Vegan Mushroom Ragu

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!

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:

• 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

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.

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:

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

• 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.

FAQs

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