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Home » Recipes » Vegan Main Dishes

Vegan Mushroom Ragu

Published: Feb 4, 2021 · Modified: Feb 4, 2021 by Lexi

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This cozy vegan mushroom ragu is cooked in a rich wine and tomato sauce, with 3 types of mushrooms for meaty texture and flavor. It's so hearty, easy to make and the perfect vegan comfort food dinner for a chilly night!

overhead view of vegan mushroom ragu over pasta in a red bowl.

Why we love this recipe

  • So hearty, cozy and flavorful. This is vegan comfort food at its best! Restaurant quality, pure deliciousness.
  • One pot recipe. This vegan mushroom ragu comes together in one pot in just a few simple steps! Once everything is in the pot, you can just let it simmer low and slow until your entire house smells amazing.
  • Versatile. You can serve over pasta, mashed potatoes, polenta or simply with warm, crusty bread.
  • Vegan and gluten free friendly. This mushroom ragu is 100% vegan and super easy to adapt to be gluten free.

Ingredients

Here are some of the key ingredients you'll need to make this vegan ragu:

overhead view of ingredients for vegan mushroom ragu with text labels.
  • Mushrooms: cremini, shiitake and portobello (each mushrooms lends a different texture and flavor for a meatier sauce).
  • Shallots and garlic
  • Sherry wine
  • Tomatoes: crushed tomatoes and tomato paste
  • Vegetable broth
  • Fresh herbs: thyme, parsley and rosemary
side view of vegan mushroom ragu over pasta in a red bowl.

Ingredient notes

  • Sherry is an essential ingredient in this vegan ragu. It adds depth of flavor, acidity and a touch of sweetness. We suggest using a dry sherry (the higher quality, the better this will taste!).
    • Substitutions: in a pinch, you can sub with a dry red or white wine.
  • Crushed tomatoes: we love using San Marzano tomatoes, which have perfectly balanced flavor and acidity.
    • Substitutions: if you don't have any crushed tomatoes, you can pulse whole peeled tomatoes in a food processor and use in place of crushed.
  • Herbs: fresh herbs are definitely best for this vegan ragu. If you don't have any, you can use dried thyme and rosemary in place of fresh (1 ½ teaspoon of each). Parsley is most important to have fresh, but if you absolutely have to, you can use 1 tablespoon of dried parsley.
overhead view of vegan mushroom ragu over pasta in a black bowl.

Step-by-step instructions

How to prep mushrooms for vegan ragu

We use 3 different varieties of mushrooms in this vegan ragu: cremini, shiitake and portobello. Each adds a different flavor and texture and the end result is a meaty, rich, flavorful sauce!

Here's how to prep each variety:

overhead view of 3 types of mushrooms on black backdrop.

Cremini: Wash and pat dry. Slice of the very bottom of the stem, then slice thinly.

Shiitake: Wash and pat dry. Remove the stem completely (shiitake stems are very tough and woody), then slice thinly.

Portobello: to add some meaty texture, we shred these into larger pieces.

Wash the cap and pat dry. Remove the stem, then use two forks to shred, going with the grain of the mushroom. Some pieces may be larger than others – you can either further shred them or leave be for more texture.

person shredding large portobello mushroom with two forks.

Once your mushrooms are prepped, it's time to...

Make the ragu

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. 

Add the shallots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the mushrooms to the pot with 2-3 tablespoon of vegetable broth. Stir well and cook until the mushrooms are softened and cooked down – about 8-10 minutes. 

sautéed shallots, garlic and mushrooms in a dutch oven.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of flour and 2 tablespoon of broth. Add flour mixture and tomato paste to the pot and stir well. 

Add remaining broth, sherry, crushed tomatoes, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and stir in fresh herbs. 

overhead view of vegan mushroom ragu in large dutch oven before cooking down.

Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. 

Once ragu is finished cooking, stir in 2 tablespoon vegan butter and remove from heat. Serve over cooked pasta and garnish with vegan parmesan and more fresh herbs. 

close up view of vegan mushroom ragu over pasta in a large white dutch oven.

