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    Home » Dinner

    Lentil Ragu

    AU$1.89 | £0.61 per serve
    By Robyn | Published: Sep 30, 2021 | Modified: Oct 11, 2022

    TO THE RECIPE
    pin for lentil ragu, and easy vegan recipe, showing two photos of the ragu served with pasta in a bowl sprinkled with fresh parsley

    This vegan lentil ragu with sweet butternut squash and green lentils is a delicious protein rich dinner, and perfect healthy comfort food for cold winter evenings. Taking just 10 minutes to prepare, it can be made ahead and frozen too.

    overhead photo of lentil ragu served in a bowl with bow tie pasta.

    There is nothing better than a bowl of this steaming hot ragu on a cold winters night! The butternut squash adds a slight sweetness that my family loves, and adds an extra serving of veggies, which I love! I have seen many vegan ragu recipes which include mushrooms, and whilst we love them, this lentil ragu recipe is made without mushrooms.

    Jump to:
    • Why we love this recipe
    • Ingredients Notes
    • FAQ
    • My Recipe Tips
    • How to serve ragu
    • Storage
    • Ideas for leftover ragu
    • More lentil recipes for you
    • More vegan dinners your family will love!
    • Lentil Ragu

    Why we love this recipe

    • Great meal prep recipe – it keeps well stored in the fridge and is Freezer friendly too…
    • …which also makes it perfect for batch cooking
    • Hearty, comforting, and healthy – full of protein rich lentils and vegetables.
    • Gluten free and vegan

    Ingredients Notes

    • Green lentils – I like using green lentils, but you can also use brown lentils. If using brown lentils, reduce the cooking time by 10-15 minutes.
    • Butternut squash – adds a sweetness to the ragu. You can use pumpkin instead.
    • Stock – vegetable stock, or if you are not vegan, chicken stock works well.
    • Tinned tomatoes – canned diced tomatoes, or use canned/tinned plum tomatoes and break them down with a spoon.
    side angled view of green lentil ragu in a light coloured bowl, a fork positioned ready to eat it.

    FAQ

    Are green and brown lentils the same?

    Green lentils are more peppery in taste than brown lentils, and take around 15 minutes longer to cook. However in dishes such as this they are interchangable.

    Can you cook green lentils without soaking?

    Yes you can. Soaking them can help reduce the cooking time. You should rinse lentils under running water and pick over any lentils that are broken, or any bits of debris in them.

    Which pasta to serve with ragu?

    Penne, rigate and ziti will capture a lot of the ragu sauce, or use parpadelle (not spaghetti).

    My Recipe Tips

    • Caramelising the onions adds a deep richness to this vegetarian ragu, and the butternut squash provides a sweetness – which makes it more popular with the kids!
    • Fast dinner – use ready cooked tinned lentils and reduce the stock by 1 c/240ml.
    • For a thicker ragu – take out 1 ½ cups/ 3 heaped tablespoons of the ragu and blend until smooth before stirring back in to the ragu. 

    How to serve ragu

    • Spoon over pasta shapes of your choice: farfelle (as in these images), penne, tagliatelle. Although not traditionally correct, we do eat this ragu with whatever pasta shape we have in the house.
    • Rice or quinoa for gluten free ragu.
    • Gnocchi or mashed potato, or even roast potatoes!
    • With a slice of garlic bread (Air fryer recipe) on the side.

    Storage

    • Fridge: Keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.
    • Freezer: Cool completely then freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

    Ideas for leftover ragu

    • Blitz into soup with a little more stock for a smooth lentil soup, or leave chunky and if you have any leftover pasta, heat together with some more stock to make a chunky minestrone-type soup.
    • Use in a vegan lasagne

    More lentil recipes for you

    I love cooking with lentils, from soups to wraps, they can be the star of the show or hidden in a sauce like the lasagne.

    • Veggie Packed Lentil Bolognese
    • Spiced Carrot And Lentil Soup
    • Vegetarian Thai Lettuce Wraps
    • Cheese and Tomato Vegetarian Lasagne

    More vegan dinners your family will love!

    • Easy Chickpea Tomato Curry (Chana Masala)
    • Sticky Tofu & Vietnamese Noodle Salad
    • Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
    • Satay Pumpkin Curry
    overhead photo of two bowls of lentil ragu with farfelle pasta, sprinkled with fresh parsley and ready to eat

    This recipe was originally published June 2020, it has since been updated with more information for you. The recipe remains the same.

