A lot of my recipes are quick and easy, but I’m not gonna lie, this Vegan Mushroom Walnut Bolognese is gonna keep you in the kitchen for an hour, from grabbing the first ingredient out of the fridge to loading the dishwasher. But this rich, hearty, ‘meaty’ sauce is OH-SO worth every minute you’ll spend on your feet cooking.
(This post has been updated with new images and recipe instructions.)
How to Make Vegan Mushroom Walnut Bolognese
This is the kind of recipe ambitious home cooks live for: we’re gonna transform mushrooms and walnuts into vegan ‘meat,’ smash whole San Marzano tomatoes, thoroughly brown our veggie ‘pulp’ and tomato paste, and in a final act of culinary joy—deglaze with red wine. (CUE SOUND OF SINGING ANGELS.)
The seasonings in this vegan mushroom walnut bolognese are spare and basic: there’s thyme and a bay leaf, some garlic, and crushed red pepper if you like a bit of heat. The flavor here is built from scratch—with your own two hands, layer by layer, one step a time. Let’s do this!
First, make the bolognese ‘meat.’
Bolognese is a rich, thick and traditionally ‘meaty’ sauce. Of course, we’re going to skip the meat and grind up some cremini mushrooms and walnuts instead. Creminis have an earthy flavor that’s wonderful in this sauce, and the walnuts lend even more texture. And by grinding up the mushrooms, we help them release their liquid and brown thoroughly to build flavor.
Mushroom Walnut ‘Meat’
Second, make a veggie ‘pulp.’
Soffrito–or onion, celery and carrots–is the Italian version of the French ‘mirepoix.’ It’s the base for a good Italian sauce like this vegan bolognese sauce. You could simply dice the veggies, but I like to pulse them into a pulp. This helps release all of their liquid so we can brown them to build flavor. And it results in flavorful yet smooth sauce.
Onion, Carrot & Celery ‘Pulp’
Third, brown some tomato paste.
You could simply add the tomato paste here and give everything a stir. But by allowing the tomato paste to brown, once again, we’re able to deepen and intensify the flavors in this sauce. Trust me, it’s worth taking the time.
Browning the Veggie ‘Pulp’ and Tomato Paste
Finally, deglaze and and simmer.
Once your veggie pulp and tomato paste are nicely browned, you’re going to deglaze the pot with some red wine (or use a bit of vinegar and water.) This loosens up the lovely brown bits in your pan and again…you’ve got it–adds MORE flavor. Then, throw everything together in the pot to simmer. Half an hour is fine, but longer is even better.
Making this vegan mushroom walnut bolognese takes patience. It takes effort. And it takes a whole lotta cooking love. But trust me, you’ll taste every bit of it when you take your first bite of this robust, ‘meaty’ sauce. And you’ll feel like someone’s Italian grandmother when you’re done. (Especially if you add a dollop of homemade almond ricotta.)
Why I Love this Vegan Mushroom Walnut Bolognese Recipe
This bolognese sauce is:
- rich
- hearty
- ‘meaty’
- healthy (wfpb/oil-free)
- full-flavored
- perfect with pasta or polenta
- made with love
This recipe is my lazy Sunday afternoon sauce. (I let it simmer on the stove long enough to squeeze in a nice nap.) It’s the sauce I make when company’s coming over. It’s my go-to dish when I want to tell someone, ‘I love you more than the moon and the stars’ with food.
If you like this whole food plant-based recipe, you might also like:
- Pepita Pesto Pasta & Roasted Veggies
- Chickpea Cheese Sauce (Great on Pasta!)
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Almond Ricotta Cheese
- Best Damn Vegan Chili (with Mushrooms)
- Best Damn Instant Pot Vegan Chili (with Mushrooms)
- Kale Mushroom Bread Pudding
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Thanks and happy, whole-food cooking!
Vegan Mushroom Walnut Bolognese
Ingredients
- 10 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms cleaned
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 1 yellow onion cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 carrots cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 celery ribs cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 6 ounce can tomato paste (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes LIQUID RESERVED, smashed with a potato masher or chopped (see notes)
- 1 cup dry red wine (or sub 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar + 1 cup more water)
- 1 cup water
- Fresh thyme sprigs tied tightly together into a bundle with string. (see notes)
- 1 bay leaf
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Optional: Serve with pasta or polenta
- Optional: Top with almond ricotta or vegan parmesan
- Optional: Garnish with fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Place 1/2 of the mushrooms in a food processor, and pulse several times until finely ground. (Don't over process - see notes.) Transfer the ground mushrooms to a bowl, then add the rest of the mushrooms and repeat.