Expert Tips

  • How to clean mushrooms: you can rinse mushrooms in cool water to clean, but they tend to soak up a lot of extra water, so it's not always the best option. If your mushrooms aren't very dirty, you can gently brush off any dirt with a damp paper towel instead.
close up view of shiitake mushrooms on black backdrop.
  • Storage: Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. We suggest storing without the pasta.
  • Serving suggestions: we love this vegan mushroom ragu over a wider pasta (like fettuccine), but it's also delicious served over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.
  • To make this 100% gluten free, simply use gluten free all purpose flour and gluten free pasta.
overhead view of vegan mushroom ragu over pasta in a red bowl.

FAQs

What should you serve with vegan ragu?


A nice, simple, refreshing salad is the perfect side dish for hearty mushroom ragu. We like a simple arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette, or something with citrus for acidity to cut the richness of the pasta.

I also love serving this vegan ragu with some crusty, warm bread. I know, lots of carbs, but there's no better way to soak up all of that delicious sauce!

Can you freeze vegan ragu?


Yes! You can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

overhead view of vegan mushroom ragu over pasta in a large white dutch oven.

Related recipes

  • Vegan Mushroom Stew over Mashed Potatoes
  • Tofu Marsala
  • White Bean Tomato Stew
  • Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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overhead view of vegan mushroom ragu over pasta in a red bowl.

Vegan Mushroom Ragu


★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This cozy vegan mushroom ragu is cooked in a rich wine and tomato sauce, with 3 types of mushrooms for meaty texture and flavor. It's so hearty, easy to make and the perfect vegan comfort food dinner for a chilly night!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups finely diced shallots
  • 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
  • 12 oz button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 6 oz portobello mushroom caps, shredded 
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 cups vegetable broth, divided
  • ⅓ cup good quality dry (Fino) sherry
  • 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1-1 ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 ½ tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 12 oz pasta of choice, cooked in salted water
  • Vegan parmesan for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. 
  2. Add shallots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  3. Prepare mushrooms: wash and pat dry. Button mushrooms: trim the bottom of the stem, then slice thinly. Shiitake: remove stems completely, then slice thinly. Portobello: Remove stems, then use two forks to shred. (visual guide in blog post)
  4. Add the mushrooms to the pot with 2-3 tablespoon of vegetable broth. Stir well and cook until the mushrooms are softened and cooked down – about 8-10 minutes. 
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of flour and 2 tablespoon of broth. Add flour mixture and tomato paste to the pot and stir well. 
  6. Add remaining broth, sherry, crushed tomatoes, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and stir in fresh herbs. 
  7. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  8. Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. 
  9. Once ragu is finished cooking, stir in 2 tablespoon vegan butter and remove from heat. Serve over cooked pasta and garnish with vegan parmesan and more fresh herbs. 

Notes

Sherry is an essential ingredient in this vegan ragu. It adds depth of flavor, acidity and a touch of sweetness. We suggest using a dry sherry (the higher quality, the better this will taste!). Substitutions: in a pinch, you can sub with a dry red or white wine.

Storage: Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. We suggest storing without the pasta. 

Serving suggestions: we love this vegan mushroom ragu over a wider pasta (like fettuccine), but it's also delicious served over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes. 

To make this 100% gluten free, simply use gluten free all purpose flour and gluten free pasta.

Nutrition: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.  This information should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 70 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 611
  • Sugar: 17.9 g
  • Sodium: 958.5 mg
  • Fat: 18.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 96.5 g
  • Fiber: 10 g
  • Protein: 19.4 g

Keywords: vegan ragu

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tina

    February 15, 2021 at 8:09 pm

    Made this for the first time and it was a huge hit! My husband said it was better than any veggie pasta he has in Italy! Delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      February 16, 2021 at 8:04 am

      Wow, that's the best feedback ever! Thank you so much!

      Reply
  2. Sarah

    February 07, 2021 at 10:48 am

    Such a feel good recipe!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      February 07, 2021 at 11:01 am

      Thank you Sarah!!

      Reply

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