A 'meaty' vegan mushroom walnut bolognese sauce full of deep, rich, umami flavors--and a whole lotta love. Vegan, Vegetarian and WFPB.
If you love Italian-inspired recipes--like eggplant Parmigiana, pasta alfredo or carbonara, or even Italian stuffed mushrooms--I think this vegan bolognese sauce is going to knock your socks off. And it'll knock the socks of everyone you cook it for, too.
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What I love about this veggie bolognese sauce
The umami, 'meaty,' mince of mushrooms and walnuts makes this sauce taste quite authentic, in my admittedly vegan opinion.
And a thorough browning and deglazing of the carrot-onion-celery-garlic soffritta and some tomato paste enhances the flavors.
Finally, a long slow simmer takes it all to the next level. At least 30 minutes, but an hour or more is better.
A lot of my recipes are quick and easy, but I'm not gonna lie, this one is gonna keep you in the kitchen for an hour.
But this rich, hearty sauce is OH-SO worth every minute you’ll spend on your feet cooking.
In fact, this bolognese pasta dish is probably my number one, go-to recipe for entertaining.
No one will notice or care that it's vegan and vegetarian. They'll be too busy sopping up every last drop of this amazing sauce.
Ingredients
- cremini mushrooms
- walnuts
- San Marzano tomatoes - whole or diced are fine, but I prefer whole
- yellow onion
- carrots
- celery
- garlic
- tomato paste
- crushed red pepper flakes
- dry white or red wine (or red wine vinegar)
- fresh thyme sprigs - dried is fine, but this recipe deserves fresh herbs.
- bay leaf
- pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
- optional parsley or basil for garnish
Step-by-step instructions
Follow these photos and instructions to help make it great, every time. Please also see the full recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Step 1. Grind the mushrooms into a fine mince in a food processor.
Step 2. Grind the walnuts into a mince in a food processor.
Step 3. Make the mushroom walnut 'meat.' Brown the mushrooms and walnuts together in a large pot. When finished, add to a bowl and set aside.
Step 4. Make a 'soffritto' of onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a food processor. Grind to a pulp.
Step 5. Sauté the soffritto until well browned. Move to the edges of the pot.
Step 6. Add tomato paste to the center of the pot, and brown thoroughly. Stir into the soffritto.
Step 7. Deglaze with wine, scrape up all the brown bits, and stir them into the pulp.
Step 8. Add the mushroom and walnut 'meat' mixture, the tomatoes (with liquid), crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Stir well.
Step 9. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaf and simmer.
Pro tips - how to make the best bolognese sauce
To make the best, richest-tasting sauce, you want to build layers of flavor. In this recipe, we accomplish this by browning to develop 'fond' (carmelized bits of food in the pan), deglazing with acid (here we use wine), and simmering low and slow until the flavors become deep and complex.
I believe all great cooks know these tricks, and they will serve you well in a variety of cooking situations.
Brown the soffritto and tomato paste very well. The more you brown these ingredients, the richer your sauce will taste. I brown them until they become dark in color--but not burned.
This requires patience and regular stirring, but is well worth it in the final result.
Deglaze. The acid in the wine (or vinegar and the tomatoes) will help loosen up the fond (brown bits) created by browning the soffritta and tomato paste.
Then, you use a wooden spoon to scrape them off the sides and bottom of the pan to make sure they get incorporated into the sauce.
The result will be a richer, more flavorful dish.
Simmer long and low if possible. The minimum simmer time for this recipe is 30 minutes, but an hour or longer will produce a richer sauce.
Simmer on very low heat and leave the lid on the pot a little bit askew for some of the liquid to evaporate, and so that the sauce can reduce.
Again, this will produce a thicker, richer tasting sauce.
Don't rinse mushrooms under water. Cleaning mushrooms is a bit of a pain, so you might be tempted to wash them in water. DON'T!
To clean mushrooms, use a dry or damp paper towel to wipe off any dirt. You want to keep them as dry as possible so they don't get soggy or waterlogged.
This helps when browning them--and you want them well browned in this recipe.
