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.
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.
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!
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.
- 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.
STEP 1. Prep (peel and dice) all the vegetables and put them in the slow cooker.
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.
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.
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
Slow Cooker Lentil Bolognese
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
Equipment
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
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.
Elizabeth says
Mmm proper winter comfort food here! Thanks for sharing with the credit crunch munch!
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Elizabeth, I didn’t manage to get any finished photos as it was eaten too quickly – must make it again and take some!
manjirichitnis says
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 !
bakingqueen74 says
I love the texture they add too, perfect to thicken up a stew!
munchiesandmunchkins says
Oh I do love a good spag Bol and I’m really enjoying lentils lately too. Have shared on all channels.xx
bakingqueen74 says
Love the fact they are so cheap, thanks for sharing
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
I need to use my slow cooker more. It looks rather good.
bakingqueen74 says
I love being able to chuck some ingredients in in the morning then being able to forget about it until dinner time
helenroastchickenandacountrywalk says
Me too me too – love lentils – and also love doing cheap but packed-with-flavour dishes! Helen x
fabfood4all says
Fabulous, I shall definitely be trying this soon! Thanks for a great #CreditCrunchMunch entry:-)
bakingqueen74 says
Marvellous, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
loverofcreatingflavours says
This looks delicious, right up my street. I am going to make it next week.