtight container. Seal tightly, then freeze until ready to use.
Leftovers reheat best in the microwave in 30 second bursts until warmed through or in a small sauce pan until lightly simmering again.
So there we have it! A simple vegan lentil bolognese that’s loaded with flavour and texture. I hope you love this “meaty” sauce as much as my family does! If you do make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think. And of course, tag me on Instagram with your pictures using the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.
30-Minute Vegan Red Lentil Bolognese with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 carrots grated
- 1 zucchini grated
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 cup mushrooms finely chopped (8 oz/227g)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cup tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup red lentils
- 1.5 cups water plus splashes more if needed
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar, more or less
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper flakes or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 lb spaghetti noodles (450g)
- fresh chopped parsley optional for sprinkling
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. (This will be for the spaghetti noodles).
- Melt coconut oil in a large deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and cook on medium heat for 10 mins, or until onions turn translucent.
- Add the carrots and zucchini and sprinkle with sea salt. Cook until softened, about 7 minutes then add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are browned, about 10 mins.
- Pour in tomato sauce, red lentils, and water. Season with nutritional yeast, coconut sugar (which enhances tomato flavour), Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper flakes, and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the red lentils are soft and the sauce is thickened, about 15 mins.
- While you're waiting for the lentil bolognese to thicken, cook the spaghetti noodles in the pot of boiling salted water until al-dente, about 7 mins.
- Scoop the spaghetti noodles into the bolognese sauce and mix gently to combine. Optional to add splashes of pasta water to thin if desired. Serve in bowls topped with freshly chopped parsley.
Watch The Video
Notes
Approvals
Nutrition
See more step-by-step instructions by visiting the recipe story here!
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My husband asked if the recipe had meat in it because he liked it so much. My three year old asked for seconds! Big hit all around!
So glad it was such a hit!!
Fantastic!! Lots of flavor!! Reminds me of a hearty meat sauce without the meat. Served it twice and both times it was received well!!
So thrilled you enjoyed it Suzy!
Made this for my family….it was so delicious, we all had seconds! Definitely a keeper recipe…thank you Hannah 😋
Thats great Linda! It is so tasty!!
Everyone in my family, even the omnivores, loved this recipe. I will definitely be making this on repeat. It was so flavorful.
Thank you Kelley! So glad you enjoyed the recipe as much as we do!
This was so good!
So glad you enjoyed it Francine!
Super tasty! My husband loves it too and it’s become a regular meal in our house 🙂
I’m thrilled to hear that Megan! It’s such a great staple recipe! Glad to hear you’re enjoying it. 🙂
My husband and I love this recipe!! It’s SO filling and incredibly healthy! I love that there’s carrots, zucchini and mushrooms in it. This is for sure going to be a recipe I will make forever. I might double the recipe next time to freeze half for an easy dinner for a busy day! Thanks for creating such a delicious and healthy recipe Hannah!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe Krystal!! And yes, this bolognese freezes very well! Enjoy it for those busy days. 🙂 xx
Wow! I stumbled upon this recipe and made it minutes later. It was beyond delicious! I omitted the seasonings as the sauce I used was already very flavorful. Overall, amazing dish!
Hi Julia! I am so thrilled that you enjoyed this bolognese recipe! We love it in our home too. I’m always a sucker for a gourmet dish that’s easy to make and packed with veg! Thank you for the sweet comment. I’m so happy you stumbled upon my blog. 🙂