Lentil Ragu
This Vegan Lentil Ragu is a delicious and hearty pasta sauce that both vegans and meat eaters will love! The sauce is filled with chopped vegetables and lentils in place of ground meat. This ragu is Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
I am in mass production mode this time of year, making enough stews, sauces and meatballs to fill my freezer and last me well into spring. One of my favourite things to make in big batches is a chunky ragu that I can quickly thaw and enjoy on zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or just on its own like a stew.
I am going to be honest, my chunky lamb ragu will forever be the best ragu on earth, but if you are looking for a vegetarian option, this lentil ragu is delicious. The lentils add heartiness to the sauce that is very similar to meat and will satisfy any carnivore.
When comparing lentil ragu with a meat based sauce, the vegetarian option definitely has an edge in the health stakes. Lentils are very rich in fibre, which helps aid digestion, reduces the risk of heart disease and stabilizes blood sugar. Lentils also have a high amount of protein (the third highest of all legumes and nuts) and are incredibly low in fat with less than 1gram per cup.
The key to perfecting this Vegan Lentil Ragu is time and patience. The longer you leave it to simmer, the more tender the lentils become and the more flavour the sauce will develop.
Here are a few more vegan recipes you might enjoy:
- Roasted Cauliflower, Date, Red Onion & Parsley Salad
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Butternut Squash Ravioli with Kale Pesto
- Apple & Celery Root Soup
- Broccoli Pesto
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Lentil Ragu
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried green lentils soaked in water overnight
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery finely chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cans chopped tomato 14oz each
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add in the chopped carrots, celery, onion and garlic and sauté for approximately 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the cans of tomato, vegetable broth, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes and lentils and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and leave to simmer for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour remove the lid and continue to cook for approximately 45 minutes until the sauce has reduced by half and the lentils have become very tender.
- Serve the sauce on its own or on top of pasta, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. This sauce freezes very well.
Nutrition
Your” favourite is lamb ragu”. This comment was enough to make any Vegan ill.
Have you looked at a lamb? Shame on you.
First day on SCD. Trying to wrap my head around this. Going to try your lentil Ragu sauce. Thought we were not allowed canned tomatoes on this diet?
Thank you
FYI – canned tomatoes are not SCD legal…
Many brands of canned tomatoes are now SCD legal including Pomi 😄 Unfortunately the SCD legal/illegal food list hasnt been updated in 15+ years and manufacturing/food labels have greatly changed in that time.
Can you used canned lentils for this recipe?
This recipe was so delicious! I love that it made a huge batch so I could freeze some for later, and my toddler LOVED it! He asked for not only seconds, but thirds!
Dang – now I have to re-re-re-update my shopping list LOL Spent all morning browsing this site, still haven’t had breakfast much less lunch, and already made so many revisions to my shopping list I may never get out of my chair 😉
Love me some lentils, and this looks so yummy! Do you really find it necessary to soak the lentils first? I know with heftier legumes it is essential, but I usually find lentils soften nicely in half an hour cooking. Is it because of the tomato acidity? I know that bollixed a perfectly good pot of chili for me – added the tomatoes too soon and the beans never finished softening :-/
Another question – the recipe, as written above, does not show when the lentils are to be added. Do
they go in at step 2 or 4?
I can’t believe I missed the most important step! The lentils should be added with the other ingredients in the second step. Just updated the recipe, thanks for pointing that out!
No problem – just didn’t want to mess up on my first attempt 😉
I am looking forward to future recipes, as I have yet to find one that didn’t make me want to try it 🙂
Haha your comment made my day! I’m so happy you are enjoying checking out my recipes! You are absolutely right, soaking lentils isn’t necessary like it is with other legumes as they already have a short cooking time, but I prefer to do it as it makes them easier to digest.