This red lentil vegan "ragu" is such a comforting pasta sauce! You can use any type of lentil for this recipe and I often switch it up but my preferred lentils for this recipe are red split lentils. They cook really quickly and they have a "meaty" texture while still being a little smaller than brown or green lentils. If you are new to cooking with lentils... this is a fantastic recipe to start with! It's:
Just 10 ingredients
So full of flavour
Made with pantry staples
Comforting
"Meaty"
With a touch of spice!
And... it costs us less than $5 to make!
The 10 Ingredients For This Vegan Ragu
The 10 ingredients I use in this recipe are part of my pantry staples and always stocked in my kitchen. Check out my pantry tips page and subscribe for our newsletter in the side bar to get a free pdf with handy tips and bonus recipes.
In this red lentil vegan "ragu" I use:
- Red split lentils
- Walnuts
- Red Onion
- Garlic
- Salt
- Tomato Paste (TIP: store leftover tomato paste in a jar in your freezer!)
- Canned Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce (leftovers last for 1-2 months in your fridge!)
- Ground Cumin
- Vegetable Broth (use our nearly free homemade veggie broth for extra savings)
- And Marinara Sauce (or tomato sauce of choice)
I always hated making recipes that called for tomato paste because I would buy the smallest can and inevitably there would be leftover and it would go to waste. Now... I put that leftover tomato paste in a small glass jar in my freezer! Whenever I need it, I just let it thaw for a couple minutes and scrape out what I need. It melts in the recipe I'm making and works perfectly!
Similarly, I would avoid recipes that called for chipotle peppers in adobo sauce because it was a new ingredient for me and I figured I wouldn't use them enough to justify buying a can. But... when I finally bought them, I loved them, AND I realized I could store the leftovers in a glass jar in my fridge and they last for up to 2 months! They are now one of my go-to ways to add a deep, smoky, spicy flavour to my cooking! Check out how I use them in all these recipes!
How To Make This Red Lentil Vegan Ragu
This recipe can be ready in 45 minutes or less.
- Rinse and drain the lentils (you can leave them soaking for 15 minutes if you'd like).
- Toast the walnuts for 5-6 minutes, allow to cool, then grind them into a meal.
- Saute the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste, chipotle peppers, and cumin. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the broth, drained lentils, and walnuts. Bring to a low boil, reduce to a simmer.
- Cook for 15 minutes (uncovered) until the broth reduces.
- Add the tomato sauce and continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce is heated through and has reached your desired consistency. Feel free to add more tomato sauce or broth as desired.
Serving This Red Lentil Vegan Ragu
For these photos we served this easy red lentil vegan "ragu" over Chickapea brand spaghetti noodles. These noodles are gluten-free and made entirely from chickpeas and lentils. These can be a great option for anyone needing gluten-free or higher protein pastas!
Great ways to serve this "ragu" are:
Over your favourite Italian pasta
With zucchini noodles
Or spaghetti squash
It might even be just thick enough for a "sloppy joe" (Bryan's pretty excited to get a sloppy joe recipe on the blog)!
We love making our super quick Easiest Vegan Garlic Bread to go alongside this "ragu".
Price Comparison To Traditional Ragu
This recipe serves 6 and costs us approximately: CAD $4.35 using our homemade vegetable broth!
Using 3 cups of a store-bought broth brings our cost for this recipe to: CAD $6.63.
1 cup of red split lentils costs us roughly $0.36 vs. roughly $4-$6 for 1 pound ground beef.
I call this recipe a "ragu" in quotations because the traditional sauce is most often made with meat, red wine, and includes carrots and celery. This recipe is certainly my take on a "ragu" and you can feel free to replace ½ cup of the broth with red wine and add in any other vegetables you'd like!
Let me know in the comments below if you try this red lentil vegan "ragu" and how you like it! I always love to hear what substitutions and adjustments you make to suit your taste. Enjoy!
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Red Lentil "Ragu" With A Kick - 10 Simple Ingredients
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
With just 10 ingredients this easy red lentil vegan "ragu" is so full of flavour, has a comforting "meaty" texture, and a touch of spice!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry red split lentils (rinsed and drained. See notes if using cooked lentils)
- ½ cup ground walnuts, toasted (see notes for nut free suggestions)
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Sprinkle of salt
- 1-2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, chopped (or spice of your choice)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 3 cups vegetable broth (homemade for extra savings)
- 440ml marinara sauce, or tomato sauce of choice
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- Rinse and drain lentils (or leave them soaking for 15 minutes or so).
- Toast the walnuts in the oven at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant. Allow to cool and grind into a fine meal.
