Vegan bolognese sauce
Spaghetti with meat sauce was always the ultimate comfort food for me. It’s hard to think of anything quite as satisfying. But alas, I can’t eat meat anymore, so what to do? Come up with a killer vegan bolognese sauce, of course!
This one is particularly chewy and meat-like, because it has not just one, but three “meaty” ingredients: tempeh, mushrooms and lentils. Could this be the vegan holy trinity?
Vegan Bolognese Sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 8-ounce package tempeh, crumbled
8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup dried red lentils [UPDATE 10/10/11: Spanish pardina lentils are by far the best type to use]
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon salt, or up to 1 teaspoon, to taste
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven. Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and crushed red pepper, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn the heat up a bit, add the mushrooms and tempeh and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat back to medium, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more. A
dd the herbs, tomatoes, parsley and wine, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add the lentils and cook until they just tender. This usually takes 20 minutes, but I’ve had some lentils take a lot longer. So keep tasting it along the way to determine when it’s done. If the sauce gets too dry, add a bit of water. Add salt at the end of the cooking time. Serve on whole wheat spaghetti or use in lasagna.
Serves 8
I’ve done a lentil-based pasta bolognese a few times – usually using the Du Puy style lentils – pretty good.
It’s been too long since I’ve had spaghetti bolognese. Your version looks seriously good.
What an excellent idea to use tempeh, mushrooms and lentils in the sauce. This looks amazingly yummy!!!
That looks great! I love finding new things that the non-veg will eat and enjoy too, thanks. BTW, I found you on tastespotting. I know I love knowing where my visitors come from.
Thanks so much for your comments. I really like your blog too, and will add it to my blogroll.
[…] of the most delicious ways to eat chard. It makes a perfect side dish for a pasta dish such as my spaghetti with vegan bolognese sauce, or as a topping for bruschetta. I would even eat this for breakfast in an egg white omelet. But […]
This looks delicious. Beautiful photo. I hope you will submit this recipe and more to my new “vegan finds” website:
http://www.FindingVegan.com
~Kathy
[…] Vegan Bolognese Sauce :: What Would Cathy Eat? […]
[…] Source: WhatWouldCathyEat.com […]
Cathy, this recipe is incredible! I did make a few changes, though, just to make it my own: I subed a can of fire roasted tomatoes for the whole tomatoes which added an extra kick. Secondly, I used Fakin’ Bacon instead of the regular tempe ’cause I love that smokey flavor. Lastly, I don’t like mushrooms (gasp!) so I replaced them with vegan hamburger crumbles. I kept all of the other veggies and spices the same and cooked the lentils twice as long. Like you, I have found that lentils NEVER cook in 20 min., like they’re supposed to. Anyway, the sauce made twice as much as I expected, which was good because my husband LOVED it. And his carnivore friend at work did too! We ate it with brown rice spaghetti noodles for a few days, then used the rest spread on pitas, added some vegan cheese, and had meaty pizzas! Thank you so much for sharing!
So glad you liked it, Alyssa. Adding a smoky taste is something I wouldn’t have thought of for this, but it sounds really good!
That looks like one lush bowl of vegan comfort! Love it!
Please someone tell me what tempeh is and where I get it?
Tempeh is a fermented soy bean cake and you can get it at any health food store, and most supermarkets.
I lived in Lincroft for 20 years and am a devotee of the Jersey Shore. Miss Red Bank, etc. every day. But to the sauce recipe. Who would miss meat with this lovely concoction? I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for posting.
So excited to try this! Love bolognase and have just very recently gone Vegan after watching some different food movies on Netflix and doing some reading!
I am eating a bowl of spaghetti and this bolognese! Thank you so much, great recipe. The things I did different: no fennel seed, fresh tomatoes skinned and smushed, fresh oregano and basil, the juice from the tomatoes because I didn’t have any wine, green lentils, and I also added a little sugar. It turned out just right, not too watery or dry, and just the right amount of spicy, not to mention a beautiful red color.
Cool, it’s about time this sauce received some love!. One of my most under-appreciated recipes! Maybe I’ll try it your way next time, Paige.
Can the sauce be frozen?
Hi Arlene, I’ve never frozen this sauce but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be fine.
Will this still taste good if you don’t use mushrooms and tempeh??