Oil Free Lentil Marinara

Y’all I can’t tell you how much I love this stuff right now! It’s amazing over pasta, potatoes, salad…I mean I could go on and on. My entire family loves it and I think I know why. Not only are the flavors amazing, It’s very similar to a meat sauce. So for all of you out there who have families resistant to eating plant based, they should really love this too!

Lately, I have been eating this lentil marinara over a couple of Yukon Gold potatoes and it HITS 👏  THE 👏  SPOT 👏  Couple that with a side salad (I love to eat kale with a cucumber and my Hungry Vegan Mama Oil Free Dressing) and oh my goodness! Don’t be afraid to mix it all up either. It’s sure to get your taste buds dancing around in that mouth of yours!

Ingredients: Makes 4-6 servings

• 1 cup red lentils (or any color you’d like). The red lentils absorb liquid better and I find using these makes the sauce “mushier” more like a meat sauce. If you want more of a runny sauce, I would use brown lentils.

• 1-2 cups of sliced or diced bell peppers. This just depends on how much you like peppers.

• 3 cloves of garlic - minced

• 1 jar of oil free marinara.

  I LOVE the 365 brand from Whole Foods. Not only is there no oil in this tomato sauce, there’s no added sugars, sodium, or any other junk. It’s literally just organic tomatoes, spices and water.

  If you want to make your own tomato sauce for this, here you go:

• 4 cloves of garlic

• 1.5 cups veggie broth for sauteing and the marinara

• 1 28 oz can of low sodium crushed tomatoes

• 1 TBSP dried oregano

• 1 TBSP onion powder

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

  Saute garlic in veggie broth for about 2 minutes. Add everything else to a pot and simmer for 5-6 minutes.

Instructions: Instant Pot

• Saute peppers in veggie broth (about 1/2 cup) for 5 mins and then add the garlic. Stir frequently for 2 more minutes.

• Add your pasta sauce

• Add the rest of the veggie broth (about 1 cup)

• Add lentils

• Stir well so the lentils don’t get stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot.

• Cook on low pressure for 15 minutes

• Manually release when the timer goes off

  Serve and enjoy!

  Enjoy!

Instructions: Stove Top

• Saute peppers in veggie broth for 5 mins and then add the garlic. Stir frequently for 2 more minutes.

• Add your pasta sauce

• Add lentils

• Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.

  Serve and enjoy!

  Enjoy!