• recipes
    • small plates
    • large plates
    • sweets
    • baking
    • salads and soups
    • breakfasts
    • pantry staples
    • drinks
  • about
  • contact
Lazy Cat Kitchen

A food blog with plant-based recipes from all over the world

Vegan mushroom bolognese with smoked tofu

October 24, 2020 by Ania - 18

comfort food, easy, gluten-free, healthy, tofugo to recipe

go to recipe

mushroom bolognese close up

My bathroom is being ripped apart as I type this and while right now it’s noisy, it smells, I am likely to have no shower for the next few days (hopefully only 2 or 3) and the toilet situation is pretty awkward too, I am really happy to be having all this done. After many attempts, I seem to have finally found a good builder who is friendly, helpful, proactive and has a can do attitude. It has not been easy and I’ve despaired on occasion.

This bathroom situation has been by far the biggest blocker and it looked as though I won’t be able to have it done at all this month and I obviously cannot stay in London forever, so when an opportunity to get it done at short notice arose I had to pounce, despite not having half of the stuff needed. My builder drove me to the nearest B&Q (home depot) to pick up the essentials and I scoured the Internet till late last night in the search of a new shower and shower door based not so much on whether I liked them or not, but more so on their delivery times. Not ideal, but it had to happen this way or it would not have happened at all for weeks, maybe months, which is far worse.

My plan for today was to prime the kitchen walls but since there is so much building material all over the place, it will have to wait a couple of days, I think. Duncan is driving over on Saturday again to install a new fence, bless him. While I sink in DIY and cleaning, my plans of enjoying London in the evenings make me laugh out loud, I have don’t have time or energy for much of that at all. I have managed to see a couple of friends so far and plan to sneak out for another evening or two, but other than that it’s just planning, sourcing things and a lot of elbow grease. I know it will be worth it in the end.

Out of necessity, I am eating very simply these days and I would kill for a steady supply of a hearty mushroom bolognese, especially that nights are so cold all of a sudden and I am perpetually having to have windows open to air the paint fumes out. This vegan mushroom bolognese is easy-to-make, nourishing and so comforting. The most effort heavy bit is chopping all of the veggies into a tiny dice, but if you are not as particular as I am, you can probably get away with chopping things roughly and sticking them into a food processor to do its thing. The key thing is not to overload the processor as when it gets jammed it tends to over process things and to keep an eye on texture so that you don’t end up with baby food. Other than that, it’s just a bit of passive time that requires an occasional stir while you get on with other things. Enjoy.

PS: If you make my vegan mushroom bolognese, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram as @lazycatkitchen and use the #lazycatkitchen hashtag. I love seeing your takes on my recipes!

mushroom bolognese ingredients

mushroom bolognese chopped ingredients

mushroom bolognese pot

mushroom bolognese portion

mushroom bolognese fork

5.00 from 6 votes
Print
  • serves: 4-6
  • prep: 30 min
  • cooking: 90 min

Ingredients

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

  • 10 g / 0.35 oz dried porcini mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 6 large garlic cloves, finely diced
  • ½ fennel bulb, very finely diced
  • 2 short celery stalks, very finely diced
  • 2 small carrots, very finely diced
  • 250 g / 9 oz chestnut mushrooms, finely diced
  • 125 g / 4½ oz fresh shiitake, finely diced
  • 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves chopped finely
  • a few thyme sprigs
  • ½ tsp (or more if not using smoked tofu) smoked paprika
  • 1/3 tsp grated nutmeg
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes, adjust to taste
  • approx. 1 tsp salt, adjust to taste
  • 1 cup / 240 ml vegan red wine
  • 2 x 400 g / 28 oz tins quality peeled plum tomatoes
  • 200 g / 7 oz smoked tofu*
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp date syrup or sugar (optional, adjust to taste)

REMAINING INGREDIENTS

  • fresh thyme or parsley, to garnish
  • homemade vegan parmesan, to garnish (optional)
  • 500 g / 17½ oz dry tagliatelle (GF if required), cooked

Method

  1. Put the kettle on. Rinse the dried mushrooms well to get rid of any grit and place them in a small bowl.
  2. Cover the dried mushrooms with boiling water and set aside to brew.
  3. Heat up the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the diced onion and sauté on a low heat for a few minutes, until the onions are almost translucent, but not browned.
  4. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for a few minutes until it softens and becomes fragrant, stirring frequently.
  5. Next, add the diced fennel, celery and carrots. Sauté, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes or so.
  6. Next, add in all of the fresh mushrooms and sauté for another 5-10 minutes until all of the moisture cooks out and they are lightly browned.
  7. Add in chopped rosemary leaves, whole thyme springs, smoked paprika, nutmeg, chilli (if using) and 1 tsp of salt. Stir everything around for a minute or so.
  8. Add the dry mushroom stock, being careful not to tip the grit that sometimes gathers at the bottom of the dish over. You can chop the mushrooms really finely and add them into the pan too or save for another use.
  9. After the mixture comes to a gentle simmer, add the wine and allow it to bubble gently for a few minutes so that the harsh taste of alcohol cooks out, for about 10 minutes.
  10. Add both tomato cans and about 1 cup (240 ml) of water (I like to rinse my cans with it first).
  11. If you used plum tomatoes, like I did, break them up with a spoon first. Put the lid on and allow the sauce to bubble on a low-medium heat until the tomatoes have broken down (about 45-60 minutes). If the pan is looking dry before the tomatoes fully disintegrate, add a bit of water to the pan.
  12. While the sauce is simmering, tear your tofu roughly and pulse it in a food processor until you obtain a chunky crumble, be sure not to over process it unless that’s how you like it.
  13. Once the tomatoes have broken down, take the lid off, add the tofu and start reducing the sauce on a low-medium heat. If the pan is starting to look a bit too dry, add another cup of water (pasta cooking water is best) and cook until you achieve the desired consistency. Remember to give the sauce a good stir from time to time to ensure that the middle of the pan does not burn.
  14. Season with more salt if needed, black pepper and date syrup or sugar (if needed).

