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    Mushroom and lentil vegan spaghetti bolognese

    26 February 2018 by Amber |

    3.6K shares
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    Loaded with vegetables, this mushroom and lentil vegan spaghetti bolognese sauce is a delicious and familiar family meal that everyone will love. (Gluten free).

    Loaded with vegetables, this mushroom and lentil vegan spaghetti bolognese sauce is a delicious and familiar go-to family meal that will be enjoyed by everyone.

    Overhead photograph of mushroom and lentil vegan spaghetti bolognese, served in a bowl (vegan and gluten free).

    A friend's nine year old daughter has just declared that she wants to go vegetarian. It may or may not have something to do with a chat between my oldest girl and her, that stuck in her mind. I'm quietly pleased but also know all about how tricky it can be to feed a family with a whole bunch of varying dietary needs or preferences.

    Having a few straight forward, go-to family meals that everyone will enjoy is really important to make life easy, reduce stress and ensure healthy food is consumed with minimal fuss. I immediately recommended making a big batch of vegetable and lentil bolognese sauce to freeze in meal sized portions, either for the whole family or as individual serves. It's really easy to get a healthy meal on the table if all you need to do is cook some pasta and defrost some sauce.

    Despite the fact this lentil bolognese is something I almost always have on hand, and make often, I didn't have it written down or recorded in any way. So here we go - this recipe is one of our absolute family favourites. It's comforting, familiar, cozy and really well balanced from a nutritional perspective.

    All the vegetables

    It's true, this vegan spaghetti bolognese is far from traditional and includes a lot of vegetables.

    I always start with the traditional mirepoix combo of onion, carrot and celery, then add to it with garlic, mushrooms, herbs and spices. The finely chopped mushrooms really help create a 'meaty' texture and also add heaps of flavour.

    If it's summer, I might add finely chopped red capsicum (bell pepper) and courgette (zucchini) too. In winter I tend to add handfuls of finely chopped spinach towards the end of the cooking time.

    If there's an open bottle around, I'll add a splash of red wine (totally optional) before canned tomatoes, red lentils and vegetable stock.

    There's a bit of chopping and cooking time needed, but once it's going you can leave the sauce to blip away on the stove without too much interference. I start checking after about half an hour, and add a little more water here and there to stop the sauce from sticking while it cooks.

    After an hour or so, the sauce will be thick, glossy and richly flavoured - perfect with regular or gluten free spaghetti noodles, other pasta shapes, in lasagne, or even with vegetable spirals/zoodles for a lighter option.

    This recipe is enough for two meals for my family of two adults and two younger children, so I freeze half each time I make it.

    Overhead photo of a saucepan full of mushroom and lentil vegan bolognese sauce.

    The secret ingredients

    There are a few ingredients that are key to a really richly flavoured and well balanced vegetable bolognese sauce. Without these, the sauce will be fine. With them, the bolognese will be amazing.

    Sweet and spicy smoked paprika adds a deep base note, that I reinforce with a few drops of liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is a liquid flavouring that is made by passing wood smoke through a chamber that captures and collects the vapour. The ingredients are literally smoke and water, and it is this smoky essence that is the ingredient in most storebought foods that have a smoky flavour.

    I like to have liquid smoke in my pantry because just a few drops in some recipes is enough to add real interest and complexity to the flavours, without having to bust out a smoker or grill.

    Is liquid smoke safe? Pretty much, yes. All smoke contains carcinogens (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs to be precise). We should avoid consuming too many PAHs for sure, but it's important to keep it in perspective and realise that the amount contained in a few drops of flavouring is pretty insignificant.

    According to this excellent article, naturally smoked or barbecued meat contains significantly higher quantities of PAHs than liquid smoke, so personally I'm relaxed about using it from time to time.

    In New Zealand you can buy liquid smoke from The Cruelty Free Shop, and if you're elsewhere Amazon is your friend. A little goes a very, very long way - I think I've had my current bottle for about two years. If you're new to using liquid smoke, go light, you can always add more but you can't take it back out if you use too much. And too much tastes really bad, you have been warned.

