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Easy vegan Bolognese sauce recipe made with meaty soy curls and TVP in a red wine San Marzano tomato sauce. A whole food plant based and oil free recipe, hearty and healthy, a true comfort food Italian style.
You’ll find a couple of variations of sauces on this blog but this is by far the winner when it comes to both the flavor and meaty texture that resembles the authentic sauce from Bologna. It is also nut-free and zero cauliflower is involved for those of you who just can’t stand that vegetable.
” The Bolognese Meat “
Everybody expects a rich meaty texture so for that I’ve chose to use a mix of chopped up non gmo soy curls and TVP a.k.a. textured vegetable protein or soy mince. You could use one or the other, I just really happen to love the combo.
I also added a bunch of brown button mushrooms for both flavor and nutrition, if you have some shiitakes I bet they would be even more flavorful.
If needed the soy can be replaced with finely chopped walnuts, riced cauliflower, crumbled tofu, lentils, eggplant or chickpeas.
What Are Soy Curls ? Are they TVP ?
Soy Curls are made from cooked and dehydrated whole soy beans, high in fiber, protein and omega-3 while TVP is made from de-fatted soy flour. They both make fantastic cruelty-free meat substitutes like in this vegetable soy curls stew!
The Sauce:
In classic Bolognese fashion I started with the Holy Trinity: onion, carrot and celery sautéed in a splash of water or stock – NO OIL. Then you build up the flavor with garlic, bay and smoked paprika, cashew milk and rich red wine cooked down with the mushrooms and soy meat until thick and luscious and your house smells like an old Italian village.
It’s really important to cook the soy inside the sauce to absorb all those wonderful deep flavors. The sauce gets better as it sits so it can be made a couple of days in advance and deliver flavor like a boss.
This is the Best Vegan Bolognese Sauce:
- Super Flavorful
- Extra Saucy
- Hearty & Meaty
- Gluten Free
- Whole Foods Plant Based Oil Free Recipe.
How to Use It:
- Toss with your favorite pasta like: fettuccine, spaghetti, rigatoni or gnocchi.
- Spoon over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.
- In this vegan lasagna.
- Serve with zucchini noodles.
- As a spread on crusty bread.
How to Make Vegan Bolognese Sauce:
5 from 1 vote
Easy Vegan Bolognese Sauce
Easy vegan Bolognese sauce made with meaty soy curls and TVP in a red wine San Marzano tomato sauce. A whole food plant based and oil free recipe, hearty and healthy, a true comfort food Italian style.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:10 minutes mins
Cook Time:30 minutes mins
Soaking the Soy Curls::20 minutes mins
Total Time:1 hour hr
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy curls chopped into i1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup TVP textured vegetable protein aka soy mince
- 4 cups mushrooms finely chopped brown button or shiitakes are great
- 4 cups hot water
- 2 tbsp miso paste
- 1 tbsp Tamari (or coco aminos)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup cashew milk or any unsweetened plant milk
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes whole
- 1 tbsp smoke paprika
- 3 leaves bay
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley roughy chopped
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
In a medium bowl whisk together the hot water with the miso paste, Tamari and nutritional yeast until combined. Add the chopped soy curls and soy mince and allow to hydrate while you work on the sauce. (Fell free to use 2 cups of chopped soy curls if you prefer to leave out the TVP, i just kind of like the different textures mixed together)
Preheat a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add a splash of water, the onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of sea salt. Sautee until they start to soften. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Keep adding a little bit more liquid if needed to create steam so the veggies don’t burn.
Add the chopped mushrooms and bay leaf to the pot and give everything a good stir. Pour in the cashew milk and simmer away until all the liquid has evaporated.
Add the red wine and simmer away until reduced by half.
Stir in the smoked paprika, rehydrated soy curls and TVP together with all the soaking liquid. Add in the San Marzano tomatoes while gently crushing them before hitting the pot. (You want to keep some texture in the sauce so make sure not to fully puree them.)
Partially cover with a lid and simmer the bolognese sauce for 20 minutes or so until it has reduced and thickened to your liking making sure to stir often.
Taste and adjust seasonings with a pinch of sea salt if needed. Stir in the parsley and toss with your favorite pasta like fettuccine, rigatoni, spaghetti and even gnocchi.
Notes
- OPTIONAL: Add in one tablespoon of olive oil after the sauce has finished cooking. Omit for a WFPB & Plantricious compliant recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 647mg | Potassium: 724mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4178IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 8mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Bolognese Sauce, mushroom ragu, plant based, vegan,
Servings: 4 people10
Calories: 296kcal
Author: Florentina
Vegan Recipes:
