This vegan bolognese with tofu makes such a great weeknight dinner for the whole family. It’s super delicious, packed with flavor and protein, and really easy to make. It comes together in only 30 minutes!
Why This Recipe Works
We’ve been making this vegan bolognese for years and it’s always a big hit. I’d even say it’s one of our all-time favorite recipes! It’s super comforting, rich, hearty, and packed with Italian flavors.
Instead of ground meat, I used firm tofu, which is the perfect base for this recipe. When being crumbled up and cooked until golden and crispy, it’s the perfect meat replacement for this meatless Bolognese sauce. And thanks to the tofu, this recipe is packed with protein.
Carrots and celery provide this sauce with extra nutrients and give it a bit of texture. For ultimate flavor, it’s important to first cook the tofu until crispy, then add the onion and the garlic, the tomato paste, and then deglaze everything with dry red wine.
For a thick and robust sauce, let the sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Then serve it over spaghetti and top it off with some freshly chopped basil and a bit of vegan parmesan. I promise you, you will love it!
It’s also a great base for vegan lasagna and it freezes really well, so you could make a bigger batch if you want and save it for later.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Tofu – It’s very important to use firm tofu or extra-firm tofu if you can find it. The recipe doesn’t work with soft or silken tofu as it won’t hold its shape and doesn’t absorb flavors well. If your tofu is not firm enough, you might want to use a tofu press before starting with this recipe.
- Tomato Puree – I used tomato puree in a jar. You could also use canned crushed or diced tomatoes (don’t drain as you need all of the liquid).
- Red Wine – wine is often not vegan as animal-derived fining agents like milk protein or gelatin from fish bladder membranes are used in the production. Fortunately, there are many wines labeled as vegan, so keep an eye out for those.
- Olive Oil – I use organic, extra virgin olive oil.
- Vegetable Broth – I use organic vegetable broth. Use a low-sodium broth if you want.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Step: Crumble the tofu with your hands. In a large pan, heat some olive oil and add the crumbled tofu. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes until crispy and golden.
2. Step: In the meantime, finely dice the onion, the celery, and the carrots.
3. Step: Add the onion to the tofu and cook on high heat for 3 minutes until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Step: Now add the tomato paste and stir well so everything is covered in tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Step: Deglaze with red wine and cook for another minute. Then add the celery and the carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Step: Add the pureed tomatoes, the vegetable broth, the basil, the oregano, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Turn down the heat to medium-high and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve it over freshly-cooked pasta, and sprinkle it with roughly chopped basil leaves and vegan Parmesan. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- If you’re cooking for young kids, leave out the red wine. No need to replace it with anything else. Just continue with the recipe without adding the red wine.
- For a gluten-free version, replace the soy sauce with tamari and use brown rice spaghetti instead of regular spaghetti.
- For a little bit of extra heat, add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to your sauce.
FAQs:
How Long Does This Vegan Bolognese Sauce Last?
Properly stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this sauce will last for up to 5 days.
Can You Freeze This Sauce?
Yes, it freezes really well. Allow it to cool down completely completely before freezing it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
Let it thaw on the counter and then reheat it on the stove top.
Related Recipes
- Spaghetti with Lentil Bolognese
- Cauliflower Bolognese Sauce
- Vegan Spaghetti
- Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach
- Vegan Meatballs with Spaghetti
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this vegan bolognese as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Vegan Bolognese
Ingredients
- 14 oz firm tofu
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 stalks of celery, finely diced
- 3 cups tomato puree in a jar
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Crumble the tofu with your hands. In a large pan, heat some olive oil and add the crumbled tofu. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes until crispy and golden.
- In the meantime, finely dice the onion, the celery, and the carrots.
- Add the onion to the tofu and cook on high heat for 3 minutes until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Now add the tomato paste and stir well so everything is covered in tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze with red wine and cook for another minute. Then add the celery and the carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, the vegetable broth, the basil, the oregano, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Turn down the heat to medium-high and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve it over freshly-cooked pasta, and sprinkle it with roughly chopped basil leaves and vegan Parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you're cooking for young kids, leave out the red wine. No need to replace it with anything else. Just continue with the recipe without adding the red wine.
- For a gluten-free version, replace the soy sauce with tamari and use brown rice spaghetti instead of regular spaghetti.
- For a little bit of extra heat, add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to your sauce.
- Properly stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this sauce will last for up to 5 days.
- This recipe freezes really well. Allow it to cool down completely completely before freezing it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Let it thaw on the counter and then reheat it on the stovetop.
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