- In a large saute pan, saute the onion and garlic in broth or oil for 2-3 minutes until browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
- Add the tomato paste, chipotle peppers, and cumin. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the broth, lentils, and walnuts. Bring to a low boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Keep the pan uncovered so that the broth reduces.
- Add tomato sauce and simmer for another 15 minutes or until your desired consistency is reached.
- Serve over pasta, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash. Try grating macadamia nuts or cashews over the dish for a Quick Vegan Parmesan "Cheese". Our Easiest Vegan Garlic Bread is a great quick weeknight side!
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $4.35 using homemade vegetable broth and $6.63 using store-bought broth. 1 cup red split lentils cost us roughly $0.36 vs. $3.94 - $6.03 for ground beef.
I often make this recipe with frozen green or brown lentils that I previously cooked. If using cooked lentils; saute the garlic and onion. Add the tomato paste, chipotle peppers, and cumin. Add in 2-3 cups cooked lentils, walnuts, marinara sauce, and ½ cup vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until heated through. Add more broth or sauce for desired consistency if needed.
The walnuts help thicken this sauce and they add a nice toasty and nutty flavour. If you need a nut free version you can omit the walnuts and I would suggest decreasing the amount of broth by at least ½ cup. You can add more broth as the lentils cook if it seems like they are getting too dry. You could also try replacing the walnuts with something like finely diced carrots, crumbled tofu, or even a couple tablespoons of ground seeds (sunflower, flax, or hemp would all soak up some of the broth and add texture to the sauce). Let me know if you give any of these suggestions a try in the comments below!
You can omit the tomato paste if you prefer. It helps to thicken the sauce and adds concentrated flavour but the recipe will work without it.
For a more traditional ragu you could replace ½ cup of the broth with ½ cup red wine. Adding diced carrots and celery would also be closer to the traditional. Let me know how you make it in the comments below!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Maria
Thank you for another delicious recipe! I made this simple and easy lentil ragu, took one bite and was amazed. It was not what I expected. It was much better! The end result of combining the toasted walnuts, cumin and chipotle pepper is absolutely divine. I highly recommend using the chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. I found that just 1 gave this sauce the perfect “kick” for me and my family.
Kathryn Alexandre
Thank you so much for trying it and letting me know you loved it. Divine is certainly a nice word to hear! I hope it becomes one you'll come back to!
Katie
Absolutely love your recipe. I have made this twice now and each time my partner has raved about it. I think he would happily eat it every meal.
Cannot wait to try your other recipes.
Thank you!
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh fantastic! I'm so glad you both love it! Thank you so much for letting me know and for the star review. It really means a lot. Always keep me posted on the recipes you try and anything you'd love to see on the blog!
Angela
I made this and craved the leftovers like crazy the next day!! I'm not vegan and don't even like lentils, but the photo of this recipe was just too appealing not to try. I warned my husband, a meat loving Southern man, that he probably wouldn't like dinner that night...but guess what? He had three helpings! We both absolutely loved it and are now so excited to try some other recipes from your website. Thank you for this new favorite and for all the care you put into your recipes and videos!
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh that's so wonderful to hear! haha thank you so much for taking a chance and trying my recipe! I'm so glad you both wanted more - that's the best thing we could hear! We really appreciate the star rating and your wonderful comments. Always let me know how you like anything you try and what kind of recipes would be helpful to see!
Sheelagh
Another great recipe - thank you! It's kind of wild how this plant-based ragu tastes even better than the traditional meat-based variety. So nourishing and flavourful. I didn't have the chipotle peppers so used crushed red pepper and a tiny dash of smoked paprika and it was delicious!
Kathryn Alexandre
Those sound like great substitutes. I'm so glad you loved this recipe and made it your own! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it.
Lauren
So yummy! We tried this tonight for the first time and loved it. If I didn’t make this and only tasted it, I would definitely think it was a meat sauce. Can’t wait for leftovers and future batches!
Kathryn Alexandre
This is great to hear! It's one that has stayed in our regular rotation too. Thank you so much for trying it and do enjoy the leftovers!!
McKenna
Another fantastic recipe! I had already made this before I noticed that it was recommended to me on one of my other reviews. It was so flavorful and had a nice texture. So many lentil recipes I find are soups and curries so this was a nice alternative. The tip about freezing tomato paste was really helpful. I can't wait to keep trying more of your recipes, thank you!
