Vegan Bolognese with mushrooms

How to Make a Vegan Bolognese with Mushrooms and Cauliflower

Meat sauce appears in many beloved dishes that often serve as comfort food staples ranging from pasta to lasagna. We’ve created a vegan bolognese sauce with mushrooms and cauliflower for a healthier spin to meat alternatives. 

Advertisements

What’s in the Vegan Bolognese Recipe?

Bolognese sauce typically includes different types of fatty ground meat. To mimic the texture of meat, we’ve used a few different ingredients recommended by my colleague Chef Connor Thompson

Cauliflower Rice

While still a relatively new product, cauliflower rice is just cauliflower that’s been cut up small into the shape of rice. You can purchase them already cut either fresh or frozen, or you can cut it up yourself with a box grater or the shredding attachment to your food processor. It’s a great way to incorporate more vegetables into meals.

Baby Bella Mushrooms

Baby Bella mushrooms are tiny portobello mushrooms that haven’t reached full maturity. They are full of earthy flavor and protein. Mushrooms are great ways to incorporate protein, iron, and fiber into your diet. 

Crushed Tomatoes

Crushed tomatoes are great to use all year round. They are different from tomato puree as they still have their pulpy texture. I highly recommend using canned tomato products during the tomato off-season as they will maintain their flavor and freshness. Plus, winter tomatoes are rarely of good quality, unless you live in an area where they can grow all year round. 

Tomato Paste

Tomato paste is essentially a concentrated form of tomato. It has been reduced to a thick texture, hence the name paste. It’s loaded with flavor and enhances the quality of the sauce. It can be purchased in cans or tubes.

cherry tomatoes close up cooking delicious
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Advertisements

Sustainability & Nutrition Info

As mentioned earlier, most meat sauces use some form of ground meat, typically lamb or beef. However, both of these are large contributors to carbon emissions. This is a common measure to compare the environmental impact based on different types of emissions. By using vegetables and fungi, we are drastically reducing the CO2E impact from this dish and the resources needed to produce it.

In addition, cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family and is full of fiber and antioxidants which are an essential part of a heart-healthy diet. It is lower in carbohydrates, which means that this sauce can be part of a balanced meal when eaten with pasta. 

The mushrooms in this dish are an excellent fungi source of vitamin D, and also contain beta-glucans, which are a very important soluble fiber that helps in reducing cholesterol and other heart-related diseases. We use mushrooms in many of our dishes, so be sure to check them out here.

Tomatoes are also an important source of Vitamin C, as well as many other antioxidants. While they are fruit, tomatoes are still relatively low in sugar and have a very low glycemic index. 

Most importantly, this meal provides excellent nutrition with its high source of protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. Best of all, it tastes delicious too.

Advertisements

Vegan Bolognese with Mushrooms and Cauliflower Recipe

  • Preparation Time
    10 minutes
  • Cooking Time
    35 minutes
  • Serves
    4 adults
  • Difficulty
    Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower, riced
  • 1 Qt shiitake mushrooms
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
  • 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning to taste
  • Fresh Basil
  • 1 box cooked pasta, spaghetti
Advertisements

Instructions

  1. Start by heating olive oil in a sauce pot. We used a dutch oven to retain the heat
  2. Add your onions and let them begin to cook
  3. Add Tomato paste and let cook for a minute
  4. Then add vegetable stock to deglaze the pan from the tomato sauce and onions. The mixture should be loose and fragrant
  5. Add your mushrooms and garlic together and cook for about 2 minutes
  6. Then add the cauliflower rice
  7. Season with dried Italian seasoning
  8. Let simmer for about 30 minutes
  9. Add cooked pasta and mix in together
  10. Garnish with Fresh basil and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by to read our story!

Hope you enjoyed the post! Check out more on our homepage, and feel free to send to a friend. Let me know in the comment section if you test it out yourself!

Let us know if you like this article by leaving a comment below or tagging us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest using @madetosustain! Please sign up for our mailing list for more content related to this and come back for more recipes and ideas for a more sustainable lifestyle.

One Reply to “How to Make a Vegan Bolognese with Mushrooms and Cauliflower”

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this:
Verified by MonsterInsights