- Place the walnuts in the food processor and process until well ground. Add them to the ground mushrooms.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of water in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and the walnuts and cook until the all of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms have browned, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the mushroom/walnut mixture from the pot and set aside. (Don't clean out the pan; if there are areas of burned food, just scrape those out.)
- Wipe out the food processor, and add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Process into a rough 'pulp,' about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of water in the pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable pulp (onions, carrots, celery and garlic) with a pinch of salt to the pot. Saute until all of the liquid cooks off, the color turns from bright orange to a deeper orange-brown, and the volume is reduced by about half, about 10-12 minutes. Use the liquid released from the pulp to deglaze (loosen) any dark brown remnants of the mushroom/walnut mixture and blend it in. Stir and scrape loose any browned bits from the pan if they form. Add water a little at a time if things begin to stick or get too brown.
- Move the browned pulp aside to the edges of the pot, leaving an empty spot in the center. Add the tomato paste to the center of the pot, and cook about 5 minutes until it begins to brown and get dark, but not burn. (Keep stirring and scraping, adding water 1 teaspoon at a time and reducing heat a bit only if things start to get too dark or burn.) When the tomato paste has browned, stir it into the vegetable pulp.
- Add the red wine (or vinegar, if using instead) to the pot to deglaze (loosen) and scrape up all of the brown bits ("fond") that have formed in the pan--this adds flavor!
- Add the mushroom/walnut mixture, and stir well to combine everything.
- Add the smashed tomatoes and their liquid, water, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot and stir well. Bring the sauce to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes so that the alcohol from the wine cooks off.
- Add the thyme bundle and bay leaf, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes--or even better, one hour or more.
- Before serving, remove the thyme bundle (and any loose stems) and the bay leaf, and season with sea salt, to taste.
- Serve with polenta or pasta.
Notes
- I see a lot of recipes for vegan chilis and sauces where mushrooms are sliced or chopped. While this is fine, grinding the mushrooms in the food processor truly transforms them into a hearty, 'meaty' texture and helps them brown thoroughly, which intensifies their flavor.
- When grinding the mushrooms, some large pieces may remain, but don't keep pulsing. You want them finely ground but not mushy. Simply remove any large pieces, and add them back to the processor with the next batch. Repeat until all of the mushrooms are finely ground and transferred to the bowl.
- I prefer to use whole tomatoes, as canned diced tomatoes contain a chemical (to keep them from dissolving), which alters their flavor. Also, I find there's no match for the flavor of San Marzanos, so I always use them. But chopping canned whole tomatoes can make a mess! To avoid this, I empty the whole can into a large bowl and break them up them with a potato masher.
- I like to tie herbs like thyme into a bundle with kitchen string. It's a lot quicker than plucking the tiny leaves off their stems! However, if you don't tie the bundle tightly (and sometimes even if you do!) you can get loose stems in your sauce. To avoid a dinner-party faux pas, either add just the leaves or carefully sift through the sauce to find any stems.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, after 30 minutes to an hour, remove the lid and continue to simmer uncovered until the sauce is reduced to the desired consistency.
Made it tonight. Turned out great! So many ways to create flavors; I can’t wait to try it again!!
Dave
Hi Dave, I’m thrilled you tried this Bolognese sauce! It’s definitely one of my favorite recipes. I agree, the flavors we can create by playing around with ingredients and techniques are practically infinite–and plant-based foods are no exception. I mean, if you can cook, you can cook, right? 🙂 Thanks so much for your feedback; love getting it. Take care, Elizabeth
Tonight was the night for this dish with friends. As I was going to be busy i the garden this morning and out most of the afternoon I decided to start early to prep. I was ready to slice mushrooms and then found to my delight they only needed to be blitzed in the Food Processor. Ditto the rest of the ingredients, I had obviously not read the recipe carefully. So that was a total bonus, by the time the mushrooms were cooked I had the rest of the veggies prepped and blitzed. Quick and easy, my meat eaters did not miss the meat at all, compliments all around. The only thing I was not too keen on were the wide noodles. I think I prefer different pasta, but that is no biggie. So the second recipe of yours I have tried, and another Triumph! Reading the other comments, I realize that I totally forgot the vinegar. Will do that next time, but it was good without too. Keep up the good work. Warm Kale Salad next, I think.
