When it comes to pasta, this vegan spaghetti bolognese is our favourite comfort food. Our bolognese sauce recipe is a perfect fusion of authentic Italian flavour and vegan cuisine.
In my childhood, spaghetti bolognese was a regular on the meal plan. So when I first went vegetarian and then vegan, it was one of the foods I missed most. But not anymore!
With a handful of staple ingredients of the vegan kitchen, you can make a classic Italian bolognese sauce that is every bit as flavourful as the traditional version that you used to know and love!
A good bolognese sauce might take a while on the stove to build a depth of flavour, but it’s worth every minute of simmering! This scrumptious spaghetti sauce would convince seasoned meat eaters.
Interested in more Italian inspired vegan recipes?
Vegan bolognese 101
So, how do you make yummy, authentic tasting vegan spaghetti bolognese?
A classic bolognese sauce starts out with a soffritto, which is finely diced vegetables that are slowly sauteed to caramelise. This Italian cooking technique builds a savoury backbone of flavour used as a base for a great many Italian recipes.
Our vegan bolognese gets its meaty texture from dried soya mince, which soaks up all the flavour in the cooking process. Of course, a good gulp of olive oil, aromatic herbs and garlic can’t be missing. Some other ingredients for flavour and some juicy tomatoes complete the sauce.
A perfect bolognese sauce does need to simmer for a good while. This is to cook down the tomatoes into a rich sauce, and bring out their sweetness. The flavour of the sauce keeps getting more delicious the longer you cook it for, and the more the soya mince soaks up all this goodness!
So are you ready to cook our favourite vegan spaghetti bolognese? Read on for ingredient tips and step by step instructions.
Ingredient tips
Here’s what you’ll need for an amazing vegan bolognese sauce:
- Onion, carrots, celery - The magic trio of Italian cooking to make the soffritto vegetable base. We also add some mushrooms for an umami note.
- Olive oil
- Garlic, basil and oregano - the ‘other’ classic trio of Italian flavours
- Chili flakes - for a gentle hot pepper note
- Tomato puree
- Balsamic vinegar - used in place of the traditional red wine, but also adds some acidity and fruity aroma.
- Maple syrup or brown sugar for some extra caramelisation.
- Tomatoes - we use chopped tomatoes for convenience.
- Dried soya mince - This provides the meaty texture and plant-based protein. It’s great value, and easily soaks up flavour. We always buy organic soy mince which is non GMO.
- Soy sauce - just a bit for that little extra flavour.
- Salt & pepper for seasoning.
To replace one or more ingredients, check out the section about substitutions below.
Substitutions and variations
Instead of dried soya mince, you could use your favourite plant based mince or scrambled firm tofu and skip the water at the beginning. For a wholefoods alternative, experiment with coarsely ground walnuts, cauliflower or more mushrooms.
Lentils also make a delicious ragu. Check out our vegan lentil ragu recipe.
Don’t have any celery and carrots? Vegetable bouillon or stock offer a similar savoury flavour as they are often based around these vegetables. Simply add a teaspoon or two of bouillon powder or a stock cube in with the tomatoes. I recommend you don’t leave out the onion though.
You could also use some celeriac root instead of stick celery.
A blend of dried Italian herbs can replace the oregano and basil, if you don't have them as individual herbs.
You can deglaze with red wine instead of balsamic vinegar (We just don’t keep any red wine around the house). If you use red wine, be a bit more generous, as wine is less sour than vinegar
To make the vegan spaghetti bolognese gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce, and make sure to use gluten-free pasta.
Step by step
You can find the full method and amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post, but the here's a handy visual step-by-step guide:
Step 1 - In a frying pan or a saucepan, slowly sauté the finely diced onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms on medium heat.
Step 2 - Add olive oil, garlic, dried herbs, chili flakes, tomato puree, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and saute a few more minutes.
Step 3 - Add the chopped tomatoes, soya mince, some water, soy sauce, salt and pepper and simmer, with the lid on, for 45 - 60 minutes.
Step 4 - In the meantime, cook the spaghetti to be ready in time with the sauce.
Step 5 - Finally, stir some of the starchy pasta water into the bolognese to create a smooth and glossy, rich tomato sauce.
How to cook the perfect spaghetti
Cooking pasta like a pro? No problem.
Here are a few simple steps that ensure you get the best result out of your pasta.
- To cook the perfect pasta, use a big saucepan and a lot of water.