    Side view of mushroom and lentil vegan spaghetti bolognese, ready to eat.

    Mushroom and lentil vegan spaghetti bolognese.

    Mushroom and lentil vegan spaghetti bolognese

    Loaded with vegetables, this mushroom and lentil vegan spaghetti bolognese sauce is a delicious and familiar go-to family meal that will be enjoyed by everyone.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep time: 20 minutes
    Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
    Course: Main meals
    Cuisine: Gluten free, Vegan
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 471kcal
    Author: Quite Good Food

    INGREDIENTS

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 onion finely chopped
    • 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
    • 3 sticks celery finely chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
    • 8 button or brown mushrooms finely chopped (about 120g/1/4lb)
    • 1 red capsicum (bell pepper) cored and finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon dried sage
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ¼ cup red wine (optional)
    • 2 cans chopped tomatoes in juice
    • 2 cups vegetable stock
    • ½ cup dried red lentils
    • ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
    • 1 teaspoon raw sugar or sweetener of your choice
    • Salt and pepper to season

    To serve:

    • 500 g regular or gluten free spaghetti noodles (about 1.1lb)
    • Finely chopped parsley

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Heat olive oil in a wide, deep saucepan or frypan (skillet). Add onion, carrot and celery and cook over a low-medium heat until softened, then add garlic, mushrooms, red capsicum, sage, oregano and smoked paprika. Season with a small sprinkle of salt to help the mushrooms release their juices. Continue to cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. This stage should take about 20 minutes in total. 
    • Add the red wine, if using, and stir for a minute to allow it to evaporate off. Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, lentils, liquid smoke and sugar, along with a little more salt and pepper. Bring to a gently blipping boil, or fast simmer, and leave to cook over a low heat for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. From about 30 minutes onwards, I start to check more often and add more water here and there to stop the mixture from sticking or becoming too thick before the lentils and vegetables have cooked through. The amount of water you need will vary - I usually use about 2 cups of extra water in total. 
    • When the sauce is done, it will be thick, glossy and richly flavoured. The lentils will have almost disappeared into the sauce, and the vegetables will be tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
    • Cook spaghetti noodles according to packet directions, drain and serve with a generous ladle of bolognese sauce and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

    RECIPE NOTES

    • Nutrition information estimated based on 6 serves.
    • Serves 6-8 depending on appetite. This recipe is enough for two meals for my family of two adults and two younger children. 

    NUTRITION INFORMATION

    Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 84g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 542mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2900IU | Vitamin C: 42.2mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 4.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @quitegoodfood or tag #quitegoodfood!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maree

      February 26, 2018 at 5:24 pm

      Thank you thank you thank you! I was about to bust this out for dinner tonight but have run out of smoked paprika. Tomorrow! This will be great for the whole family.

    2. Myra

      March 03, 2018 at 4:00 am

      This looks amazing - I've got to try your recipe as soon as possible!

      • Amber

        March 05, 2018 at 12:28 pm

        Let me know how you find it 🙂

    3. Joanne M

      March 12, 2018 at 4:40 am

      Hi! This looks great, looking forward to making this recipe! My question is about the lentils, are they whole red lentils or the more common "split" type? The long(ish) simmer time made me wonder, as well as the texture difference.

      • Amber

        March 12, 2018 at 11:19 am

        Hi Joanne, they're regular red lentils, which I think are split (I've actually never seen whole red lentils available here). They don't have skins and do cook quickly. The long simmer time achieves a great texture to the sauce, but the lentils would technically be 'cooked' well within that timeframe. I hope you enjoy 🙂

        • Joanne M

          April 14, 2019 at 4:56 am

          Thanks for your answer Amber!

    4. Jess

      March 16, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      HI

      I’m totally gonna try this but what is liquid smoke.

      Jess from New Zealand

      • Amber

        March 16, 2018 at 2:08 pm

        Hi Jess, the blog post explains what liquid smoke is and where to get it 🙂

    5. Marly

      September 26, 2018 at 3:26 am

      Loved this recipe. Made it while visiting my dad who thinks vegetarians only eat "rabbit food" and that "it isn't a meal without meat" and even he loved it! He had 3 helpings!

