Hearty Mushroom + Lentil Ragu
Packed with protein and fiber, this vegan Mushroom & Lentil Ragu is hearty, savory, and comforting! It’s perfect over a bed of pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.
This vegan Hearty Mushroom + Lentil Ragu recipe is a delicious and nutritious option for plant-based eaters. The combination of mushrooms and lentils in a flavorful tomato sauce creates a satisfying and filling meal!
The aroma alone smells delicious and once you take your first bite, you’ll be hooked. I had seconds and thirds. Seriously!
Why We Love This Recipe!
- Lentil stew is packed with protein, fiber, and other essential vitamins to help keep you stay plant strong and loving it!
- It’s a straightforward dish that’s easy to assemble and will be ready in under an hour!
Give it a try and enjoy a hearty and healthy dinner tonight!
Ingredients You’ll Need
In this recipe, onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, and lentils are simmered until tender with herbs and robust red wine for a savory ragu served with pasta for a hearty vegan main dish.
Here is everything you will need:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Mushrooms – If you don’t like mushrooms, feel free to substitute with chopped red bell pepper, zucchini, or celery.
- Red pepper flakes
- Dried oregano or herbes de Provence
- Lentils – Use brown, green, or puy.
- Diced tomatoes – If you don’t have fresh or canned tomatoes on hand, sub in a jar (25 oz) of organic pasta sauce of choice.
- Vegetable broth – We recommend a low-sodium veg broth.
- Full-bodied red wine – Can sub with veg broth or water or veggie broth. If using wine, feel free to add more, as it gives a wonderful flavor!
- Tomato paste
- Salt + pepper
- Pasta – Use pasta of choice. I used fettuccine here, but I’ve also used all kinds of other pasta with this ragu. Try pappardelle, linguine, penne, rigatoni, elbow, spaghetti, etc.
- Parsley
How To Make Vegan Mushroom + Lentil Ragu
Making mushroom and lentil ragu is easy as can be!
- In a large dutch oven, heat oil or water over medium heat, add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, and oregano, and saute for 4 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to soften.
- Add lentils, tomatoes, vegetable broth, and wine.
- Give a good stir, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 35 – 40 minutes, until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Toward the end of cooking time, cook pasta according to package directions.
And that’s it – this vegan ragu is a keeper and a welcome addition to the recipe collection!
How To Store + Reheat
- Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
- Freezer: This lentil ragu is freezer friendly and freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link), leaving 1/2 inch head space for expansion. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags (remove as much air as possible before zip locking). Let thaw before reheating.
- Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat in the microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals, stirring after each, until warm.
Serving Suggestions
Ragu is commonly served with pasta, but here you’ll find a few more ways to serve it for variation. Also included are a few compatible side ideas you might like.
- Serve over pasta of choice, top with chopped parsley or basil, and a light dusting of Almond Parmesan.
- Serve over gently warmed zucchini noodles for a lighter fare.
- Try serving it over a bed of Mashed Potatoes or polenta for variation.
- Serve with a side house salad using Healthy Flax & Evo Balsamic Vinaigrette, Creamy Lemon Herb Hemp Dressing, or Vegan Ranch.
- Pair with a bowl of Vegan Minestrone or Tomato Basil Soup.
- Serve with a slice of homemade No Knead Bread or gluten-free Socca.
More Hearty Recipes!
- Mushroom Bourguignon
- Vegan One-Pot Penne Pasta with Mushrooms & Sausage
- Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese With Peas
- Quick N’ Healthy Chickpea + Vegetable Pasta
If you try this mushroom + lentil ragu recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintHEARTY LENTIL & MUSHROOM RAGU
Packed with protein and fiber, this vegan mushroom and lentil ragu is hearty, savory and comforting!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Entree, Pasta
- Method: saute, simmer
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water for water saute
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced or diced
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano or herbes de provence
- 1 1/2 cups lentils (brown, green or puy)
- 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes (see notes)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup full-bodied red wine
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- mineral salt & cracked pepper, to taste
- 16 oz. pasta of choice (linguine, fettuccine, pappardelle, rigatoni, etc.)
- chopped parsley, to serve
Instructions
In a large dutch oven/pot, heat oil or water over medium heat, add onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, mushrooms, red pepper flakes and oregano, saute for 4 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to soften.
Add lentils, tomatoes, vegetable broth and wine, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes, until lentils are tender. Add more water/broth or wine as needed.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Serve ragu over pasta. Top with chopped parsley and a light dusting of Almond Parmesan.
Serves 6
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a covered container. To keep longer, store in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months.
Notes
If you don’t have canned tomatoes on hand, sub in a jar (25 oz) of organic pasta sauce of choice.
Use whatever pasta you like. I’ve served this with all kinds of pasta types. Even zucchini noodles would be great!
If not using wine, replace with water or veggie broth. If using wine, feel free to add more, it gives a wonderful flavor!
If you don’t like mushrooms, sub in a small diced red bell pepper, small diced zucchini or 1/2 cup diced celery.
If you don’t have tomato paste on hand, sub with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water. Add to the pot, stirring well, 15 minutes before cooking time is up. If you don’t want to use either, the ragu will be fine, it’s just to thicken it up a bit.Â
Looking for vegan wine, take a look at this great resource! Barnivore: Vegan Wine Directory
Nutrition information has been calculated without the pasta.
Updated: Mushroom + Lentil Ragu was originally published in August 2014. It has been retested and updated with new photos and helpful tips in March 2020. The only changes made to the recipe was to use tomato paste in place of cornstarch as a thickener (see notes in recipe card for old version).
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Very delicious!! Happy with the finished product. This was our first vegetarian dinner and the first of many.
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Cheers to many more! :)
One of my favorite from the simple-veganista!
Delicious as usual! You’re recipes are always creative and fantastic.
Made this tonight and loved it…I didn't have any pasta so I served it with baked polenta which was great! My question is…can I freeze portions of the ragu?
The polenta sounds great! I haven't tried freezing this but I would guess that it will be just fine.
I made this tonight and it is amazing, my husband loves it! Thank you so much :)
Renee, Nova Scotia
I absolutely love lentils as bolognese on pasta. This is amazing! xo Elisa
And i'm doing this tonight!
That looks awesome! I love ragu, this variation sounds good :)
Thank you!
Yum!! I am excited to make this and serve it over spaghetti squash "pasta" :)
That sounds perfect! Love spaghetti squash! ♥
Congratulations on your second Blogiversary!! I too happen to be living off nothing for lack of store trips. This looks fantastic, more lentils is never a bad thing!
Thank you Katie! I have seemed to have also written 'blogiversary' wrong. LOL Changing it now! I have a full pantry so it wasn't so hard but I love looking in my refrigerator now…the color is back!