Vegan Tempeh Bolognese
This vegan twist on Italian bolognese sauce is made with hearty ingredients like tempeh and mushrooms. Great for dinner or meal prep!
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 510kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tempeh
- 12 ounces dry spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms finely chopped
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion about 1 medium onion
- ½ cup finely diced celery about 1 celery stalk
- ½ cup finely diced carrot about 1 large carrot
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup dry white wine see note #1
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
- 2 bay leaves optional
- ½ cup soy milk or other non-dairy milk
- for serving: fresh basil, vegan Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the tempeh. Use your hands or a knife to crumble the slices into smaller pieces. They do not need to be uniform in size. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions.
- In a Dutch oven or high-sided skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the mushrooms. Cook for just 2-3 minutes to begin browning.
- Add in the finely diced onion, celery, carrot, tempeh, and salt. Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, or until the onions are softened.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce, and Italian seasoning. Toast the tomato paste for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, except for the pasta: crushed tomatoes, white wine, nutritional yeast, and bay leaves.
- Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer over medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavor to develop, stirring occasionally.
- Discard bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce into a ground consistency. If using a blender or food processor, just pulse the sauce a few times to break it down into ground-consistency.
- Serve spaghetti and bolognese sauce topped with Parmesan, chopped basil and freshly ground black pepper.
Video
Notes
- Wine: The alcohol cooks off while simmering, leaving behind a rich flavor. Replace wine with equal amounts of vegetable broth if desired. I recommend using a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc. I also made this recipe with a red wine blend and it tasted delicious. Choose a wine that you enjoy drinking, not one that has been open for a week.
- Simmer time: You can simmer this sauce for up to an hour or for as little as 10 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more the sauce thickens and flavor develops.
- Freezing: This recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. Let thaw completely in the fridge for up to 24 hours before reheating in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat.
- Leftovers: Keep leftovers refrigerated in a closed container for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (2 ounces spaghetti and 1 cup sauce) | Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 1361mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2998IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 6mg