Vegetarian bolognese sauce combines lentils, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic in a creamy tomato sauce. Vegan and oil-free, this vegan bolognese recipe is an Italian savory pasta dish the whole family will love.
When I think about comfort food, Italian food always comes to mind. Vegetarian bolognese is one of my favorite dishes because it’s elegant yet simple. Although traditionally a meat sauce, bolognese sauce can easily be made vegan with just a few adjustments.
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Bolognese sauce is much thicker than a typical American red sauce because it’s creamier with just a touch of tomato. Since most Italian sauces are mostly tomato-based, this vegetarian bolognese recipe is similar to a ragout.
Vegan Bolognese Ingredients
As I said earlier, traditional Bolognese contains meat and heavy cream. My bolognese, however, is full of lentils, vegetables, and a little oat milk and nutritional yeast for the creamy component.
- Mushrooms: I used baby portobello mushrooms.
- Carrots: Diced carrots provide a natural sweetness to the sauce.
- Celery: Celery gives the sauce a crunchy and earthy flavor.
- Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic cloves whenever possible.
- White Onions: I like the taste of white onion when cooked with carrots and celery.
- Brown Lentils: I buy Trader Joe’s steamed brown lentils.
- Diced Tomatoes: I like POMI chopped tomatoes because they don’t contain any ingredients other than tomatoes.
- Unsweetened, Unflavored Plant Milk: I used oat milk because it’s naturally creamy.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is used as a thickening agent and provides a cheesy flavor to the sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is great to have on hand when making a tomato-based pasta sauce since it can intensify the umami tomato flavors already present. It’s a key ingredient in this simple marinara sauce, which you can make entirely from canned tomatoes,
- Vegetable Broth: The vegetable broth is only used if making the one-pot option.
- Dry Red Wine: Any dry red wine works. I buy miniature bottles of wine to use for cooking.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: I buy Amy’s vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- Whole-Grain Spaghetti: Whole-wheat pasta is made with the whole grain kernel, retaining what makes it most healthy and desirable.
- Italian Seasoning: Italian Seasoning
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese: I make my own vegan parmesan cheese from cashews and seasonings.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley is used as a garnish in this vegan bolognese recipe.
Bolognese Ingredient Substitutions
- Any type of mushroom substitutes portobello mushrooms in this recipe.
- If you don’t have carrots, double the amount of celery.
- Fennel often replaces celery in recipes.
- One clove of garlic equals about ⅛th of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Yellow or red onion substitutes white onion in recipes.
- Instead of lentils, try ground tempeh or meatless crumbles.
- Fresh diced tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes replace diced tomatoes. Or try fire-roasted tomatoes for a smokier flavor.
- Choose any unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.
- Soy sauce, liquid aminos, Tamarai, or miso replace nutritional yeast in recipes.
- Due to its similar function in cooking, vegetable stock is an excellent non-alcoholic substitute for wine. Or, use cranberry juice or red wine vinegar.
- Soy sauce (or tamari) works surprisingly well as a Worcestershire substitute. This common condiment shares the umami flavor that can only be captured by fermentation. It also has a bit of sweetness and tang that match well with the original.
- Try any pasta or shape of pasta. If using gluten-free pasta, do not try the one-pot cooking option. Instead, cook the pasta separately.
How to Make Vegan Bolognese Sauce
- To make the sauce, cook the ingredients in layers in a large pot.
- Begin by sautéing the garlic and onions until translucent. Then, I add the chopped mushrooms and cook until brown.
- Next, add the celery, carrots, and lentils and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Once the carrots and celery soften, add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, and tomato paste.
- Add the red wine and allow it to cook down further with the ingredients’ mixture.
One Pot Preparation Option
Even though I chose to cook the bolognese sauce separately from the pasta today, I love one-pot meals.
Like my other one-pot meals, vegetarian bolognese can be made in one pot by adjusting the ingredients.
Because I planned to freeze half the bolognese sauce and only make 6 servings today, I cooked the spaghetti.
