The perfect vegan Bolognese for your cozy weeknight in? It’s here!

This dish is an official Fan Favorite from our Tuesday Foods Kitchen.  A traditional Bolognese sauce has a rich cast of characters—up to three kinds of meat, cream, cheese —and packs half a day’s worth of saturated fat into just one serving. In this version, cauliflower and mushrooms mimic the texture of ground meat while adding plenty of savory depth, with less than half the calories.

Our Better Than Bolognese is healthy comfort food at it's best. Let us show you how it’s done!

Vegan Bolognese Over Polenta + Swiss Chard

Polenta:

4 cups water

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup corn polenta (we like Bob Mills)

2-3 tbsp vegan butter (we like Miyokos)

1/3 cup vegan parmesan (optional.  we like Violife)

Bolognese:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp vegan butter (we like Miyokos)

1/2 of a yellow onion, finely diced

3–4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 (12 oz) bag of cauliflower rice (or 1 head of cauliflower, riced using the food processor)

1 (8 oz) container of baby bella mushrooms, finely diced

1-2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes (more if you like heat!)

1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 (24 oz) jar of marinara sauce

1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes (we like Muir Glen, fire roasted)

1 bunch swiss chard (de-stemmed and finely chopped)

Garnish:

3 tbsp finely chopped

Lemon Zest

Vegan Parmesan (We like Violife)

 

Instructions:

Step 1: Polenta

Bring 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in a saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture will still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Add vegan butter (and parmesan if using.) Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover and set aside.

Step 2:  Bolognese

Prepare all of the veggies. You want to make sure they are diced into small pieces, to roughly resemble the texture of ground meat.  (We use a food processor)

First, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon vegan butter in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high.

Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and the onion to the pot and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 -8 minutes.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and rosemary and cook until garlic is softened and the mixture is very fragrant- about 3 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper.  Allow the veggie mixture to cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Finally - add the marinara sauce and crushed tomatoes, and allow the sauce to thicken for a few minutes.  Lower the heat to low simmer. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.  Keep warm on low heat.

Step 3. Swiss Chard

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan.  Saute the swiss chard, until just barely cooked – about 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4:  Assemble

Layer in bowls – polenta, swiss chard, and then bolognese.  Sprinkle generously with parmesan, fresh parsley and lemon zest