Healthy Beef and Lentil Bolognese (Printable Version)

Nutritious Italian-style sauce blending lean beef, lentils, and vegetables for a wholesome protein-packed meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz lean ground beef

→ Legumes

02 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
08 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste

→ Liquids

10 - 3 cups low-sodium beef or vegetable broth
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Herbs & Spices

12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 tsp dried basil
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Optional Garnishes

17 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (for serving)
18 - Grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. Sauté for 6-8 minutes until softened.
02 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink.
04 - Stir in tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes.
05 - Add lentils, diced tomatoes with juice, and broth. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and sauce is thickened. Add more broth or water if needed.
07 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf.
08 - Serve hot over whole wheat pasta, zucchini noodles, or rice. Garnish with fresh herbs and Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lentils create this incredible velvety texture that makes the sauce feel richer than it actually is
  • You get all the comfort of traditional Bolognese with twice the fiber and way less kitchen guilt
  • It makes enough for six generous servings and actually tastes better the next day
02 -
  • I once forgot to rinse my lentils and ended up with tiny grit in my sauce, so please don't skip that quick rinse step
  • The sauce will continue thickening as it cools, so if it seems perfect while simmering, it might be too thick later
  • If your lentils aren't tender after 40 minutes, add more broth and keep cooking, dried lentils can vary wildly in cooking time
03 -
  • Chop all your vegetables before you start cooking, once you hit the stove things move quickly
  • If you have time, let the sauce cool completely before refrigerating, this allows the flavors to meld even more
  • A little extra broth is always better than not enough, you can always simmer longer to reduce

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