Vegan Bolognese
This vegan bolognese is one of the go-to dishes in our household. Whenever we are craving comforting, familiar flavors, we make this lentil and mushroom bolognese pasta!
As a full-time vegan food blogger, I often get asked how difficult I found the transition to a plant-based lifestyle. I find that the best approach is to appraise your current diet and find some ways to swap meat and dairy for plant-based alternatives. Not all at once, mind you! It can take time to find yoru groove, and that’s okay!
It doesn’t have to be the expensive stuff from the free-from aisle either. One of the easiest and most affordable swaps for ground beef are red lentils and mushrooms. Once I perfected this vegan bolognese recipe, I could enjoy that comforting feeling again without worrying about the impact on animal wellfare or my health.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a great way to enjoy familiar flavors from your childhood for all of you missing spaghetti bolognese.
- If you’re cooking for non-vegan friends or family members, this is a great dish everyone can share!
- The combination of textures and flavors is to die for! It’s earthy, savory, aromatic, and nourishing.
- This vegan bolognese is freezer-friendly! Why not make a large batch, split it into portions and enjoy it later in the week?
- Did you know that red lentils are a fantastic source of plant-based protein? Not only that, but they are also a source of longevity!
How to Make This Recipe
Heat the oil In a pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until the onions have softened and gone translucent. This should take approximately 2 minutes.
Next, add oregano, nutritional yeast, and salt. Cook for an additional minute until the contents are fragrant. Stir in the cremini mushrooms and diced tomatoes. Allow everything to cook down for approximately 2 more minutes.
At this point, add red lentils, broth, and tomato sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then simmer over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked through.
In the meantime, cook pasta according to packaging instructions. Drain the liquid and serve with your lentil bolognese! If desired, top with vegan parmesan.
Hack It!
- If you can’t have gluten, swap regular pasta for your favorite gluten-free alternative. I highly recommend chickpea pasta or brown rice pasta.
- Another great alternative for ground beef is this tofu crumble. It goes amazing with this pasta sauce!
- Traditionally, the bolognese sauce is served with pasta. However, if you want to mix things up, you could serve the vegan bolognese with rice, baked potato, or even a burger bun, Sloppy-Joe-style!
- To add a kick to your sauce, why not add a diced chili when you saute garlic and onions?
- If you don’t have access to vegan parmesan, there are other great options for toppings. Try crispy onions, fresh herbs, toasted seeds, or nutritional yeast flakes.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Vegan Roast Beef
- Vegan Sticky Ribs
- Battered Oyster Mushroom Chicken
- General Tso’s Tofu
- Vegan Philly Cheesesteak
Seeing how vegan bolognese is one of my favorite recipes, so I absolutely HAD TO include one in my cookbook. Check out p.140 of the PlantYou Cookbook! It’s just one of many amazing WFPB recipes featured in the book, each accompanied by a helpful infographic. And if you haven’t got a copy yet, hurry up so that you can claim your freebies!
And if you prefer a more dynamic approach to cooking, you’ll love the PlantYou Planner! It’s a digital meal planner that allows you to fully customize your weekly menu. It also has a feature that allows you to toggle the serving sizes for EVERY DISH, with each change reflected in the autogenerated shopping list. Plant-based living… but make it easy!
The Recipe: Vegan Bolognese
Ingredients
- 12 oz wholewheat pasta, cooked as per packaging instructions
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp oregano, dried
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup red lentils, dry
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups tomato pasta sauce
- vegan parmesan cheese, optional, garnish only
Equipment
- chopping board
- knife
- Saucepot with lid
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, add the onion, garlic and olive oil. Cook until softened, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the oregano, nutritional yeast and salt and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the cremini mushrooms and diced tomatoes and allow to cook down for approximately 2 more minutes. Add the red lentils, broth and tomato sauce at this point.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, and then simmer over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked through.
- In the meantime, cook pasta according to packaging instructions. Drain the liquid and serve with your lentil bolognese!
- If desired, top with vegan parmesan.
