Two Kooks » All Recipes » Sauces, Dressings, Condiments, Jams » Best Vegan Bolognese (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

Best Vegan Bolognese (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

I’m pretty sure you couldn’t tell the difference between a traditional steaming bowl of pasta with meat sauce (classic Bolognese) and our quicker vegan Bolognese sauce made with plant-based ground beef in an Instant Pot.

No kidding – same rich flavor, texture and deliciousness. In under 1 hour.

vegan bolognese with fusilli pasta in bowl

You can make this vegan bolognese recipe in the Instant Pot or on the stove. Instructions for both are in the recipe card. The only difference is that you save 30-40 minutes or so – the magic of the Instant Pot.

I took some license with the recipe by not including milk and not serving it with a wider pasta typically used with a classic Bolognese sauce.

Nevertheless, this vegan Bolognese is a thick, rich, savory meatless ground beef sauce that would fool most meat eaters I think. It’s that close. And it tastes great.

3 reasons to make this veggie bolognese

The vegetarian spaghetti Bolognese tastes just like the homemade spaghetti meat sauce on pasta I grew up with. Totally satisfying to meat lovers like me and my husband. But totally plant-based to satisfy vegetarians or vegans too. (And me because I’m trying to cut back on meat).

Purists may snub their noses, but the rest of us are thrilled to serve the same meatless pasta recipe to meat eaters and vegetarians at the same time. For me, this is a big deal. For over 20 years, I have had to make my vegetarian daughter a separate vegetarian meal 🙁 With this recipe, I don’t!

And it’s also heartening to know that you’re helping the environment by reducing beef consumption which is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions.

Ingredients – tailored to your taste

packaged gnocchi, tomato sauce, cream, indian seasonings, spinach, butter, onion

Plant-based beef: The two best plant-based beef products on the market (at this point), based on several taste tests, are Impossible Burger and Beyond Beef. The taste, texture and nutrition are very similar to ground beef.

Vegetables: Onions, carrots and celery are commonly used in any bolognese sauce.

Tomato sauce forms the foundation of the bolognese. The tomato paste adds depth and flavor.

  • Instead of tomato sauce, use a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes and an extra 2 tbsp tomato paste. San Marzano tomatoes are excellent for making a rich tomato sauce.
  • To make a mellower or creamier sauce, add some soy or nut milk or cream at the end.
  • Or use a homemade tomato sauce if you prefer.

Seasonings: I use oregano, chili powder, garlic salt, black pepper. I also like to add a dash of prepared or Dijon mustard as well. If you like more heat, add red pepper flakes. .

Step by step instructions

veggies sauteeing in instant pot.
Press Sauté function. It’s ready when it says “hot”. Add oil and veggies. Sauté 3-4 minutes.
beyond beef with veggies in instant pot
Add plant based meat and sauté until browned.
vegan bolognese in instant pot.
Add garlic and tomato paste. Deglaze with wine, then add liquids.
large spoon stirring vegan bolognese in instant pot.
Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Then do a quick release. Use the Sauté button to thicken sauce for a few minutes if needed (it will thicken on standing and in the fridge as well).
vegan bolognese with fusilli pasta in bowl

Are plant-based beef products healthy?

Are plant-based beef products healthier than regular ground beef? Yes and no.

  • Beyond Beef and regular ground beef have about the same calories and fat (although Beyond Beef has less saturated fat). Beyond Beef has more fiber and a bit less protein than ground beef.
  • Plant-based beef products are highly processed with a long list of additives.

In summary, this meatless meal cannot be considered a health food just because it’s plant-based. It’s certainly not bad for you, though, particularly as an occasional indulgence.

Recipe FAQs

Is plant-based meat the same as lab-grown meat?

Plant-based meat is not the same as lab-grown meat. Plant-based meat replicates the taste and texture of meat without using any animal products. Lab-grown meat uses animal stem cells to create a meat product. Here’s an article on lab-grown meat.

What is the difference between bolognese and meat sauce?

Bolognese is an Italian meat sauce (ragù) made with onions, carrots, celery, ground beef, tomato sauce (passata) and milk. It’s thicker and creamier than meat sauce and much less tomato-y.