Don't over process the mushrooms. For the most appealing texture, you don't wan't them to get too mealy or to turn into a paste. See the pics below as a guide.
Tip for dicing whole canned tomatoes. I like to pour the tomatoes into a large bowl, and mash them up with a potato masher. Then, I use kitchen shears to cut any large pieces.
This is much less messy than cutting them on a cutting board.
Time saving tip for thyme. Tie the fresh thyme sprigs into a bundle with kitchen string. But do it very tightly, or you'll be picking stems our of your sauce.
Substitutions and variations
- Mushrooms - white, shiitakes or a blend will also work well. I haven't tested any others.
- Walnuts - any hard nut like almonds or pecans will work, but avoid nuts like cashews that will become creamy when processed. You want a chunky texture.
- San Marzano tomatoes - you can use any whole or diced tomato you like, but I prefer the flavor of whole SM tomatoes that I've diced myself.
- Wine - either a dry red or white will work well here, though I usually have red on hand so that's what I use. You can also substitute 1-2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and a cup of broth or more water.
- Lentil bolognese. Use cooked green or brown lentils in place of the mushrooms, and keep the walnuts or leave them out. Don't use red lentils as they're too soft.
- TVP bolognese. I'm not a big fan of textured vegetable protein, but I believe it would work well in this recipe in place of the mushrooms and walnuts.
- Tofu bolognese. If I used tofu in this recipe, I'd likely press it, crumble it and bake it like I do in my sheet pan sofritas recipe to get a chewy, meatier texture. Or even freeze it first as I do in my tofu chicken breasts.
How to serve bolognese sauce
I love to serve this sauce over a wide pasta like tagliatelle or parpadelle. (It's hard to find vegan and whole food plant-based, so I sometimes cut WFPB compliant lasagna noodles to the right size.)
It's well suited to most pastas, like spaghetti bolognese, linguini, penne, farfalle (aka, bowtie pasta), or really, whatever you like. (Though it may be a bit too substantial for finer noodles like angel hair.)
It's amazing over cooked polenta, too, and this is one of my absolute favorite ways to eat it.
Creamy, tangy almond ricotta on the side is a perfect complement to the flavors in this sauce. To finish it off, I like to layer on a garnish of fresh herbs like parsley or basil, and sprinkle vegan Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes on top. Yum.
FAQs
In short, ragu is a thicker, 'meatier' sauce made with white wine, while bolognese has more tomatoes and veggies, and is typically made with red wine. I use whatever wine I have handy to cook with, usually a dry red.
The best way to add richness and layer flavors in sauce is by browning, deglazing and reducing.
In this recipe, we thoroughly brown mushrooms and walnuts, soffritto (a mix of onion, carrots, celery and garlic) and tomato paste.
Then we deglaze with wine to loosen the brown bits in the pot so we can scrape them up and incorporate them into the sauce. Finally, we simmer low and long to reduce and intensify the flavors.
Yes. Mushrooms are a fungi (not a vegetable) that folks have been eating and using medicinally for thousands of years. They're packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
For vegans and vegetarians, they're a good replacement for the umami flavor and texture found in meat. Read more about the health benefits of mushrooms here.
Store this recipe in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Happy, whole food plant-based cooking, y'all!
-Elizabeth xo
I LOVE hearing from you! Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, or drop me a note in the comments.
More healthy, plant-based main dishes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Mushroom Walnut Bolognese
Ingredients
- 10 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms cleaned with a damp paper towel, see notes
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 1 yellow onion chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 2 celery ribs chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ 6 ounce can tomato paste (about 3 tablespoons)
- ½ 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 or white 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
- pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Optional: Serve with pasta or polenta
- Optional: Top with almond ricotta or vegan parmesan
- Optional: Garnish with fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Place ½ 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.)
- Make a soffritto. Wipe out the food processor, and add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Process into a rough 'pulp,' about 30 seconds.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of water in the pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the soffritto (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 wine (or vinegar and 1 cup of water) 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. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with pasta or polenta.
