The Most Incredible Vegan Bolognese


August 31, 2019

This vegan bolognese tastes like conventional meat bolognese and will blow your mind. This cauliflower mushroom bolognese is gluten-free and soy-free.

The Most Incredible Vegan Bolognese

Do not miss making this vegan bolognese pasta. It is the most incredible vegan bolognese I have ever had, and I don’t mind sayin! And, everybody I serve this to agrees! I am getting love letters far and wide.

This cauliflower bolognese recipe has claimed a spot in my top 10 recipes I’ve created. Yep, it’s a big call, but I think when you try it you might agree.

So, what’s the secret? An incredible rich blended tomato sauce, and a combo of cauliflower rice and mushrooms.

There are a lot of vegan bolognese recipes using lentils, tofu, tempeh, and seitan. And, there are some incredible vegan bolognese recipes using beans and soy. But, I wanted to create a vegan bolognese recipe that was gluten-free and soy-free.

Cauliflower Bolognese

I’ve tried some pretty good cauliflower bolognese recipes over the last few years. But, none of them really rocked my world or tasted close enough to traditional bolognese made with ground beef.

So, if I was going to create a cauliflower bolognese recipe, it was going to have to fool my dad, who considers himself a bolognese aficionado! I also tested this recipe on a group of blokes at an event I did in San Francisco. They absolutely loved it, and pretty much all but called me a dirty little liar when I told them it was vegan.

So, I knew I had a winner!

How To Make Amazing Cauliflower Bolognese

Here are some tips to nailing the look and taste of this cauliflower bolognese.

  1. Process your cauliflower into small rice and dice your mushrooms into really small pieces so that the cauliflower and mushrooms replicate the look and texture of ground beef. You don’t want slices or big pieces of mushroom or cauliflower. That will give the game away if you’re serving this vegan bolognese to unsuspecting omnivores.
  2. For the best flavor, use make your own cauliflower rice from fresh (not frozen) cauliflower. Pre-made frozen cauliflower rice is fantastic for convenience. But, you can’t control the cut, and when you defrost it it can have excess water and a funky flavor that may blast your bliss with this recipe!
  3. Do not skip blending in half of the cooked onion and garlic mixture. This addition will give your sauce an amazing middle note.
  4. Do not skip the step of stirring the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mixture through the cooked cauliflower and mushrooms. This helps to coat the vegetables with an incredible flavor that helps the sauce stick to them and make them taste less like veggies!
  5. Simmer for the required time as it helps the flavors to mesh beautifully, and takes the edge off of the dried basil, thyme, and oregano. If you try to cook this more quickly, you may find the herb mix a bit sharp.

I should attach a disclaimer to this recipe: It is addictive!

Try not to eat this entire batch to yourself before serving it up. It is difficult…..because this is soooo good.

Oh, and this vegan bolognese sauce freezes really well, too!

Just make it…..and thank me later.

I created this recipe for KitchenAid. Check out their gorgeous blenders.

Disclaimer: I am a paid ambassador for KitchenAid Blenders. But, my opinions are my own. 

Other Vegan Pasta Recipes

The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff
Pasta All Norma
Vegan Carbonara
Creamy Roasted Garlic Pasta

Let me know what you think of this vegan cauliflower bolognese in the comments!

Your feedback is important, and it helps me decide which recipes to post next for you.

 

The Most Incredible Vegan Bolognese

This vegan bolognese tastes like conventional meat bolognese and will blow your mind. This cauliflower mushroom bolognese is gluten-free and soy-free.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

bolognese sauce

pasta

Instructions

  1. To make the bolognese, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or large pot over medium-high heat, and sauté the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent.

  2. Transfer half of the onion and garlic mixture to your KitchenAid blender, and add 1 teaspoon of the salt, vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, thyme, oregano, maple syrup, and red pepper flakes and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds until the sun-dried tomatoes are pulverized.

  3. Throw the cauliflower into a food processor fitted with the S blade, and pulse until you have very tiny pieces just larger than rice (the size of ground beef).

  4. Turn on the pot with remaining half of the onion and garlic mixture to medium-high heat. Add the ground cauliflower to the pot, and sauté for about 10 minutes with the remaining tablespoon of oil until just softened. Add the mushrooms, and sauté for about 5 minutes until just softened.

  5. In a small bowl, mix the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and mustard together until well combined and add this mixture to the cauliflower mushroom mixture until well combined and evenly coated.

  6. Add the tomato sauce and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and slightly reduced, and the flavors have meshed. 

  7. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions or spiralize the zucchini noodles. 

  8. Serve pasta topped with bolognese sauce, and garnish with chopped parsley.