- Don't add the pasta before the water is properly boiling, then keep at a rolling boil.
- Leave the lid off the pasta pot. With the lid, more often than not the pasta will either boil over or isn’t boiling hot enough.
- Salt the cooking water just before or after the pasta goes in. Not only does salt make the pasta more flavoursome, it's also widely agreed to help the cooking process itself.
- Set a timer to prevent overcooking. Different types and brands of pasta vary in cooking time. Better to keep cooking short at first - we start at 8-9 minutes for spaghetti - and then test every minute until...
- ... the pasta is al dente. Literally Italian for 'to the tooth', this refers to that sweet spot where pasta has just a bit of a bite left to it. Not undercooked, not too soft.
- Drain cooked pasta immediately. Don't leave it swimming in the hot water until serving time.
On that note - try and plan to cook the pasta so it’s ready when the sauce is too, and doesn’t have another twenty minutes to go.
And final tip, for when you do need to keep cooked pasta from sticking before you are ready to serve it up: Briefly rinse it with cold water just after draining. Stirring in a little bit of olive oil or sauce will also help prevent spaghetti sticking and lumping together.
Serving
For a classic spaghetti bolognese, we cook 75 g (3oz.) of spaghetti per portion.
We love to top off our vegan bolognese with a generous sprinkle of our sunflower seed vegan parmesan. Use it as you would grated parmesan.
Serve with a green salad with a vinaigrette dressing. Rocket (arugula or rucola) makes for a visually pleasing garnish and also goes really well with spaghetti bolognese. Some fresh herbs such as basil or oregano is also lovely.
You can use this vegan bolognese sauce to make a delicious vegan lasagna or pair it with our easy pizza dough to make some bolognese topped pizza or filled calzone.
If you have any leftovers, keep them in the fridge for up to three days or freeze for longer storage.
If you like this scrumptious vegan spaghetti bolognese, you might also like our other Italian inspired vegan recipes:
Our popular Vegan Carbonara
The even more popular Easy Vegan Tiramisu
And our yummy Vegan Pesto
📖 Recipe
Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 stick celery finely diced
- 1 small carrot finely diced
- 3 small mushrooms chestnut or white, finely diced
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil extra virgin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato puree/paste
- 1 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 tsp chili flakes red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar or 4 tbsp red wine
- 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) chopped tomatoes
- ½ cups (40 g) dried soy mince
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1 cup (240 ml) pasta cooking water reserved when draining
Serving
- 300 g (10.5 oz) spaghetti 75g / 3oz per person
- vegan sunflower seed parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a large frying pan. Add the finely chopped onion, celery, carrot and mushrooms. Sauté on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions are translucent and start to turn golden brown.1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 small onion, 1 stick celery, 1 small carrot, 3 small mushrooms
- Add and stir in the olive oil, garlic, dried basil and oregano, then the tomato puree/paste, maple syrup, chili flakes and balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook and occasionally stir on medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes, to form a thick paste.3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tsp dried basil, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato puree/paste, 1 tsp maple syrup, 1 tsp chili flakes, 2 tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
- Next, stir in the chopped tomatoes, dried soy mince, soy sauce, salt, pepper and water.1 can (400 g / 14 oz) chopped tomatoes, ½ cups (40 g) dried soy mince, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 1 cup (240 ml) water
- Bring to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook covered on medium heat for 45-60 minutes. Stir every 5-10 minutes to keep from catching at the bottom of the pan.
- 15 - 20 minutes before serving, cook the pasta following instructions on the pack or our tips in the post above. Drain the pasta and reserve some of the starchy cooking water.300 g (10.5 oz) spaghetti
- Add up to 1 cup (240 ml) of the pasta cooking water to the simmered sauce (which should have reduced considerably), to make it rich and smooth.1 cup (240 ml) pasta cooking water
- Serve the vegan bolognese sauce with spaghetti, a crack of black pepper, and optionally a sprinkle of homemade vegan parmesan and some rocket/arugula or a few fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
Satin says
Yay! You guys have nailed a vegan bolognese! I made it for my picky teens who make bringing up a vegan family a mission (as well as joy) as they never seem to like the same recipes 🤦🏻♀️! But they both enjoyed this one so much it’s on weekly rotation in a lasagna. So it’s a 5 star review from me! I also made your vegan Parmesan. You are geniuses! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼💕💕💕
Sophie and Paul says
Ahhh it's amazing when you can find a meal that pleases everyone! It's our go to recipe with our picky nieces and nephew too. Delighted we could help you out with this bolognese and the vegan parm and hope you find some more of our recipes to enjoy soon. 🙂
Sally says
Hi
Just wondering if I make a batch of the vegan spag bol can I freeze the sauce? If so how would I cook it from frozen?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Sally, Yes it freezes very well. Cool it, and then transfer into airtight containers of the portion size that suits you and freeze for up to 3 months. The easiest way to cook it after freezing is to thaw it overnight in the fridge and then reheat it until piping hot in a pan. Alterntatively you can defrost it in the microwave on low power or defrost mode, and then reheat in a pan on the stove. Stir it regularly and if necessary you can add a splash of water to stop the base from catching. Happy cooking!