Hi Chris! SO glad to hear that you enjoyed the bolognese sauce. Of course you can eat it on any kind of pasta you like, and I often will pour it over some baked polenta. Yum! I do think it’s a titch better with red wine (or the red wine vinegar + water), but fine either way, I’m sure. Thanks for the encouragement to keep creating, that’s lovely. If you have any ideas for favorites you’d like to see made WFPB, drop me a note. I love getting inspiration from readers. Best of luck with the Warm Kale Salad!
Hi elizabeth,
YUM! I love the combination of flavors and colors. Healthy, filling, and delicious. What happens if i leave out garlic?
There are so many good flavors going on in this sauce, you could certainly get away without adding garlic if necessary, and it will still be delicious.
Hello there; and thank you for a wonderful site, and sharing with us all…
Can I ask if another type of nut be used Elizabeth, and if so what would your choice be?
Many thanks, and hey I have just found your site which surprises me because I follow so many. I really love your recipes, and will be following your recipes also, great stuffit!!
Cheers Nuffy
Hi Nuffy, you could probably substitute pecans as they have a similar texture. Almonds would also probably work. I’m so glad you found my site! I haven’t been at it very long, but I love creating and sharing these recipes. Hope you come back often!
Sounds so good! Love that you’ve included the instructions for how to substitute wine with vinegar, and I love the suggestion to have it with polenta! How considerate of you 🙂 I’ll remember this one for when I want to impress someone 🙂 Thank you for sharing <3
Thank you, and you’re welcome! Yes, I some people choose or need to avoid wine, even though the alcohol evaporates when it’s used in cooking. I hope you give it a try–I’ve fed this to so many people and have always gotten compliments!
Wow Elizabeth, this looks phenomenal! I’m a sucker for pasta AND polenta, so this is totally up my alley.
Thanks so much, Rosa! This is probably my favorite recipe on the entire blog. I make this all the time, especially when I’m having people for dinner. It has never disappointed!
I just made this for the family and they LOVED it. Vegans and meat-eaters too!! The recipe was super easy to follow and fun. I learned how to work these ingredients to get the full flavor and texture. We put the sauce over different pastas and it was perfect. Thank you for this because it’s not just your same old vegan thing. I already have requests to make it again…which I will do very soon! Great recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Valerie! Love getting your feedback. I’m glad you found it easy to follow–it’s definitely one of my more advanced recipes. I’m sure you’re a great cook and thrilled that this recipe has become a family favorite!
My apologies!–I see that part of the instructions were cut off! It should say, put the mushrooms in the food processor 1/2 at a time. I’ve updated the recipe to avoid future confusion. Thanks for calling it to my attention!
Just made this with courgette spaghetti and, wow, love it! Very close to a bolognese texture. Delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe!
You are so very welcome, Charlotte! It’s definitely one of my favorites. I’ve never tried it with courgette spaghetti, but it sounds great. Will it a try. Thanks so much for the rating.
This looks fabulous! I use walnuts in a chili I make and it really lends a special texture. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Mmm, your chili sounds great! I’ll have to check it out. I agree, walnuts add such a great texture and flavor to vegan dishes.
Vegan bologense looks so delicious.. perfect to go with pasta.will try this soon
Thanks Swati! I love it with wide pasta as well as polenta.
Ooh, this is absolutely fabulous. My standard bolognese is made with lentils and it’s delicious, but I do like the sound of mushrooms and lentils. I can imagine that having a really sturdy umami quality.
Thanks very much! The mushrooms do indeed lend a nice umami flavor. Sometimes I throw in some shiitakes, too–they’re great. I love the walnuts, too, as they really add to the texture. I’ve been wanting to try a lentil bolognese–so nutritious!!!
This recipe sounds amazing!! I’m definitely trying it soon.
Hi Chloe, I’m so glad you like the recipe! I hope you enjoy this bolognese as much as we do. I’d love to hear how you like it! -Elizabeth