How to serve vegan bolognese

Serve the vegan bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta (any kind) with a citrus salad and crusty bread. End the meal with a refreshing tropical fruit salad.

You can also use the sauce for Sloppy Joes or to make a Lasagna.

Add vegan meatballs to the sauce if you like. Or, for non-vegetarians, try these all-purpose Italian meatballs

For a lower calorie option, try serving the bolognese sauce over zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.

Shortcuts

  • Leave out the carrots and celery. Less chopping.
  • Use jarred or frozen cubes of garlic instead of chopping fresh garlic.

Make Ahead

  • The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for 3 months. Defrost and reheat in a sauce pan or microwave over pasta for busy weeknights.
scoop of vegan bolognese over instant pot.

Other vegan sauces

Here are a few other vegan sauces that are delicious on pasta, veggies or tofu

vegan bolognese with fusilli pasta in bowl
Print Recipe Pin Save Recipe

Rate this recipe here

4.93 from 65 votes

Best Vegan Bolognese (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

I'm pretty sure you couldn't tell the difference between a traditional steaming bowl of pasta with meat sauce and our quicker vegan Bolognese sauce made with plant-based ground beef in an Instant Pot. No kidding – same rich flavor, texture and deliciousness.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time38 minutes
time to rise to pressure10 minutes
Total Time53 minutes
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 5

Equipment

  • Instant Pot (check notes for stove top instructions)

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon neutral olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced about 1 1/2 cups (286 grams)
  • 1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
  • 1 celery stalk, finely diced
  • 3/4 pound plant-based ground beef (like Impossible Meat or Beyond Beef)
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 3 teaspoons)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 3 cups tomato or marinara sauce (use 3 1/2 cups/906 g if you like it saucier)
  • 1/2 cup water

seasonings

  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder, or more
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or more
  • 1 bay leaf (or 2)
  • optional: 1 tsp prepared mustard, pinch of red chili flakes

Instructions

  • PRESS SAUTÉ FUNCTION ON INSTANT POT: and heat to "HOT". Chop veggies while heating. (See Note 1 for stove top version)
  • SAUTE VEGGIES AND 'GROUND BEEF': Add oil, then veggies. Sauté, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Add plant based ground beef, break up with utensil and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it turns brown. Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Add wine, and deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pot, stirring for 1 minute. Press CANCEL button on instant pot.
  • ADD LIQUID AND COOK: Stir in the rest of the ingredients – tomato sauce, water and all seasonings (including mustard if using). Close lid and set valve to 'SEALING', then set to HIGH PRESSURE OR MANUAL button on High for 20 minutes (use + or – buttons). The Instant Pot will take about 8-10 minutes to come to pressure depending on size of pot before it starts the 20 minute cooking process. 
    When finished (it will beep), do quick pressure release by turning valve to VENT. When button drops, you can open the lid.
  • FINISH SAUCE: Change function to SAUTÉ and stir sauce for 2-3 minutes or until desired thickness. It will thicken more on standing or in the fridge. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over any type of pasta with vegan-like Parmesan cheese and/or a little olive oil if desired. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. No Instant Pot? Use this stovetop method: Heat oil in medium-large pot on stove to medium high. Add veggies. Saute 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to medium heat. Add plant based ground beef. Saute another 3-4 minutes until brown, breaking up with a spoon. Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Add wine and deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pan, for a minute until absorbed. Add tomato sauce, seasonings and water. Stir. Bring to boil, then lower heat and cover. Simmer for 50-60 minutes until bolognese sauce is rich and thick. If not thick enough, uncover and cook another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  2. Variations and substitutes:
    • Instead of tomato sauce, use a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes and an extra 2 tbsp tomato paste. San Marzano tomatoes are excellent for making a rich tomato sauce.
    • To make a mellower or creamier sauce, add some soy or nut milk or cream at the end.
    • Use a homemade tomato sauce if you prefer.
    • The veggie Bolognese sauce is a hearty sauce that is quite thick, especially the next day. Feel free to add additional tomato sauce, broth or water to make it looser.
    • Vary the heat with more chili powder or red pepper flakes.
  3. Make Ahead: Cool sauce and store in fridge for 3-4 days or in freezer for 3 months. If too thick, add a bit of broth, water or more tomato sauce when reheating on stove or in microwave. 
 
