In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in onions and sauté until they start to brown. Once that happens, add in carrots, celery, + mushrooms. Turn up the heat to medium and allow the veggies to cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they start to soften.
Add in garlic, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, cinnamon + nutmeg and stir. Allow the spices to cook into the veggies for about 1 to 2 minutes. Then add in tomato paste and stir that in for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Add in tomato sauce, tomatoes with juice, veggie broth, water + lentils and stir. Bring everything to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. Occasionally stirring so everything doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot for about 15-20 minutes.
Add in coconut oil + dried parsley and bring the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let it simmer and continue to stir occasionally for another 1 to 1.5 hours. Throughout this time, please taste the sauce to see if you would like to add any more spices and make sure that the lentils are softening.
Remove bay leaves before serving and serve over Banza pasta, zoodles, or spaghetti squash. Option to add raw greens to the bottom of the bowl for extra nutrients. Enjoy!
Recipe by at https://www.littleadaptsbyjax.com/vegan-lentil-bolognese/