One Pot Ingredient Substitutions
- Increase the vegetable broth to 3 cups
- Increase the pasta to 16 ounces
- Add the pasta to the pot after the liquids, boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Regardless if you cook the pasta to the pot for the one-pot version, or you cook the spaghetti separately, the plant-based milk and nutritional yeast are added last. As a result, the sauce becomes cheesy and creamy.
Serving, Storing and Freezing Suggestions
Next, serve in individual bowls, topped with vegan parmesan cheese and my family’s favorite vegan garlic bread, and add some parsley for color.
And remember to make a big salad. I like Italian chopped salad with creamy Italian dressing.
Whenever I make vegetarian Bolognese, I always freeze half the sauce or use the sauce for a variety of other Italian recipes during the week.
To freeze the bolognese sauce, leave 2 inches between the top of the freezer-safe container and the sauce.
For the best results, ensure the bolognese sauce is defrosted entirely before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Crumbled tempeh is an excellent substitute for lentils, with a mildly nutty taste and hearty texture.
Indeed, most of us aren’t used to adding milk to tomato sauces, yet in Bolognese, the surprise, miraculous ingredient gives a rich body to the sauce. It also produces a sauce that is more orange than red.
Lentils are rich in fiber, folate, and potassium, making them an excellent choice for the heart and for managing blood pressure and cholesterol. They are also a source of energizing iron and vitamin B1, which helps maintain a steady heartbeat
Tips
- If making the one-pot option, the leftovers do not freeze well—however, the vegetarian bolognese stores well refrigerated and covered for up to one week.
- If freezing the bolognese sauce, I suggest using Souper Cubes. Remove the frozen sauce from the freezer, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat the sauce in a pan on medium-low until heated, or use the reheat option on the microwave.
- Instead of lentils, try ground tempeh or ground meatless crumbles.
- Try any pasta or shape of pasta. If using gluten-free pasta, do not try the one-pot cooking option. Instead, cook the pasta separately.
- When using plant milk for cooking savory dishes, always choose unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.
If you love Italian food, try this vegetarian bolognese recipe! This hearty vegetarian bolognese recipe is one of my personal favorites!
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📖 Recipe
Vegetarian Bolognese
Vegetarian bolognese sauce combines lentils, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic in a light creamy tomato sauce. Vegan and oil-free, Vegetarian Bolognese is an Italian savory pasta dish the whole family will love.
Instructions
In a large stockpot, saute garlic and onions until the onions are translucent.
Next, add the chopped mushrooms, diced carrots, and celery and cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are browned and the carrots and celery are tender.
Add cooked lentils and stir into vegetable mixture.
Then, add the red wine, chili flakes, Worcestershire sauce, chopped tomatoes, and Italian seasoning.
Stir and allow to cook for a few minutes.
In a small cup, blend the oat milk (or plant milk of choice) and nutritional yeast. Set aside.
In a separate pot, boil water and cook spaghetti according to the directions while the sauce cooks.
Now, pour in the plant milk/nutritional yeast and stir.
Drain the noodles and add the sauce to the noodles (especially if you plan to freeze the rest of the sauce.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese
One Pot Quick Version
If you plan to make it all in one pot, skip the 3 previous steps, add 3 cups of vegetable broth to the sauce, and bring it to a boil.
Add the pasta to the sauce, cover, and reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Then, add the plant-milk/nutritional yeast combination and stir.
- Serve in individual bowls and garnish with chopped parsley and vegan parmesan cheese.
Notes
- If making the one-pot option, the leftovers do not freeze well—however, the vegetarian bolognese stores refrigerated and covered for up to one week.
- If freezing the sauce, I suggest using Souper Cubes. Remove the frozen sauce from the freezer, and thaw overnight n the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat the sauce in a pan on medium-low until heated, or use the reheat option on the microwave.
- Instead of lentils, try ground tempeh or ground meatless crumbles.
- Try any pasta or shape of pasta. If using gluten-free pasta, do not try the one-pot cooking option. Instead, cook the pasta separately.
- When using plant milk for cooking savory dishes, always choose unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.
Nutrition
Calories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 13gFat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 129mgPotassium: 663mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1932IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 5mg
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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