This lentil and crimson pepper sauce recipe began off life as a soup, however by making it a bit thicker, it makes a beautiful, creamy sauce. It’s versatile and works nicely with pasta, made into a light curry (with a number of tweaks), or just as a sauce to pour over your favorite protein and greens!

Nicky’s Recipe Notes
It appears to me that the majority sauces fall into 3 classes:
- Tomato-based and/or tangy/spicy
- Creamy and/or tacky sauce
- Gravy
I’m an enormous fan of all three. This sauce although? I believe it wants its personal class. It makes use of crimson lentils for a velvety earthy flavour, plus crimson peppers and garlic for a contemporary, aromatic hit. It’s all completed off with a bit creme fraiche, simply so as to add a bit richness.
Maintain a stash of it within the freezer and you should use it in so some ways!
📋 Elements


Vegetable Inventory – You possibly can substitute this for Vegetable Bouillon to make it gluten-free.
📺 Watch easy methods to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps within the recipe card on the finish of this put up***
Professional Tip
Maintain a stash of it within the freezer and you should use it in so some ways! I freeze it in particular person parts so it’s faster to thaw.
This can be a nice sauce to maintain within the freezer once you’re in a pinch and want a hearty, fulfilling dinner that’s stuffed with flavour!


Pin this now to search out it later
🍽️ The way to use it
Vegetarian
- Stir into cooked pasta and sprinkle with grated (shredded) Cheddar for creamy lentil pasta.
- Warmth with cooked tofu items and 1 tablespoon of curry paste and serve with rice, topped with contemporary coriander (cilantro) for a light lentil curry bowl. Add in some quick-cook greens, akin to courgette (zucchini) or sugar snap peas (snow peas) for some additional veg too.
- Warmth with an additional cup of inventory (and mix collectively if not already blended) and function a soup with crusty bread.
Non-Vegetarian
- Warmth with cooked hen and 1 tablespoon of curry paste and serve with rice, topped with contemporary coriander (cilantro) for a light lentil curry bowl. Add in some quick-cook greens – akin to courgette (zucchini) or sugar snap peas (snow peas) for some additional veg too.
- Drizzle over roasted hen thighs and serve with steamed greens. I like to complete with a spoonful of chilli oil or sriracha too.
Keep up to date with new recipes!
Subscribe to the e-newsletter to listen to after I put up a brand new recipe. I’m additionally on YouTube (new movies each week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes tales & lovely meals images).
-
Warmth the oil in a big saucepan over a medium warmth.
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
Add the onion, peppers, garlic, salt and pepper and fry for five minutes, till the onion begins to melt.
1 onion, 2 crimson bell peppers, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon floor black pepper
-
Add the lentils and inventory. Stir collectively and convey to the boil. Flip down the warmth and simmer for 18-20 minutes, till the lentils are tender.
100 g (1/2 cup) crimson lentils, 480 ml (2 cups) vegetable inventory
-
Flip off the warmth and stir by means of the crème fraiche. In the event you’d like a easy sauce, fastidiously mix, utilizing a hand blender.
2 tablespoons crème fraiche
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate the cooled sauce in a sealed container for as much as three days. Alternatively freeze the sauce in single or family-sized parts in a sealed container and defrost within the fridge in a single day. Reheat in a saucepan till piping sizzling.
Dietary data is approximate, per serving, primarily based on this recipe making 6 servings.
Energy: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fats: 6g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 4g | Ldl cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 516mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g
Vitamin data is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
? Often Requested Questions
Refrigerate the cooled sauce in a sealed container for as much as three days. Alternatively freeze the sauce in single or family-sized parts in a sealed container and defrost within the fridge in a single day. Reheat in a saucepan till piping sizzling.
🍲 Extra unbelievable pasta sauces
A few of the hyperlinks on this put up could also be affiliate hyperlinks – which suggests when you purchase the product I get a small fee (at no additional value to you). In the event you do purchase, then thanks! That’s what helps us to maintain Kitchen Sanctuary working. The dietary data supplied is approximate and might differ relying on a number of elements. For extra data please see our Phrases & Circumstances.