      • Amber

        October 02, 2018 at 3:23 pm

        That's fantastic! So pleased you both enjoyed it 🙂

    6. Deirdre O Connor

      October 24, 2018 at 7:03 am

      Totally delicious.
      A new one for our Vegan repertoire.

    7. Kay Pee

      November 06, 2018 at 4:11 pm

      What size cans of tomatoes? 14 or 28?

      • Amber

        November 07, 2018 at 9:23 am

        Thanks Kay, the recipe uses 14oz/400gm cans.

    8. Catherine

      May 18, 2019 at 1:22 pm

      Hi there - we’ve recently almost accidentally moved from less to no meat. Snuggly a bit with vege stocks - either powder of making my own. What do you do?

      • Amber

        May 22, 2019 at 3:02 pm

        Hi Catherine, I use a variety of stocks and admit to rarely making my own (even though I know how easy it is!). In terms of store bought options, I like Continental vegetable stock pots, and Vegeta vegetable stock powder which is really good value. Massel stock powders are also pretty good, and interestingly their chicken and beef stocks are actually 'chicken style' and 'beef style' (100% vegan) so not a bad option if you're after a familiar taste. Rapunzel vegetable bouillon powder I haven't tried, but looks good. I hope that's helpful 🙂

    9. Fran Clark

      November 10, 2019 at 12:44 am

      5 stars
      Yummy, I have made this for lunch today and have to keep tasting to see if seasoning ok!!! I grated an apple in instead of sugar and used the veg water I keep from any veg cooked the previous day . I used a mix of red and green lentils with a few sunflwer seeds and other small seeds thrown in too. Thank you for a super recipe

      • Amber

        November 10, 2019 at 8:30 pm

        What a good idea using apple instead of sugar! Glad you enjoyed this Fran 🙂

    10. Tori

      November 18, 2019 at 7:04 am

      5 stars
      So delicious, we really enjoyed the meal and did not miss the meat at all! Even our babies ate it, which is saying something.

      This recipe is really full of flavour!

      • Amber

        November 18, 2019 at 1:47 pm

        Hi Tori, thank you I'm so happy to hear that! This recipe is so popular with children 🙂

    11. Cuci

      January 20, 2020 at 11:07 pm

      Hi. Im excited to try this recipe. May i ask what i can sub the lentils with ? Lentils are not easily found where I live. Many thanks !

      • Amber

        January 21, 2020 at 11:25 am

        Hi Cuci, lentils are one of the key ingredients in this recipe so I can't really recommend any good substitutions here. You could try using split peas, black beans or maybe even quinoa. You would need to keep an eye on it as the cooking times would be different, and the sauce might not thicken up in the same way as these will absorb different amounts of liquid. Let me know how you go if you try something different 🙂

    12. Jacqui Simpson

      June 11, 2020 at 1:02 pm

      5 stars
      Made last night for the family and was a huge hit. Youngest son actually asked to go 100% vegetarian after eating this.

      • Amber

        June 18, 2020 at 2:08 pm

        Hooray! I'm so happy your family enjoyed it, and fantastic your son is thinking about being vegetarian, love this 🙂

    13. Victoria

      December 18, 2020 at 6:31 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe, perfect for the boys post-skiing, both are vegan. Subbed 20g dried mushrooms for fresh and 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle paste as have no liquid smoke to give it the le goût as we say here in Switzerland.

      • Amber

        December 21, 2020 at 12:11 pm

        Sounds delicious, perfect post-skiing food too! 🙂

    14. Joseph Lyons

      January 06, 2021 at 10:31 am

      We are now into 2021 and it was during the last breath days of 2020 that I decided to try your recipe. It was an absolute success, All ofthe ingredients were easil accessible from my garden; akso from the local greengrocer in Frankston, Australia. As yet I have not introduced it to any of my family and friends. Having made a good supply, I have froen the remainder and will introduce it to my first visitors during the next few weeks of January 2021.
      Any motr trcipes from you Amber would be gratefully received.
      Joseph

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