VEGAN LENTIL BALOGNESE

Rich & Bold, this Vegan Lentil Bolognese is the ultimate comfort food. I have made it by combining the filling of mushrooms, walnuts, olives, onions, and grated in lentils. This is usually served over your favorite pasta or spaghetti.

There is possibly nothing better than a heartwarming bowl full of fresh Spaghetti with a delicious sauce. Spaghetti is so versatile that you can pair it with anything and it will still taste wonderful.

I like to veganize all meat-based classic dishes and they always taste so good. I like to experiment with all the dishes until I get rich & aromatic flavor. And with Spaghetti, I don't need to experiment that much. Either you eat with Bolognese or Pesto Sauce or Mushroom & Garlic Sauce or even simple Marinara Sauce, Spaghetti will never disappoint you.

Bolognese is a meat-based sauce made in Italian cuisine. Just like Daal Makhani, it is also made by slow cooking all the ingredients until you get the desired consistency. Slow cooking helps in combining the flavors well and you get a rich & freshly made bolognese right it the comfort of home.

Usually, it is recommended to make this dish in a slow cooker. But I have used my Instant Pot for making the recipe. I first pressure cooked lentils along with the rest of the ingredients, and later I cooked for 30 minutes using the Slow-Cook setting of Instant Pot.

Bolognese is a meat-based sauce that requires beef and other ingredients. Being Vegan, I have added all the vegan ingredients. I have replaced meat with sliced Mushrooms, Olives, & Walnuts. These ingredients, along with diced tomatoes, give a similar Bolognese taste.

People usually add mushrooms in place of meat to make the recipe vegan. As mushroom has a unique umami-flavor so it easy to replicate the dish. But if you don't like the flavor, olives & walnuts are an easy option too.

• The best taste comes from vegetables. I recommend browning them a bit so that juices can be combined well with the lentils.
• The next flavor comes from Red Wine. I add ½ cup of Red Wine while making Vegan Lentil Bolognese. If you want rich flavor, then don't skip this step.
• For making the dish Vegan, add diced Mushrooms, Olives, & walnuts to give authentic-like flavor to Bolognese.
• The aromatic flavors come from freshly minced Garlic along with Italian Seasoning, Oregano, and dried Parsley.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BOLOGNESE

1. SAUTE: First start by adding onion, bell pepper & carrots & cook until brown & a little charred. This will provide a smoky flavor to the recipe.
2. ADD WINE: Bolognese is incomplete without wine. Red wine gives the color and also add mushroom, olives & walnuts that will provide the meat texture tot the recipe.
3. ADD LENTILS: Add lentils, you can use brown or green lentils. You can add water or stock in the recipe.
4. PRESSURE COOK: Pressure Cook for 20 minutes & let the pressure release naturally (NPR).
5. ADJUST & SERVE: Once pressure is released, open the lid. Adjust the seasoning & serve with pasta or spaghetti.

• MUSHROOM-GARLIC SPAGHETTI
• PANEER STUFFED LASAGNA
• FOCACCIA BREAD
• HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH
• SPROUTED LENTIL SOUP

Gari

VEGAN LENTIL BOLOGNESE

5 from 3 votes

Rich & Bold, this Vegan Lentil Bolognese is the ultimate comfort food. I have made it by combining the filling of mushrooms, walnuts, olives, onions, and grated in lentils.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 226

Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

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Equipment

• Instant Pot

Method

 

1. ▢
   Press Saute in the Instant Pot and add oil. When oil is hot, add onions, carrots, and celery and keep stirring until they are little brown in color.
2. ▢
   Then add red wine and let it cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add Mushrooms (optional), Olives, and Walnuts and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. ▢
   Cancel Saute and add diced tomatoes and tomato paste and give it stir. Then add Lentils and Water along with Italian Seasoning, Oregano, Thyme, Red Chili Flakes, and Salt & Pepper.
4. ▢
   Close lid and pressure cook for 20 minutes with the vent in the sealing position. Once timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally (NPR).
5. ▢
   Serve over cooked Pasta or Spaghetti and top with grated cheese & parsley.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gramsCalories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 11gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 293mgPotassium: 707mgFiber: 13gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3772IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 4mg

Notes

You can also add you favorite Marinara Sauce in place of diced tomatoes and can skip the spices. If you don't want to add whole lot of ingredients, then just add Marinara Sauce instead.

All the juices from veggies are extracted when you cook them for a longer time and let them brown a little.

When making Bolognese, don't forget to add Red Wine as the main flavor comes from it.

You can add Mushrooms, Olives, and Walnuts to give that meat flavor in Bolognese along with lentils.

I have used Brown Lentils, and they taste amazing. Though you can add any lentils. If you want to speed up the process then you can also add cooked lentils and can set the timer for 5 minutes.

Bolognese tastes better when cooked slowly. So you can also slow cook in Instant Pot after pressure release for 15-30 minutes.

I have made this recipe using my Instant Pot 6QT 7-in-1 Multi-Cooker.

 

 

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