By Claire Tansey
This vegan recipe probably seems a long way from beefy bolognese sauce, but that’s what inspired it. There’s no meat, butter, milk or cheese here, but with a rich sauce flavoured by wine and by fresh and dried mushrooms, this dish has a similar vibe. I treat it the same way and serve it over pasta or creamy polenta.
I like to leave this sauce un-puréed to show off the lentils, but it can also be fully puréed if there is a lentil skeptic at your table. The crispy pangritata garnish (can’t go wrong with breadcrumbs!) is optional but so fun, and a great way to use up stale bread.
Mushroom and Lentil Ragu
This vegan recipe for Mushroom and Lentil Ragu probably seems a long way from beefy bolognese sauce, but that’s what inspired it.
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 14 g dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 500 g white mushrooms (about 20)
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 28 oz can whole tomatoes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 5 1/2 oz can tomato paste
- 19 oz can lentils, drained
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- Pangritata (optional)
Instructions
- Place the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and pour 1 cup (250 mL) of boiling water over them. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes. Fish out the mushrooms and save the soaking liquid. Chop the mushrooms finely. Reserve.
- Heat the canola oil in a large, wide pot over medium low. Add the onions, celery and salt; cook, stirring often, until the onions are nearly translucent and a bit golden, about 10 minutes. While that’s cooking, grate the white mushrooms on the large holes of a box grater (if you’re left with any big chunks just give them a quick chop). Add the white mushrooms and garlic to the onion mixture. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms release their moisture and the mixture becomes mostly dry, about 10 minutes.
- Add the mushroom soaking liquid to the pot, keeping back any sediment left in the bottom of the bowl. Crush the tomatoes, with scissors or your hands, and then add them and their juices to the pot along with the wine, tomato paste, lentils, rosemary and reserved chopped rehydrated mushrooms. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer vigorously, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- If you like, purée about half of the mixture (either purée partly with an immersion blender, or take some out, purée in a blender and add it back to the pot). Stir in the canola oil. Serve over pasta or polenta and sprinkle with pangritata.
Video
Notes
TIP: Pangritata is known as “poor man’s Parmesan” in Italy, but it’s an ingenious, vegan way to add a sprinkle of flavour and texture where you might usually use Parmesan. To make it, process one or two slices of stale bread in a blender until it’s in coarse crumbs. For 1 cup (250 mL) of breadcrumbs, heat 1/4 cup (60 mL) of canola oil in a small pan over medium high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until the breadcrumbs are dark golden and crispy (anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes). Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a bit of salt. This can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Sprinkle over the ragu just before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Mushroom and Lentil Ragu
Amount per Serving
Calories
347
% Daily Value*
Fat
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
5
g
Monounsaturated Fat
9
g
Sodium
801
mg
35
%
Potassium
1212
mg
35
%
Carbohydrates
36
g
12
%
Fiber
11
g
46
%
Sugar
11
g
12
%
Protein
13
g
26
%
Vitamin A
568
IU
11
%
Vitamin C
23
mg
28
%
Calcium
83
mg
8
%
Iron
6
mg
33
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Reprinted by permission.