    Lentil Ragu

    Author: Robyn

    This vegan lentil ragu with earthy green lentils and sweet butternut squash is a healthy and comforting family dinner, perfect for winter.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Course dinner
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 287 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ tablespoon olive oil ($0.08 /£0.04p)
    • 1 medium onion, finely diced ($0.45 /£0.10p)
    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed ($0.26 /£0.05)
    • 2 stalks celery, finely diced ($0.80 /£0.16p)
    • 1 carrot, finely diced ($0.35 /£0.04p)
    • ½ large butternut squash (or 1 small), cut into 1.5cm / .6inch cubes ($2.00 /£1.15)
    • ½ tablespoon tomato puree ($0.02 /£0.02p)
    • 1c (200g) green lentils ($0.96 /£0.48p)
    • 14oz (400g) tin/can tomatoes ($0.75 /£0.28p)
    • 3½c (875ml) stock ($1.67 /£0.05p)
    • 1 bay leaf ($0.10 /£0.03p)
    • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary ($0.09 /£0.03p)
    • Salt ($0.01 /£0.01)
    • Black pepper ($0.01 /£0.01)
    • Fresh parsley, to serve, optional

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium to large saucepan cook the onion in the olive oil over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until soft and caramelised.
    • Add the garlic, celery and carrot, butternut squash and a splash of water and stir.
    • Raise the heat slightly, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
    • Stir in the tomato puree and add the lentils, tinned tomatoes, stock, bay leaf and rosemary and black pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer.
    • Simmer for 40 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
    • Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste (some bought stocks are very salty). * for a thicker sauce see notes below
    • Serve with pasta and fresh parsley sprinkled over the top.

    Notes

    Estimated costs: Australia $7.55. Per serve = $1.89 (You can reduce the cost by using a stock cube rather than liquid stock and saving $1.44, or $1.55 per serve)
    UK £2.45. Per serve = £0.61p
    America – I am yet to calculate the estimated ingredients costs to make this recipe in the US. If you would find it useful please let me know and I’ll get calculating 🙂 
    • Extra step for a thicker sauce – take out 1 ½ cups/ 3 heaped tablespoons of the ragu and blend until smooth before stirring back in to the ragu. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 15gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 915mgPotassium: 1185mgFiber: 20gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 13922IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword autumn fruit, butternut squash, green lentils, vegan ragu, Winter

    HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?

    I’d love to see your creation!

    Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
    Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen

    Or just leave a comment below!

    « Cherry and Almond Cake
    Spiced Carrot And Lentil Soup »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. David says

      July 23, 2021 at 3:31 am

      Where do the tinned tomatoes get added? Presumably with the tomato puree / stock?

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        August 02, 2021 at 8:47 am

        Hi David, yes you are correct, add them after the tomato puree and lentils. I have amended the recipe to include this.

        Reply
    2. Sylvie says

      June 29, 2020 at 11:14 am

      5 stars
      What a delicious and comforting dish! Love the use of lentil to replace meat, and the butternut is the perfect addition for winter!

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        June 29, 2020 at 4:04 pm

        Thanks Sylvie! Yes the butternut is a delicious winter addition!

        Reply
    3. Sarah says

      June 28, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      5 stars
      What a great recipe, I wouldn’t have thought of putting pumpk and lentils together but I can see what a great combination they are here. Great winter comfort food 🙂

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        June 28, 2020 at 3:33 pm

        It is a delicious combination, and sweet pumpkin or butternut squash always is a win in our house!

        Reply
    4. Alex says

      June 28, 2020 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      This is exactly the kind of warming dish I am craving during the cold weather – the flavours in this are superb.

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        June 28, 2020 at 3:31 pm

        It is so comforting and healthy too! 🙂

        Reply

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    Robyn Jones, Recipe Developer & Food Photographer

    Robyn Jones

    Recipe Developer | Food Photographer | Writer

    Hi! I'm Robyn, a toddler mum with a passion for all things food! Having moved internationally 7 times in the past 12 years I have developed a love of making international recipes into family friendly ones you can make in your own home, with local ingredients; wherever you live!

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