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    Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Mains

    Published on Feb 18, 2015. Modified on Jan 30, 2024 by bakingqueen74. This post may contain affiliate links. 12 Comments

    Slow Cooker Lentil Bolognese

    99 shares
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    Jump to Recipe

    A frugal but delicious meal to warm you up in winter. This slow cooker lentil bolognese was a hit with my kids and is now on my regular meal rota.

    Bowl of lentil Bolognese with pasta garnished with fresh herbs and shredded cheese.

    This lentil bolognese combines red lentils with lots of vegetables to produce a really filling and comforting meal.

    The ingredients you’ll need for this dish are healthy and cheap too!

    Red lentils are a good source of protein so work really well in vegetarian dishes.

    Slow cooker inner pot with red lentil pasta sauce.

    Going meat-free is a great idea with this Italian-inspired dish, we love to grate cheese over the top of ours. If you want to keep it vegan you can use a plant-based cheese and do the same!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Method
    • Top tip
    • Storage and reheating
    • Freezing
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need for this slow cooker lentil bolognese. You’ll find the quantities together with the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

    Labelled ingredients for lentil bolognese on wooden background.
    • red onion
    • sweet potato – sweet potato makes the lentil bolognese really filling and help to thicken the sauce as the sweet potato breaks down during cooking.
    • butternut squash – a soft texture makes this great for meals for the family, it will also soften down during cooking.
    • carrots, red pepper – if you like add in other vegetables, depending on what you find in the fridge!
    • tinned chopped tomatoes
    • tomato purée
    • vegetable stock cube
    • red lentils – there is no need to pre-cook red split lentils before using them. They double in size during cooking making this a really filling veggie dish.
    • mixed herbs – I like to use the Italian style herbs with oregano etc
    • basil – either dried added during cooking or you can use fresh basil and add it near the end instead.

    Method

    Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this lentil bolognese recipe perfectly every time.

    Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

    Chopped veggies in slow cooker pot.

    STEP 1. Prep (peel and dice) all the vegetables and put them in the slow cooker.

    Lentil bolognese ingredients in slow cooker, before cooking.

    STEP 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.

    STEP 3. Put on the lid and cook for approximately 4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low, or until the lentils have fully softened.

    Check the lentils haven’t absorbed too much water during cooking (causing an overly thick sauce). If they have, you can add a little water to loosen up the sauce. Or, if you need to thicken the sauce (just in case, shouldn’t be necessary), you can either turn to high and leave the lid off for the last hour, or use cornflour made up as per instructions on pack.

    Side view of grey bowl of pasta with red lentil bolognese sauce, with grated cheese on top.

    STEP 4. Serve with pasta (or rice), with grated cheese on top (use a vegan cheese to keep this vegan, if needed). Optionally add a green vegetable such as broccoli on the side.

    Top tip

    Do season the dish with salt and pepper before serving. Don’t add salt at the start of cooking though as this can make lentils go hard.

    Lentil sauce on pasta swirls in a grey bowl, basil garnish.

    Storage and reheating

    The cooked lentil bolognese keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, in a lidded container.

    Reheat it either in a saucepan on the hob or by heating in the microwave until piping hot.

    Freezing

    This is an ideal dish to batch cook and freeze for an easy meal another day. Freeze any extra in portions, in a lidded plastic container. Defrost overnight in the fridge then follow the reheating guidelines above.

    Recipe

    Grey bowl of pasta topped with red lentil bolognese sauce, with basil garnish.

