Hearty Vegetable Marinara with Lentils
The sauce is richly flavorful, easy to throw together even on a weeknight, and full of fiber and vegetarian protein from those powerhouse lentils.
Ingredients
Lentils
- ¾ cups dry lentils, rinsed I use green lentils
- 2½ cups water or vegetable broth I used water and one heaping teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
- 1 bay leaf
Everything Else
- 1½ cups carrot, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp pepper, freshly ground plus more to taste
- pasta or polenta for serving
Instructions
Lentils
- In a medium saucepan bring the lentils, water or vegetable broth, salt, garlic, and bay leaf to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, cover your pan and reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until they are almost done but still have a slight bite. You don't want mushy lentils. Drain and set aside.
Everything Else
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, sauté carrot, onion, and celery until softened, 10-15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, one minute. Add a splash of water, if needed, to prevent sticking or burning.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, salt and pepper, lentils, and one cup of water to the sautéed vegetables. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, and serve over cooked pasta or polenta.
Notes
- I use Better Than Bouillon chicken base here because we're not vegetarian, and I enjoy that flavor. However, their vegetable version is great too.
- If you're really short on time, you could cook your lentils ahead of time or even use pre-cooked/canned lentils.
- I personally like to use an immersion blender at the end for a smoother sauce. I also think my picky little eaters prefer it. It gives the finished sauce a more meaty texture.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!