Estimated Nutrition values do not include pasta. Only the sauce. Note – the nutrition calculator included regular ground beef instead of plant based which has no cholesterol, but similar protein and fat content. 

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 1350mg | Potassium: 921mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2916IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?We’d love you to rate it above under ‘rate this recipe’ or in the comment section below. Thanks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




26 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    So so weird! The sauce is absolutely amazing but I kept on getting the food burning message on my instant pot. I can’t imagine why I would be getting it, but just something to keep in mind.

    1. Sorry to hear about the burn notice Molly. An occasional downfall of instant pots as I am sure you know. Here is an article on how to fix burn messages as there could be a number of reasons. I hope that will help. Two things come to mind – it’s important to deglaze the pot, and your tomato sauce may have been too thick. I’m glad you liked the sauce at least! Perhaps use the stove top method next time?

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve made this many times now, and it’s a hit. It’s also very forgiving. Last night I added an obscene amount of puréed spinach (I had bags of fresh that were running out of time), just to see what I could get away with, and the fussy children still ate it. And it was still really good! I sometimes use Beyond Meat and then double the recipe with Yves ground. My question is about the nutrition calculation: how big is a ‘serving’?

    1. Hi Anne. I love how you made the bolognese extra healthy with a load of spinach. As far as how big a serving is, that would depend on what extras you’re adding (like spinach), but I would say 1 serving is approximately 1 cup. I hope that helps. Thanks for leaving such a helpful comment about the spinach add-in.

  3. So good! I added mushrooms because I had them and a little bit more water. I threw my carrots, onions and celery in the food processor to help with the chopping. I used the instant pot and Impossible meat. My family didn’t even know it wasn’t meat! Thank you!

    1. Hi Erika, I am not a dietician, but I know that the plant based meat has no cholesterol and that carrots, tomatoes and onions help to lower bad cholesterol. The nutrition calculator seems to have picked up regular ground beef (instead of plant based) – sorry, I will have to find a way to correct that. Thanks for catching that!

    2. Read the labels on the plant-based meat carefully – at least one of them has a large amount of saturated fat per serving, probably because of the coconut oil in it.

  4. 5 stars
    I made this for my mom who is very hesitant to try plant based meats. She did not even know that it wasn’t real meat and actually loved it! I also subbed out the red wine for equal parts vegetable broth and it still came out spectacular! Very tasty!

  5. 5 stars
    Wow. Just wow. I was really skeptical of this and put it off for weeks. I made it last night and my husband and I were both blown away. The only slight change I made was to add one bouillon cube along with the water. Everything else was exact. I made it in the Instapot and it was just superb. I caught myself eating just the sauce without an pasta when I was supposed to be putting away the leftovers. Even better the next day. The flavor is so rich and hearty and you wouldn’t have ever known it was fake meat (we used Impossible meat). Thank you very much for this recipe. 😊

    1. You are very welcome Susan! Really happy to hear you liked the recipe so much. And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

  6. 5 stars
    This sounds great and trying it tonight. When the recipe calls for “tomato sauce” do you mean a pre-made canned marinara? Or just plain tomato sauce without seasoning that you would find in the store next to tomato paste/stewed tomatoes?

    1. Hope I’m not too late. I use a basic Marinara (White Line from Costco). Plain tomato sauce is fine or any tomato sauce. Just adjust your seasonings accordingly. Hope that helps. Good luck!

  7. 5 stars
    My boyfriend and I just tried this recipe and WOW. Absolutely delicious. It’s a keeper. Only note I have is we used San Marzano peeled/canned whole tomatoes and crushed them by hand. Worked perfectly with this dish.

  8. 5 stars
    Great Recipe!! Added a touch of soy sauce to add umami and finished with almond milk to add creaminess. This is a versatile recipe that can be used for Sloppy Joes, Lasagna, or a pasta sauce.