Vegan Lentil Mushroom Bolognese Sauce
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
8 servings
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Calories
263 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Vegan Lentil Mushroom Bolognese Sauce
Description
The Vegan Lentil Mushroom Bolognese starts by soaking dried mushrooms in water and boiling them briefly to extract flavor. The soaking liquid is filtered carefully to remove debris. Lentils are cooked in vegetable broth until tender and drained. Soaked mushrooms are rinsed thoroughly, chopped, and added to the sauce.
Onion, olive oil, tomato paste, tamari sauce, crushed tomatoes, and spices including smoked paprika, basil, oregano, turmeric, thyme, black pepper, and optional cayenne are combined and simmered to build deep flavor. The lentils and chopped mushrooms provide the base’s body and texture, mimicking traditional meat sauce consistency.
The sauce pairs well with cooked pasta, grains, or as a hearty topping in various vegan dishes. The recipe notes the need for kitchen tools like a mesh strainer and coffee filters for the mushroom broth filtration step, important for clarifying the liquid.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried mushrooms (boletus, porcini or a mix)
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups green lentils rinsed and sorted, or brown lentils
- 6 cups vegetable broth low sodium
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 whole onion large, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons tamari sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic crushed
- 28 ounces fire roasted crushed tomato
- 1/3 cup parsley divided, fresh, chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adds a kick - if spice sensitive, omit)
- pasta if wheat sensitive use gluten free pasta, cooked, for serving
Instructions
- Boil mushrooms in 4 cups water for 5 minutes. Let them soak in the hot water for a few minutes while you cook the lentils, until the liquid is dark brown and has cooled off a bit.Meanwhile, bring lentils to a boil in vegetable broth. Reduce to a simmer, then cook for about 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Remove the soaked mushrooms with a slotted spoon and rinse them under cool running water to remove any excess residue. Chop up the soaked mushrooms, then rinse them once again (there can be stubborn debris that clings, multiple rinses are the best way to remove any residual dirt). Reserve the chopped mushrooms.
- Line a handheld mesh strainer with a coffee filter. Strain the mushroom cooking liquid through a coffee filter into a bowl or measuring cup. This may take a few minutes and a bit of maneuvering. I find I have to swirl the liquid around a bit for it to go through the filter, and often I need to replace the filter a couple of times in order to get all of the liquid to go through. While this takes some effort, the liquid often contains a bit of dirt residue from the harvested mushrooms. Straining it out allows us to use this very flavorful liquid in the finished product. Reserve the strained liquid.
- In a large 5 quart sauté pan or sauce pot, heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium. Sauté diced onion for 10-15 minutes until soft, translucent and starting to turn golden.
- Add the tomato paste, tamari and minced garlic to the onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes longer until fragrant. Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom and simmering them in the liquid for a few minutes.
- Add the fire roasted tomatoes to the pot along with the cooked lentils, soaked diced mushrooms, ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley and remaining spices. Stir. Cook the mixture 10-15 minutes longer until the lentils are fully tender, the excess liquid has reduced, and the sauce is thick.
- Serve sauce over pasta as a vegan alternative to Bolognese, or you can enjoy this on its own as a flavorful lentil stew. Garnish with remaining 1 tbsp parsley. If you’re not vegan, a sprinkle of parmesan on top is also lovely.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 263 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 263kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 43g | 14% |
| Protein | 14g | 28% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Sodium | 1370mg | 57% |
| Potassium | 643mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 16g | 64% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 1210IU | 24% |
| Vitamin C | 8.3mg | 9% |
| Calcium | 67mg | 7% |
| Iron | 4.8mg | 27% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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