    Slow Cooker Lentil Bolognese

    A vegan slow cooker bolognese sauce made with red lentils to provide a comforting and warming dish that works all year round. So economical too!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, British
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 4 hours hours
    Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 261kcal
    Author: Lucy Allen | BakingQueen74

    Ingredients

    • 1 red onion peeled and chopped
    • 1 sweet potato peeled and chopped
    • 200 g butternut squash peeled and chopped
    • 2 carrots peeled and diced
    • 1 red pepper sliced
    • 1 tin chopped tomatoes 400 g / 14 ounces
    • 2 tbsp tomato purée
    • 1 vegetable stock cube
    • 500 ml water
    • 150 g red lentils
    • 1 tsp Italian herbs
    • 1 tsp dried basil or use fresh and add it near the end
    UK Measurements – US Measurements

    Equipment

    oval slow cooker
    oval slow cooker

    Instructions 

    • Prep all the vegetables and put them in the slow cooker.
      1 red onion, 1 sweet potato, 200 g butternut squash, 2 carrots, 1 red pepper
    • Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
      1 tin chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 vegetable stock cube, 500 ml water, 150 g red lentils, 1 tsp Italian herbs, 1 tsp dried basil
    • Cook for 4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.
    • Check the lentils haven't absorbed too much water during cooking. if they have, add a little water to loosen the sauce.
    • If you need to thicken the sauce (you shouldn't need to but all slow cookers differ and the red lentils may not absorb the same amount of liquid) you can either turn to high and leave the lid off for the last hour, or use cornflour made up as per instructions on pack if required.
    • Serve with pasta or rice, with some cheese grated on the top, and a green vegetable such as broccoli.
    • Freeze any extra in portions.

    Notes

    Storage and reheating
    The cooked lentil bolognese keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, in a lidded container.
    Reheat it either in a saucepan on the hob or by heating in the microwave until piping hot.
    Freezing
    This is an ideal dish to batch cook and freeze for an easy meal another day. Freeze any extra in portions, in a lidded plastic container. Defrost overnight in the fridge then follow the reheating guidelines above
    Did you try and love this recipe?Then please leave a star rating and comment below to let me know how you got on!

    I’m linking up to Credit Crunch Munch from Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 All, hosted this month by Elizabeth from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary. Using lentils to replace meat brings the cost of this bolognese right down, and using a slow cooker is cheaper than using an oven.

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      Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elizabeth says

      March 01, 2015 at 9:11 am

      Mmm proper winter comfort food here! Thanks for sharing with the credit crunch munch!

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        March 03, 2015 at 5:07 pm

        Thanks Elizabeth, I didn’t manage to get any finished photos as it was eaten too quickly – must make it again and take some!

        Reply
    2. manjirichitnis says

      February 19, 2015 at 2:23 pm

      I love red lentils and they are definitely a great way to bilk up dishes without loss of flavour making any dish so good and frugal !

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        February 19, 2015 at 9:32 pm

        I love the texture they add too, perfect to thicken up a stew!

        Reply
    3. munchiesandmunchkins says

      February 19, 2015 at 12:00 pm

      Oh I do love a good spag Bol and I’m really enjoying lentils lately too. Have shared on all channels.xx

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        February 19, 2015 at 9:33 pm

        Love the fact they are so cheap, thanks for sharing

        Reply
    4. Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says

      February 19, 2015 at 8:19 am

      I need to use my slow cooker more. It looks rather good.

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        February 19, 2015 at 9:34 pm

        I love being able to chuck some ingredients in in the morning then being able to forget about it until dinner time

        Reply
    5. helenroastchickenandacountrywalk says

      February 18, 2015 at 5:08 pm

      Me too me too – love lentils – and also love doing cheap but packed-with-flavour dishes! Helen x

      Reply
    6. fabfood4all says

      February 18, 2015 at 11:16 am

      Fabulous, I shall definitely be trying this soon! Thanks for a great #CreditCrunchMunch entry:-)

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        February 19, 2015 at 9:36 pm

        Marvellous, I hope you enjoy it 🙂

        Reply
    7. loverofcreatingflavours says

      February 18, 2015 at 9:03 am

      This looks delicious, right up my street. I am going to make it next week.

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Lucy! I'm a slow cooker addict, food blogger and also a busy working mum of two. I hope you'll enjoy the recipes I create and post which are perfect for busy families.

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