Main Dishes
Easy Vegan Ragu
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
45 minutes
Yield
5 -6
We’re in the heart of winter, aka cold and flu season, and when it’s so dang cold outside that it literally hurts my face when I go outside. Winter is tough, it’s cold, and it makes you want to hibernate and eat all the comfort foods that warm you up, like this vegan ragu that you’re going to love. This is such a comforting dish that I’ll make again, and again because not only is it easy, but it’s also hearty, and full of healthy ingredients that fuel my body to get me through the day.
Why you’ll love this vegan ragu recipe:
- Make it in just an hour
- Hearty and filling
- A vegan twist to the traditional ragu
- The ultimate comfort food
- One-pot
How do you stay healthy in the winter?
The age-old question, how on earth do you ensure your immune system stays in tip-top shape during the winter/colder months? Now it’s more important than ever before because of the pandemic. Cold and flu season can be rough for a lot of people, and there are a few things I like to ensure I do to keep myself healthy:
- Constantly washing my hands (the pandemic has made this easy)
- Drinking a lot of water (staying hydrated helps your body naturally eliminate the bacteria and toxins that cause infection)
- Eating healthy (especially loading up on fruits and veggies)
- Taking daily plant-based vitamins like these Herbaland Vitamin C Gummies (vitamin C is an antioxidant and a powerful one that boosts your immune system)
What are some ways you like to boost your immune system?
Looking for additional comforting vegan pasta recipes? Click here.
How do you make vegan ragu?
I mentioned that eating healthy, especially during the winter months, is really important to keeping my body happy. That’s where recipes like vegan ragu are great because although I know I need to eat healthy, I also am seeking comfort food, and things like salad can not always check that comforting, and warming box. This recipe is simple, healthy, and can be made as follows:
- Into a food processor place 1/2 of the mushrooms and process until finely ground. Remove mushrooms from the processor and repeat with the other 1/2 of mushrooms
- Into a large soup pot add your olive oil and heat on medium-high heat for around 20 seconds before adding your mushrooms. Cook for around 6-8 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has browned beautifully
- Into the same food processor add your onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Process till finely ground. See notes
- Remove the mushroom mixture from the pot and transfer to a bowl
- Into the same pot add your onion mixture and cook on medium heat for around 5-6 minutes, or until browned and fragrant. If the mixture starts to sticks to the bottom of the pot simply add a little water bit by bit to help loosen the browned parts. This is a flavor-building step, so I highly suggest it if needed
- To the mixture add your chili flakes, cinnamon, clove, basil, parsley and bay leaf. Stir till well combined. Cook for around 1-2 more minutes
- Now, push the cooked onions mixture to the sides and makes room for the tomato paste. Cook on its own for a minute or so or until browned. Once browned stir the tomato paste into the onion mixture and transfer your walnut and mushrooms to the pot
- Stir till well combined, increase heat and add your passata and vegetable stock paste. Cook for around 5 minutes before adding your water and bringing the mixture to a boil
- Put on your pot lid and simmer for around 25-30 minutes. See notes. Before serving taste for salt and pepper and add as needed
- Enjoy with your favorite pasta, garnished with parsley and a side of garlic toast!
Voila! Easy and delicious. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment on this post!
For more info on my fav vitamins, visit HerbaLand here.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Garlic Confit
- Easy Vegan Deviled Potatoes
- Plant-Based Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- Vegan Cranberry Cheese Tarts
- Quinoa Spinach Patties
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Vegan Mushroom Ragu
Ingredients
- 4 servings spaghetti or pasta of choice
- 5 cups of assorted mushrooms
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion rough chop
- 2 celery ribs rough chop
- 3 medium-sized carrots rough chop
- 4 large cloves of garlic whole
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp cinnamon spice
- 1/2 tsp clove spice
- 2 tbsp. dry basil spice
- 1 tbsp. parsley spice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 680 ml bottle of passata – I used organic
- 2 tbsp. vegetable stock paste
- 2 –3 cups boiling water
- season to taste
Instructions
- Into a food processor place 1/2 of the mushrooms and process until finely ground. Remove mushrooms from the processor and repeat with the other 1/2 of mushrooms. See notes.
- Into a large soup pot add your olive oil and heat on medium-high heat for around 20 seconds before adding your mushrooms. Cook for around 6-8 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has browned beautifully.
- Into the same food processor add your onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Process till finely ground. See notes.
- Remove the mushroom mixture from the pot and transfer to a bowl.
- Into the same pot add your onion mixture and cook on medium heat for around 5-6 minutes, or until browned and fragrant. If the mixture starts to sticks to the bottom of the pot simply add a little water bit by bit to help loosen the browned parts. This is a flavour-building step, so I highly suggest it if needed.
- To the mixture add your chili flakes, cinnamon, clove, basil, parsley and bay leaf. Stir till well combined. Cook for around 1-2 more minutes.
- Now, push the cooked onions mixture to the sides and makes room for the tomato paste. Cook on its own for a minute or so or until browned. Once browned stir the tomato paste into the onion mixture and transfer your walnut and mushrooms to the pot. See notes.
- Stir till well combined, increase heat and add your passata and vegetable stock paste. Cook for around 5 minutes before adding your water and bringing the mixture to a boil.
- Pot on your pot lid and simmer for around 25-30 minutes. See notes. Before serving taste for salt and pepper and add as needed.
- Enjoy with your favourite pasta, garnished with parsley and a side of garlic toast!
Walnut and Mushrooms? Where does walnut come into it, I’m confused…lol…
where did I write walnuts! Sorry that was an error if its’ there, I will edit! but if you are looking for walnuts then make my meat sauce! lol
The kids love this one! The noodles are so fun! Very tasty.
Aren’t they the best?!