Vegan bolognese has always been one of my go-to meals. A few cups of cooked lentils, some garlic, shallots, and store bought sauce, it’s so simple!

For this dish though, I had to kick things up a notch.

I started with homemade marinara which is surprisingly easy to make! Then I threw some walnuts into the mix for a bit of added crunch. It’s kinda my new thing since it worked so well in my favorite holiday dish, Vegan Mushroom Walnut Bourguignon.

To give it a healthy New Year makeover, I added in a ton of fresh veggies and lentils and served the vegan bolognese over steamed rutabaga noodles! The rutabaga gives this dish a paleo vibe and makes it easily gluten-free!

As if that’s not exciting enough on it’s own, each serving of this best ever vegan bolognese has nearly 24 grams of fiber and 18 grams of protein.

It kept me and my husband full for hours and we normally eat quite a lot. Like, a lot alot. Like, I need a month of hot yoga and a juice cleanse a lot.

So if you’re looking for a healthy new dinner option (like me), this is a winner!

My favorite things about this BEST EVER vegan bolognese:

it’s SUPER nutritious

hearty + filling

packed with veggies

delicious

savory

made with whole foods

just a bit spicy

But don’t take my word for it, try this vegan bolognese for yourself!!

I have to give a shout out to my sister for making rutabaga noodles for me over Christmas! They are my new fav, expect to see lots of spiralized veggie noodles from me in the future.

Well, once I get a nicer spiralizer that is. My handheld one is no match for such a hearty root vegetable like rutabaga. What I did instead was use the shredder attachment on my food processor. It got the job done in less than a minute!

If you try this recipe, be sure to rate it in the comments so we know how yours turned out! While you’re at it, tag a photo with #carrotsandflowers on Instagram so we can admire your creation!