Vegan Mushroom Bolognese

Name: Vegan Mushroom Bolognese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 kg button mushrooms ( finely ground); 4 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion (chopped); 1 carrot (chopped); 1 stick of celery (chopped); 2 cloves of garlic (chopped); 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 50 g dried porcini mushrooms or morels (soaked in 200 ml warm water for 15 minutes, then squeezed out and chopped finely); 200 ml red wine; 500 g canned tomatoes; 150 ml soy milk

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This vegan mushroom bolognese is a real treat. Mushrooms are the star of the show in this recipe, giving us a super flavorful and umami vegan bolognese. It's ready in just 1 hour and needs only 10 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen.

image showing the vegan mushroom bolognese ready to be served

If you like this recipe, you should definitely also try this vegan lentil bolognese, it's delicious and packed with protein! If you want to check out other recipes for vegan meat alternatives, I recommend trying this vegan roast beef or this vegan chicken. And if you're a fan of mushrooms, you gotta try this vegan mushroom Wellington. It's so good!

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⭐ Why I love this recipe
🧾 Ingredients
🥄 Equipment
🥣 How to make
💭 Top tip
❄️ Storage
📔 FAQ
🎥 Video
📖 Recipe
💬 Reviews

⭐ Why I love this recipe

I'm a mushroom enthusiast, and this bolognese sauce brings out their amazing flavor. It's super umami, full of taste, and it's always a hit whenever I make it.

Plus, I love it because you can use it for so many dishes. In fact, I can serve it with gnocchi or pasta, or even use it to fill cannelloni, lasagne or ravioli. Either way, it's always a big hit.

Another thing I love about this bolognese is that you can freeze it, so you always have a portion ready to go. So, it's not just a delicious recipe but also super convenient!

🧾 Ingredients

As I've said before, making this mushroom bolognese is a breeze, and it only takes 10 ingredients. Here are the key ingredients for this recipe:

Button mushrooms: I use these as the base for this bolognese. They add an umami touch to this recipe and are also the most commonly found mushrooms in any supermarket. I always go for fresh mushrooms and advise against using canned ones because they taste completely different.

Dried mushrooms (porcini or morels): Dried mushrooms add an extra umami kick to the bolognese and make it super delicious. I always use dried porcini or morel mushrooms and recommend using this type of mushroom.

Canned tomatoes: I use canned Italian tomatoes because they're the tastiest, but any type of canned tomato will work.

Tomato paste: Tomato paste is essential in a bolognese; it adds an umami and acidic touch and makes the sauce color more intense.

Red wine: I use a bold red wine; it adds a touch of flavor and makes the sauce color nice and rich. If you prefer, you can also use white wine.

image showing imgreidents for this recipe

🥄 Equipment

To make this recipe, you'll just need a spacious skillet or pot. For finely chopping the veggies and mushrooms, you can go old-school with a sharp knife and cutting board, or speed things up with a food processor. Personally, I prefer the manual chopping method.

🥣 How to make

As mentioned, this vegan mushroom bolognese is straightforward to make and ready to serve in a little over 1 hour. Here's a visual of how it's done:

image showing mushrooms getting roasted in a pan

Step 1: Start by chopping the champignons finely. Next, heat a generous amount of olive oil in a pan and sauté the mushrooms until they are well browned and all the released liquid has evaporated. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and move on to the next step.

image showing the making of the soffritto

Step 2: To make the soffritto, start by finely chopping onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Then, add a dash of olive oil to the pan used to sauté the mushrooms and heat it over medium to high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté them until golden and fragrant. Next, add the tomato paste, mix well, and cook the mixture for another 2 minutes.

image showing the mushroom bolognese while cooking

Step 3: Once the soffritto is fragrant, add the mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then, deglaze it with red wine and simmer the sauce until the wine has completely evaporated. Finally, add pelati, adjust salt and pepper, and allow the sauce to simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Once the sauce is thick, you can serve it with noodles, gnocchi, ravioli, etc., or allow it to come to room temperature and store it in an air-tight container for up to 3-4 days.

👨🏻‍🍳 Expert tip

The key to success with this recipe is to brown the mushrooms well. This way, the Maillard reaction will happen, giving the mushrooms a delicious flavor.

So, don't rush the recipe by cooking the mushrooms for less time because it will ruin the bolognese. Wait until the mushrooms release their juice, cook them until the juice has completely evaporated, and continue cooking until the mushrooms are nicely golden and fragrant.

💭 Top tip

I suggest making twice the amount of the recipe. By doing this, you can freeze some of the bolognese to enjoy later. After allowing it to cool completely, you have two options: either vacuum seal it, or place it in an airtight container and freeze it for 1-2 months.

When you're ready to enjoy it, just take it out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, simply heat it up in a pot and serve it however you like.

❄️ Storage

You can store the vegan bolognese in the fridge or freezer depending on how long you want to keep it.

For short-term storage, put the sauce in a tightly sealed container and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days.

For longer storage, put the sauce in a tightly sealed container and keep it in the freezer for 2-3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before heating it up again.

📔 FAQ

How do I know when the mushrooms are sautéed properly?

The mushrooms are sautéed properly once their juice has completely evaporated and they're golden.

How long should I soak the dried mushrooms, and how do I know when they're properly rehydrated?

Soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, then squeeze the water out and chop them finely.

Can I use a different type of mushrooms?

Every type of mushroom has a different flavor, so I recommend using the mushrooms listed in the recipe, as different mushrooms will change the flavor of the bolognese.

🎥 Video

📖 Recipe