Irene McDonald
I made this tonight and served it to a friend. We LOVED this sauce. She just left with a huge portion and the recipe. It was/is one of the best pasta sauces have made or had. This is definately a keeper and I will try it next with lasgna for company. The taste and texture were amazing. Thank you so much for sharing.
Elizabeth Shah
Hey Irene, Love that you loved this sauce! It's definitely my favorite too--always making this for company, and it's never let me down. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing.
Robin
This was amazingly amazing. So good. Putting the mushrooms and walnuts in the food processor...I used the Vitamix...left me with a texture quite similar to ground meat. The flavor of the mushrooms was definitely excellent when ground and browned. For me, a bonus was that the walnut taste was not particularly apparent bc I don't care for walnuts. My hubby, who hates tomatoes, ate this readily and remarked that this is one we make multiple batches of and freeze dry for our food storage supply. That way, when the grocery store is out of something we've got it handy! It will definitely be made again and again in our house!
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Robin, YAY!!!! So glad you and your hubby both like this recipe. We do exactly that--make it in huge batches (in our 8-quart Dutch oven, which we've affectionally named 'Big Betty') and freeze it or share it with neighbors. Thanks so much for your comment, you've made my day. 🙂
Carol McGrath
Could this recipe be made in a slow cooker?
Elizabeth Shah
I'm not sure it would be quite as good. One of the things I love about this recipe--and where the full flavor comes from--is the browning of the ingredients, and you can't do that in a slow cooker.
Kelly
I was looking for something just like this to make for dinner tonight. I made your vegan chili with mushrooms so I can't wait to try this as it looks so good.
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Kelly, hope you like this one as much as we do. It's definitely a family fav 🙂
Michelle C.
This looks absolutely delicious! Can I ask what brand your wide noodles are? Pappardelle, right? That specific cut of pasta seems very hard to find vegan, at least where I am. Thanks so much! Looking forward to making this : )
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Michelle, You're right--very hard to find wide vegan noodles. I cheat and cut vegan/WFPB lasagna noodles down to that size. 🙂 Enjoy!
Michelle C.
Oh, interesting! Thank you!
Elizabeth Shah
You're most welcome, Michelle!
Narelle
This is a brilliant recipe, thank you. Tonight I am using it as the base for a vegan lasagne.
Elizabeth Shah
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Narelle! I love this in lasagna--nice choice!!
Courtney
Hi there- dying to try this. Any idea how it could be altered to cook in an instant pot?
Thanks!
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Courtney, I have not tried this one in the Instant Pot. There's so much browning and sautéing, I'm not sure this recipe would turn out well. That said, when I do adapt a recipe for the IP, I generally reduce the amount of liquid and simmer after pressure cooking if it turns out to watery. Let me know if you give it a try--I'd love to hear if it works!
Jen
This recipe is SO good! It definitely will be made again and again in our house.
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Jen, Thrilled that your family likes this recipe as much as we do! Thanks so much for sharing your kind words. 🙂
Dave
Made it tonight. Turned out great! So many ways to create flavors; I can’t wait to try it again!!
Dave
elizabeth
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
Chris
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.
elizabeth
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!
Shams
Hi elizabeth,
YUM! I love the combination of flavors and colors. Healthy, filling, and delicious. What happens if i leave out garlic?
elizabeth
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.
Nuffy
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
elizabeth
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!
bilberryelf
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
elizabeth
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!
Rosa
Wow Elizabeth, this looks phenomenal! I'm a sucker for pasta AND polenta, so this is totally up my alley.
elizabeth
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!
Valerie
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.
elizabeth
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!
elizabeth
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!
Charlotte Freeman
Just made this with courgette spaghetti and, wow, love it! Very close to a bolognese texture. Delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe!
elizabeth
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.
Cindy
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!
elizabeth
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.
Swati
Vegan bologense looks so delicious.. perfect to go with pasta.will try this soon
elizabeth
Thanks Swati! I love it with wide pasta as well as polenta.
Choclette
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.
elizabeth
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!!!
Chloe
This recipe sounds amazing!! I'm definitely trying it soon.
elizabeth
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