Valerie says
Hi this looks great and I'd like to try it. Are there any non-soy alternatives to the mince? Thanks!
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Valerie! Yes it's one of our family's most requested meals 🙂 We've only tested dried soy mince in this recipe, but possible alternatives you could try would be sunflower seed mince (if you can get it), green lentils, or ground cauliflower and walnuts. The dried soy mince takes up quite a lot of the water, so you'd likely want to reduce the water amount if using a substitute. Hope that helps! Sophie
Neve says
I don't usually cook from scratch, but I enjoyed the challenge of this and it was great to practice my knife skills for the smaller veggies
I had loads of ikea vegan mince to use up, but I'll deffo try using soy mince next time 😀
Sophie and Paul says
Thank you Neve 🙂 frozen mince works just as well, I would probably fry it with the veggies a bit before adding the other stuff and reduce the amount of water. Hope you'll enjoy it again! 🙂
mason says
What is the meat
please tell me
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Mason, I replied to your question yesterday but perhaps you didn't see it 🙂 I've copied my answer here again: "The recipe uses dried soy mince, also known as TVP or texturized vegetable protein. You can easily order it online (We usually get it from Clearspring or Buy Wholefoods Online), or look in the wholefoods section of your local supermarket."
Clare says
It was so good I'm so glad I now have this in my brain to make again and again and I can't wait to make a lasagne with it!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Clare. Our family always asks us to make this for them when we visit - glad it's a keeper for you too!
Supriya says
I made this but with double the mince and a bottle of good jarred sauce. Delicious!! Even my teenager who just says “fine” to whatever I make, said “whoa, this sauce is really good!” I understand the comment from Italy but I agree with you, we Americans need some tricks to compete with fresh Italian produce! Kudos on an excellent recipe!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Supriya! Delighted it was such a success with your family 🙂 Our nieces and nephew absolutely love it too - they always request it when we visit!
Bev McEwen says
Just made this recipe for me, my partner and his autistic son. It was delicious. Usually struggle to get flavour into a dish made with soya mince but this was packed with taste. Loved the gentle heat from the chilli flakes. Will definitely be making again. Thankfully I made double so will have some to go in the freezer.
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks Bev, that's lovely to hear! Soya mince can be tricky to work with, but you just have to add loads of flavour and let it soak it up long enough, that's what the long cooking does for you!
So glad you liked it 🙂 Enjoy, Paul & Sophie
Paul James says
Should I rehydrate the soya mince first?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Paul,
no need to rehydrate it before. It gets rehydrated in the pan with the sauce during the cooking, that's mainly what the added water is for. Hope you'll enjoy the Bolognese as much as we do!
Anna says
Great recipe! Here in Italy we don't use soy sauce and sweeteners, but if it's your thing go for it!
For extra taste you can also add a small amount of fresh rosemary and 2-3 juniper berries.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Take care.
Anna
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Anna, good to read from you, thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
We use the soy sauce to add some extra flavour that in non-vegan bolognese would come from the meat. But there's a lot of other flavourful stuff in the sauce, so it's very very yummy even without!
Same for sweeteners. I am sure that Italian sunripened tomatoes bring so much sweetness that it's not necessary to add any, and I can't wait to cook this with fresh, homegrown tomatoes this summer! With the canned tomatoes we most often use, we've found in our extensive tests (can never get enough of this bolognese) that adding just a tad of maple syrup makes it a slightly more balanced recipe to our taste. 🙂
Take care, Paul
mason says
What is the meat
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Mason! The recipe uses dried soy mince, also known as TVP or texturized vegetable protein. You can easily order it online (We usually get it from Clearspring or Buy Wholefoods Online), or look in the wholefoods section of your local supermarket. Hope that helps!