Vegan Bolognese with mushrooms

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• e.g. spaghetti
• 100 g soy shreds, fine
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 m.-sized carrot(s)
• 6 large mushrooms
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 allspice berries, crushed
• ½ tbsp marjoram, shredded
• 400 ml tomatoes, pureed
• 1 shot of white wine, optional
• 1 tbsp vegetable stock powder
• salt and pepper
• Basil, fresh or dried
• Thyme, fresh or dried
• Oregano, fresh or dried
• some oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

for those who often miss the strong taste in veggie bolognese

Most vegetarian or vegan Bolognese sauces aren’t strong enough for me, so I developed this version, which is always a hit with friends. Finely chop the onion and garlic cloves and set aside. Finely chop the carrot and mushrooms so that the pieces are roughly the same size as the soy strips. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, tomato paste, crushed allspice berries, and marjoram. Bring salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti while the Bolognese is cooking. Heat about 250 ml of water in a pan, stir in the vegetable stock, add the soy strips, and let them swell. Once the water has evaporated, add a little oil to the pan and briefly fry the strips along with the chopped onion and garlic. Then add the minced mushroom and carrot and pour the soy sauce mixture over everything. Fry the ingredients vigorously, stirring constantly to prevent them from burning. The soy sauce mixture will thicken quickly as it heats up, forming a film over the soy and vegetable mixture. This is intentional, even if it smells slightly burnt at first. Simply stir well. The flavor will only be a pleasantly strong fried taste. When there is no more liquid in the pan and everything is evenly seared, add the passata and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. If you like, you can add a splash of white wine during this step. I love the flavor, but many people don’t. Turn off the heat and season the dish with herbs, salt, and pepper. Drain the spaghetti. Serve the Bolognese with the spaghetti. If you’re not vegan, you can sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top. But the Bolognese tastes great without it too.