Colder nights mean comfort food, specially if you live in New England. Today, I’m sharing a recipe I created a few months ago using the latest trend turned lifestyle in food – plant-based meat products! This Beyond Meat Bolognese recipe is entirely vegan but satisfies any hearty, stick to your bones craving.
Eating a more plant-based diet is a goal of mine for the new year, and slowly but surely I’ve been adapting my favorite recipes to become more earth and animal friendly, starting with the classic bolognese, here a vegan version that simmers for just as long as the traditional Italian version and tastes just as good.
To make this recipe, you’re going to need a ground beef replacement and that’s where the Beyond Meat Plant Based Ground comes in. Please note this is not a sponsored recipe, as I purchased this locally and decided to give it a try! You might be wondering, so if it’s not meat…what is it? Well, here are the ingredients: Water, Pea Protein Isolate*, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Pomegranate Fruit Powder, Beet Juice Extract (for color).
There’s been plenty of discussion around how healthy are these meat replacement products versus animal meat, and the final decision is up to you. I still consume meat throughout the week (maybe 2-3 times) and am slowly trying to eat a more plant based diet, so for me these products make it easier to transition. And the ingredients are pretty wholesome in my opinion, but again, it all depends on you, your lifestyle, and what you decide to put in your body.
This vegan Beyond Meat Bolognese simmers for up to two hours on the stove top (granted the plant based ground for Beyond Meat does not need to cook that long) but the long simmer time allowed for the vegetables to soften and marry the other ingredients, making for a luscious sauce to serve over pasta.
One of my favorite meals to make in the fall and winter, and it’s an easy one to double and freeze a bath of for eating later! Serve this Beyond Meat Bolognese over pasta, but you can also serve it over mashed cauliflower or potatoes, as well as any roast vegetables of your liking. To find Beyond Meat, check out their “where to find” section and discover which of your local stores carry it.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ cup red wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 Beyond Meat Plant Based Ground
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- In a medium to large stock pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 10-20 minutes until soften. Add the tomato paste and deglaze the pan with the wine. If not using wine, use water or vegetable stock.
- Add the fennel seed, oregano, and Beyond Meat Plant Based Ground. Using a wooden spoon, break it up and stir to incorporate. Add the crushed and chopped garlic at this point - I like to add the garlic later in the recipe to avoid burning and it developing a bitter flavor.
- Once the plant based ground is incorporated, add the crushed tomatoes, stir and reduce heat to the lowest possible. Cover for the first 30-45 minutes, slowly simmering. You can use right away to cook for up to two hours uncovered.
Yum!!! I love seeing your vegan recipes ☺️ I’m definitely going to make this. I especially love the idea of putting this over potatoes. Would be yummy over spaghetti squash too! Thanks for sharing!