Rice Cooker Vegan Lentil Bolognese
This easy rice cooker vegan lentil bolognese sauce recipe uses simple ingredients. Enjoy a meaty texture—without the meat!
What is “Bolognese”?
The term “Bolognese” is used to describe a meat-based pasta sauce. So vegan Bolognese is a bit of a misnomer. But it accurately describes the meaty texture of this Rice Cooker Vegan Lentil Bolognese recipe.
I have to confess. I’m usually a jarred pasta sauce kind of gal. You can’t beat the convenience, but the health benefits can be questionable. But even before I went plant-based, I avoided jarred meat sauce. Instead, I would brown ground turkey, drain the fat, and mix the meat with a simple jarred marina.
Now, I typically add dark leafy greens and other veggies to jarred pasta sauce. But lately, I’ve been hankering for a meatier texture. And, I decided lentils would be a good substitute. Instead of simply adding cooked lentils to jarred sauce, I decided to work from scratch.
Why Use a Rice Cooker?
This Rice Cooker Vegan Lentil Bolognese recipe isn’t particularly quick, but it is easy to prepare. It takes about 2-3 hours to cook down to a good consistency. You can prepare it on your stovetop, but I recommend using a rice cooker. The rice cooker allows you to walk away, and the beeping at the end of each cycle reminds you to stir the sauce.
The lentils provide a satisfying meaty texture while the peppers, onions, garlic, and spices meld to create a pleasing flavor.
Stovetop Option
Don’t have a rice cooker? Here are the steps to make this recipe on a stovetop:
- Add ingredients to a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cover, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the liquid achieves a thick consistency.
Rice Cooker Vegan Lentil Bolognese
Ingredients
- 28 oz canned whole peeled plum tomatoes – no salt added
- 1 cup green or brown lentils rinsed and sorted
- 8 oz frozen peppers and onions 1/2 of a 16 oz bag – or use the whole bag for extra veggies
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 26 oz Pomi strained tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic granules large, crushed
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. dried basil
- ½ Tbsp. dried parsley
- 2 tsp. fine sea salt
- ½ tsp. garlic granules or garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add can of whole tomatoes to rice cooker. Use the edge of a long handled spoon to break the tomatoes apart into chunks.
- Add remaining ingredients to rice cooker in the order they are listed and stir to mix well.
- Close rice cooker lid and select white rice setting. Depending on your rice cooker model you will likely need to repeat the cook cycle 2-3 times to cook the ingredients down to a sauce consistency. (I run the white rice cycle 3 times on my Aroma rice cooker. About 20 minutes into the first cycle, I carefully open the lid and stir the ingredients and then continue cooking. When the cooker beeps at the end of the first cycle, I carefully stir the contents and select the white rice cook setting again. When the cooker beeps at the end of the second cycle, I carefully stir the contents and select the white rice cook setting a final time. When the cooker beeps at the end of the third cycle I give the contents another stir and leave the cooker on “keep warm” until ready to serve.)The sauce is done when the lentils are tender and the liquid achieves a thick consistency.
- Serve over cooked pasta, rice or quinoa.
Notes
Nutrition
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I wish I new how to make this in my instant pot. Any ideas? Thanks!
That’s a great question Trixie. I’m not entirely sure how it would work in an Instant Pot because the steam needs to escape for the sauce to cook down… Although you could probably use less broth in an instant pot and get similar results. I haven’t been brave enough to try it… But I just might have to!
can I use another 28 oz can of tomatoes (strained) in place of Pomi tomatoes?
Yes – that should be fine.