Kathryn Alexandre
Thank you so much for this review! I'm glad this is another one that has a flavour profile you love with the chipotle peppers in there. I love using lentils in so many different ways so it's good for me to know that you appreciate some alternatives to soups and curries. Since I've moved cross country I've been finding tomato paste in tubes is much more accessible and it's a little easier to keep leftovers in the fridge but I don't love how difficult squeezing the tube can be! So buying it canned and freezing the leftovers is still a great workaround I think. I'm glad you found that tip helpful!
Ashley
We love this sauce so much! The chipotle pepper flavour is so good and love the texture that the walnuts give it. I made it for my parents - who definitely love a meat sauce on their spaghetti - and they loved it too! This is made on repeat in our house.
Kathryn Alexandre
It's so good to hear that your parents enjoyed it as well! Thank you so much for letting me know it's a repeat recipe! This is one that still makes an appearance for us every month as well.
Janet
Made this one for a pot luck -not vegan. I’m sure they will like it as much as I do. Delicious!
Kathryn Alexandre
Awesome! This is usually one that goes over well with non-vegans so I hope there's none left at the end of the event! Thank you so much for letting me know and for sharing it!
Janet
There was none left!
Kathryn Alexandre
That's the best!🥰
Michelle Belanger
This was one of the tastiest recipes I’ve made for my family. We’ve made it several times already.
Kathryn Alexandre
So glad to hear that you all love it Michelle and it's a repeat for you! Thank you so much for letting me know and for leaving a lovely star rating!
Anne-Marie
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I'm a vegetarian and my husband is not, but luckily he enjoys vegetarian/vegan food and even requests it. We both loved this dish and as he put it; it was outstanding!!
Kathryn Alexandre
👏Awesome! I'm so glad to hear you both loved it. I hope it will be a repeat one for you! Thank you so much for giving it a try and letting me know it was a hit!
Kirsten
I have a mixed household - 2 vegans, 1 vegetarian, and 1 standard meat eater, so finding recipes that all four of us like is extremely challenging. This one worked for all four of us! So delicious!
I did not have the chipotle peppers in adobo on hand so I subbed out 2 roasted red peppers and a 1/2 tsp. of smoked paprika, and it worked great! Thank you for this fabulous dish. I can't wait to try more of your recipes.
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh I love that substitution you made. Thank you so much for leaving it here for others to read as well. I'm thrilled you all enjoyed this recipe and it's one that you can keep in the rotation to satisfy everyone. Thank you so much for letting me know and for leaving a lovely star review!
Laura D
This was amazing and so easy to follow. Love that it is made from
Ingredients I always have on hand. Luckily, I always have some frozen chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and tomato paste because whenever I open a tin that doesn’t get finished. I freeze leftovers on a cookie sheet in portions and then throw it into a container. So glad I do that because that meant I had everything I needed for this recipe. I was shocked at how much the cumin and chipotle peppers flavoured the sauce while still making it taste like a Ragu
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh wonderful! I'm so glad you loved this one and it was easy to throw together! I love your idea of freezing those in portions on a cookie sheet. I usually just freeze them in a jar and then I have to scrape out what I need! I'm always blown away by how much flavour chipotle peppers and cumin lend so I'm glad you found the same and you were able to make this recipe without any substitutions! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a lovely 5 star review!
Kristin
I could tell this was going to be good and indeed, it is fantastic straight out of the pan! An immediate fave of the many, many red lentil recipes i've made, and also just as good AND far easier as some complicated veg bolognese recipes i've tried. I subbed a 14oz can of diced tomatoes for the marinara, used water instead of broth, and added a few sundried tomatoes. I cooked in 10.5" cast iron frying pan and it did all fit (and the width helps with evaporation to thicken up the sauce). Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I had never been to your site before and am excited now to check it out!
Kathryn Alexandre
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Kristin and you found it easy to prepare! Thanks so much for letting us know how you adjusted the recipe and I'm thrilled that you're looking forward to trying some other dishes! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a lovely 5 star review!
Kelly
Wow this is so delicious. I can see I will be making this on repeat. I am serving it this week on top of baked sweet potatoes.
Kathryn Alexandre
That's a cool idea! Thank you so much for letting me know this will be a repeat one for you and for taking the time to leave a lovely 5 star rating! Enjoy!
Brigitte
This is a great recipe. I substituted the walnuts for sunflower seeds (that's what I had) lightly crushed fennel seeds instead of cumin (that's what I love) and canned crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. I was agreeably surprised of how easy and fast it was to make and delicious because of the seeds (nuts).
Thank you
Brigitte
Kathryn Alexandre
Great substitutes Brigitte! I’m so glad you enjoyed the depth and nuttiness that those nuts/seeds bring to it. I’m glad you were able to be creative with it!