This quick and easy vegan bolognese sauce makes the perfect, simple and healthy weeknight meal paired with your favourite pasta.

Plate of vegan spaghetti and bolognese sauce topped with basil and parmesan.
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Features

  • quick and easy: minimal prep time, 20 minutes of cooking time, just 9 ingredients needed
  • dietary needs: vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free
  • can be made in advance and frozen for quick meals
  • serve with pasta and lentil meatballs for a hearty and delicious, home-cooked meal the whole family will love

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Visual of all ingredients needed for making a vegan bolognese sauce. Each ingredient is labelled with text overlay.
  • mushrooms – you can use white or crimini mushrooms
  • olive oil – good quality olive oil really brings out the flavours of the veggies but if you need the recipe to be oil-free, you can use water or vegetable both for cooking instead of the oil
  • thyme – fresh thyme is lovely but it’s totally fine to use dried
  • crushed tomato – any variety works, if you can’t find crushed, you can use diced  
  • stock – any store-bought or homemade broth or bouillon powder/cubes work here

Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. Start by cooking the mushrooms, onion and garlic with the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.

Diced mushrooms, onion and garlic cooking in a skillet on a small induction cooktop.

Step 2. Add the carrots and celery. Stir and cook for a few more minutes

Diced carrots and celery in a skillet with cooked mushrooms.

Step 3. Add the crushed tomato and vegetable stock. Stir well them simmer lightly over low to medium heat until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

Crushed tomatoes in a skillet with carrots, celery and diced mushrooms. Wooden spoon rests in skillet.

Step 4. Once the carrots are tender, use an immersion blender to partially blend the sauce. A few pulses should do the trick. You want to leave some texture but the veggies should be mostly broken down.

Immersion blender in a pot of tomato sauce.

Serve with your choice of pasta or use anywhere you would bolognese sauce.

Fork lifting spaghetti and sauce off a small plate.

FAQs

Can you freeze vegan bolognese?

Yes. To freeze this sauce, let cool completely then transfer to a freezer safe container or bag. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the the fridge then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated to your preference.

How long does this keep in the fridge?

The sauce will keep well for 5 days in the fridge. Let cool completely before covering and storing in a sealed container.

How should I reheat bolognese?

You can reheat any leftovers in one large portion or single portions either on the stovetop in a saucepan or in the microwave. If the sauce is too thick for your preference after storing, adjust the consistency with a splash of stock.

How should I serve bolognese?

Try it with pasta, zucchini noodles, carrot noodles, in lasagna or with lentil meatballs. If enjoying with pasta, cook pasta separately then add to the pot with the sauce or drain the pasta and add desired amount of sauce to the cooked pasta in a bowl. I also recommend serving with lots of fresh basil and vegan parmesan or vegan ricotta!

Overhead view of a plate of spaghetti and bolognese sauce.

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Overhead view of a plate of spaghetti and bolognese sauce.

Vegan Bolognese Sauce

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Sauce
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegan

This hearty vegan mushroom bolognese is easy to make but still delivers on flavour and nutrition. Enjoy with pasta for a healthy, comforting meal that’s perfect any night of the week.

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews
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Ingredients

  • 500 g white button mushrooms, chopped (approx. 4 cups) 
  • 1 medium onions, diced (1 cups, 175 g) 
  • 2 cloves garlic (10 g) 
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (25 g) 
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves removed from step and chopped (or 1 tsp dry) 
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (2 cups, 275 g) 
  • 2 celery stalks, washed and diced (1 cup 150 g) 
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomato (796 ml) 
  • 1 cup vegetable stock (250 ml)
  • 2 tsp salt 
  • 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. In a medium sized saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat, sauté mushrooms, onion and garlic until mushrooms have cooked out and absorbed their liquid, approximately 6-7 minutes. 
  2. Add the thyme, carrots and celery, cooking for another 3-5 minutes stirring often to avoid any chance of burning. 
  3. Stir in the stock and crushed tomatoes. Allow to simmer lightly for an additional 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When carrots are tender to the touch, blend bolognese with an immersion blender in pulses, until all of the vegetables have been blended.
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Stir in freshly chopped parsley or basil and serve over your favourite pasta, if desired. 

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Let cool before covering and storing.

Serving Options: pasta, fresh basil or parsley, lentil meatballs, tofu ricotta, vegan parmesan.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
  • Calories: 137
  • Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 20 g
  • Protein: 6 g

Keywords: vegan bolognese, vegan bolognese sauce