Notes

* If you don’t enjoy tofu, you can use soy mince, firm (Puy or brown) lentils, ground up chickpeas or more mushrooms (meaty ones like king oyster would be perfect).

If you want more info on some of the ingredients that we use in our recipes, check out our glossary.
SHARE
peanut banana bars tray
Previous:
Banana peanut bars
Next post:
Vegan fajita bowls
vegan fajita bowls

get a sweet e-book

on joining our mailing list

I’d like to receive new recipe emails and a link to your free e-book.
(By submitting this form you agree to our privacy policy.)
This recipe has been written by Ania. She is the cook, stylist and photographer behind Lazy Cat Kitchen. You can read about her journey into food blogging here. You can also check her out on Pinterest and Instagram.

You may also like

vegan ramen close up

Vegan ramen

vegan breakfast bowl portion

Savoury vegan breakfast bowl

vegan corn fritter platter

Vegan corn fritters

vegan jackfruit tagine

Vegan jackfruit tagine

    Comments

    Leave a comment

  1. Helen says

    October 24, 2020 at 8:28 pm

    Looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      October 25, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      Thank you, Helen! Hope you’ll enjoy it if you decide to make it. Ania

      Reply
  2. Paulina says

    October 24, 2020 at 11:44 pm

    Ania, what exactly is smoked tofu?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      October 25, 2020 at 10:42 pm

      It’s tofu that has been infused with smoke. It’s delicious if you enjoy smoky taste. Ania

      Reply
  3. Holly Everitt says

    October 25, 2020 at 3:15 pm

    This was great without the tofu as well (my husband doesn’t like tofu)

    Reply
    • Ania says

      October 25, 2020 at 10:47 pm

      Great to hear that you and your husband enjoyed it, Holly and thanks for letting me know! Ania

      Reply
  4. Nora says

    October 25, 2020 at 11:03 pm

    What a brilliant recipe! I will give it a try as soon as I can get my hands on smoked tofu (not so easy to find in Scandinavia)

    Reply
    • Ania says

      October 26, 2020 at 12:10 am

      Thanks, Nora. You could also use regular tofu and increase the amount of smoked paprika (or use liquid smoke) to inject some smokiness into the sauce. Hope this helps and that you’ll enjoy it. Ania

      Reply
  5. Dustin says

    October 26, 2020 at 4:28 am

    Thank you so much for what you are doing. Recipes are such an attraction to get eyes and that you simultaneously include the wisdom that you clearly have about our culture and environment is even more hearty than your wonderful recipes. Applause.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      October 26, 2020 at 7:49 pm

      Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Dustin! Lovely to hear that you are enjoying my blog. Ania

      Reply
  6. Sabrina says

    November 14, 2020 at 3:08 am

    love bolognese, a nice change from more southern Italian tomato sauces, have a favorite from a Frances Mayes cookbook but haven’t tried a veg version, thank you!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      November 14, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      Thank you for your kind words, Sabrina. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Ania

      Reply
  7. Lisa says

    November 18, 2020 at 9:27 pm

    This is amazing! I’ve made it several times now and everybody loves it.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      November 19, 2020 at 12:15 am

      Aw, thanks so much for your kind comment, Lisa! I delighted that this dish went down so well with you and your family. And thanks for taking the time to review and rate this recipe – much appreciated. Ania

      Reply
  8. Eva says

    November 23, 2020 at 6:33 pm

    I have made it recently and I have to say, it’s the best vegan ragu recipe I have ever tried. The flavours are out of this world, essy to make, massive portion, so I still have some in the freezer. Absolutely amazing recipe!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      November 24, 2020 at 12:19 am

      I’m delighted to hear that, Eva! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me and other readers know – much appreciated. Ania

      Reply
  9. Ruan Swiegelaar says

    January 3, 2021 at 6:44 am

    This was delicious. I have recently decided to try vegan options and must say that I am loving it. Wood you be able to recommend another amazing dish. Trying to create a weeks menu. 🤩

    Reply
    • Ania says

      January 3, 2021 at 7:45 pm

      Thank you, Ruan, I am so glad you enjoyed it. It’s hard to be sure as I don’t know what kind of stuff you enjoy but here are some (I have more than 500 recipes on the site so not easy to chose) of my personal favourites : Vegan balsamic mushroom pasta, Easy vegan fajitas, Vegan brunch, Vegan Thai green curry, Vegan Thai corn fritters, Vegan mini pizzas, Spanish chickpea and spinach stew and Vegan peanut curry with sweet potato x Ania

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Fields marked as * are mandatory
This form collects your name and email so that we can correspond with you and display your name and the content of your comment. Check out our privacy policy for more information.

I consent to having Lazy Cat Kitchen collect my name and email

Ania Marcinowska
Hi, I'm Ania. I love good food but I love animals more! Adopting a plant-based diet has been the best decision I've made and that's how this blog was born. It's a space where I want to show you that creating delicious plant-based food isn't actually hard at all.
read more

Follow us on Insta

View on Instagram

Like us on Facebook

Lazy Cat Kitchen
Lazy Cat Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca.

Follow Us On Pinterest

Copyright © 2018 · Privacy Policy · Theme by Lazy Cat Themes · Logo by Sarah from The Small Object