Vegan Lentil Marinara
In this recipe for Lentil Marinara I make my favorite marinara sauce even healthier by adding peppery, delicious French lentils. There's no added oil here; instead, use vegetable broth for flavor and depth.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian fusion, nut-free, Pasta, Soy-free
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 108kcal
- 1 cup French lentils
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed, then cut into thin slivers
- 28 oz San Marzano Tomatoes (or any plum tomatoes. Crushed the canned tomatoes into a coarse puree with your fingers. San Marzano tomatoes are best in a marinara, but if you can't use these, sub with an equal amount of canned plum tomatoes)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp oregano (Use 4-5 basil leaves for a variation)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable stock (see recipe notes)
Wash the French lentils and place in a saucepan covered with at least two inches of water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and cook 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoon of the vegetable stock. Add the garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until the water dries up and the garlic is fragrant. This should take no more than 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with all the juices, red pepper flakes and oregano. Add the remaining one cup of vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Stir well and let the sauce cook for 15 minutes. The sauce should have patches of bright orange liquid on top.
Stir in the cooked lentils. Season with salt and add ground black pepper if desired. Let the sauce cook another five minutes, stirring it a couple of times.
Serve hot over a bed of pasta.
- Click here for a recipe for homemade vegetable stock. If you want to be completely oil-free, skip the step for sauteeing the veggies.
Calories: 108kcal | Protein: 7.3g | Fat: 0.5g | Potassium: 484mg | Fiber: 8.7g | Sugar: 3.2g | Vitamin A: 1550IU | Vitamin C: 21.5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2.2mg