Easy Mushroom Lentil Bolognese
Easy Mushroom Lentil Bolognese
Plant powered, hearty bolognese with chewy beluga lentils, meaty mushrooms, fragrant Italian herbs, and disease-fighting kale. Ready in under an hour and perfect for packed lunches or weeknight dinners. Serve with whole wheat pasta or mix it up by serving over a baked potato!
Easy Mushroom Lentil Bolognese
ingredients:
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, diced
- 2 handfuls kale, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup black or french lentils
- 2 15oz cans low-sodium tomato sauce
- 2 15oz cans low-sodium diced tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp fennel seed (crushed- see notes)
- 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- salt, to taste
- fresh basil, for garnish
instructions:
How to cook Easy Mushroom Lentil Bolognese
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Saute the mirepoix (diced carrots, celery, and onion) until the onions become translucent. See recipe notes for help on sauteing without oil.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, and crushed fennel seed to the pan. Saute until the mushrooms release their water and the entire mixture begins to caramelize (about 3 minutes).
- Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, italian seasoning, garlic powder, lentils, and bay leaves. Stir to combine (be sure to scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pan).
- Cover and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender.
- Add the nutritional yeast and kale. Stir to combine. Cover again for about 1 min to wilt the kale.
- Taste and add salt and freshly cracked pepper as desired! Serve over whole wheat pasta and garnish with fresh basil and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Calories
211.64Fat (grams)
2.17Sat. Fat (grams)
0.33Carbs (grams)
42.10Fiber (grams)
15.36Net carbs
26.73Sugar (grams)
17.67Protein (grams)
13.77Sodium (milligrams)
408.46Cholesterol (grams)
0.08
About the recipe:
If you’ve been following me for a little while, you will know that I (not so) famously detest lentils. Their texture weirds me out and they have no real taste. So, I always opted for beans over lentils.
This all changed when I went to Cava, a Chipotle-style Mediterranean Grill with lots of plant-based options. One of those options were black lentils. I’d never seen black lentils before, so I gave them a try.
MIND BLOWN!!!! They are totally different than red or yellow lentils. They hold their texture, have a little chew, and, most importantly, don’t dissolve into a pile of mush like other lentils tend to do.
I was so taken with these lentils, I started searching for recipes that utilize them to familiarize myself with common cooking methods and flavor combinations. Once I felt comfortable cooking them, I started using them in my own recipes.
That leads us to this recipe; the first of many black lentil recipes, I’m sure.
Surprisingly, I had a pretty tough time finding these in both Montana and NYC. It seems that only health food stores carry them, and even then it can be hit or miss. If you have a Whole Foods in your town, they carry do black (aka Beluga) lentils for about $2.99/pound (what a steal!). If you don’t have a Whole Foods and your local health food store lets you down, you can substitute french lentils, which have an identical texture and are much easier to find.
Got your lentils ready? Great! Let’s talk recipe notes.
RECIPE NOTES:
The majority of your prep time with this recipe will be spent chopping the veggies. You can save time by using a food processor to chop your mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onion) for you!
Remember to wipe- not rinse- your mushrooms! Use a damp paper towel to remove the growing medium from the mushrooms, rather than rinsing them off. Rinsing causes the mushrooms to absorb more water like cute little sponges, making it nearly impossible to brown and caramelize them.
Fennel! I love it; I use it in a ton of recipes! It used incorrectly, it can be unbelievably overpowering and black licorice-y. Before adding the fennel seed to the pan, either grind it up in a spice grinder or- if you aren’t that fancy, like me- put it in a ziploc bag and bash it repeatedly with a rolling pin. Once you’ve broken up those little seeds, add them to the pan.
Sautéing without oil: To successfully saute your veggies, creating beautiful caramelization and depth of flavor without oil, start with a nonstick pan and heat it over medium heat. Depending on the size of your pan and the kind of heat you have (electric, gas, etc), this can take a while! Test that your pan is nice and hot by sprinkling a few drops of water into it. If the water immediately begins to dance around, it is ready for the mirepoix. While it may be tempting to constantly stir your veggies, resist! Stir them occasionally, but leave them alone for a few minutes at a time so they have direct, prolonged contact with the heat. If you see that pieces are beginning to stick, that’s okay! You can deglaze the pan (ie, scrape up all those little stuck bits) once you add the tomato sauce.
Once the bolognese has been simmering for about 20 minutes, taste it occasionally to determine when the lentils have reached their desired consistency. For firmer, chewier lentils, 20-23 minutes should be enough. For softer lentils, simmer for 25-30 minutes.
I chose to add kale to my bolognese as a way to slip in more cruciferous, leafy greens but this is optional.
Use this bolognese over your favorite whole wheat or brown rice pasta or mix it up by pouring it over a baked potato! This reheats wonderfully and makes a great packed lunch. Will keep in the fridge for 5 days and freezes well too!
If you make this recipe, tag me on Instagram on @notlikemama to let me know what you think! I would love to see your creation!
Looking for more pasta ideas? Check out my Spaghetti Carbonara with Tempeh Bacon, Chickpea Noodle Soup, and Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff!
Happy Cooking,
✌️Courtney