Vegan Bolognese With Mushrooms and Walnuts Recipe (2024)

I've made a version of this for years. Almost this exact recipe. But I use two or three anchovies instead of Marmite.

I will certainly be trying this! It's the first time I've ever seen Marmite as an ingredient in a recipe, and of course I happen to have it because I'm British. If you've never tried it, but decide to buy a jar of it anyway for this recipe, you will have plenty left over. May I therefore suggest that you also try eating it spread VERY thinly (more thinly than you might think) on some buttered toast? It's also good paired with scrambled eggs on toast, or in a cheese sandwich.

Nutritional yeast if you have it.

White miso would probably work well too. Or just a bit more wine and soy sauce. This recipe is like a vegan umami encyclopedia (soy sauce, wine, mushrooms and marmite) - not all of these sources are necessary to make a good sauce.

Red miso is the best substitute for Marmite that many folks likely have around. It's a bit less salty and strongly flavored, so you may want 3-4 tsp.

I was raised by a South African mother and love Marmite so much I sometimes eat it with a spoon. (Apparently it's a superfood, why not?) If I have a soup or stew that is just not flavorful enough or seems to be lacking something, a teaspoon or two of Marmite often puts it right.

This is a keeper. Not a vegan, but always on the lookout for a meatless dish - I used butter when browning the onion, and PARMESAN ROCKS ON THIS, and, um... vegan wine? Actually the wine really affects the flavor, unlike a long beef braise, so avoid a heavy wine. This recipe's a master-class in flavor building - we halved the recipe so I did all the saute steps in a large skillet, far easier than a pot. Miso vs. marmite. Do all your chopping first, allow 45 mins. + simmer time. And garlic bread!

Marmite is available at well stocked local supermarkets in the international aisle. To anyone not raised on it, it is vile on its own. It is a useful ingredient for vegans but use sparingly. A substitute might be soy with a little fish sauce. There are vegetarian versions of that.

View from London: amusing to see Marmite being discussed as an exotic ingredient! But good to see it used too, it is versatile in the kitchen.Marmite is very much a traditional item in the UK, though it divides opinion here so much between lovers and haters that it has given rise to a turn of phrase to use about anything in life that divides; i.e. "It's very Marmite".Aussies and Kiwis will talk about Vegemite rather than Marmite, but what do they know?! ;)

I made this but used one cup of homemade beef stock instead of water. I make two meals a week with no meat but I often use stock to increase the flavor. I like this dish. Next time I will use miso paste instead of marmite.

Here in Australia we have - and love - Vegemite. It’s wonderful on toast (some pair it with butter, but I like it straight) and as my family has turned to more plant-based meals, I’ve been using it sparingly to give some recipes to add a salty beefiness. It’s also very good for you.

I loved seeing Marmite here, though I am a Vegamite guy. I have been cooking (mostly soups and stews) with this for years. The most underused condiment in the pantry!

I am not a vegetarian, but this recipe made me feel like I could make that transition. The flavors are so rich and the texture is wonderful. I actually prefer it over regular bolognese now.

The reason that all wines are not vegan or even vegetarian has to do with how the wine is clarified and a process called ‘fining’. Traditionally the most commonly used fining agents were casein (a milk protein), albumin (egg whites), gelatin (animal protein) and isinglass (fish bladder protein). These fining agents are known as processing aids. They are not additives to the wine, as they are precipitated out along with the haze molecules.https://www.thekitchn.com/as-it-is-vegan-week-136676

We did not have any wine so I used 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar instead and of course we don't have Marmite, so I used white miso. Though I was a little surprised by how labor intensive this was (lots of chopping and several steps), it was so delicious I will make this again and again. So much depth of flavor and very rich and robust--a reminder why I love vegan cooking even though I eat meat.

"(Resist the urge to use a food processor here, which will chop the mushrooms unevenly.)" and what kind of knife skills do you think i'm working with here?

This recipe is seriously fantastic! I’ve used it both as a sauce for tagliatelle and in the vegetarian lasagne recipe that accompanied the original post. It is absolutely worth the time it takes to chop and prep all of the ingredients.

Excellent! Hearty, robust flavor was a hit with vegetarians and meat-lovers. I used Better Than Bouillon instead of Marmite.

Outstanding depth of flavor and texture! Well worth the chopping prep. I prepped the vegetables and walnuts the day before, which made cooking the sauce today very easy. I debated about using marmite, then decided to give it a try and was happy I did. Such a satisfying meal. My husband, who likes a bit more animal protein than I do, LOVED it!

It’s delightful! Next time I might tone down the fennel seed and the salt, but our omnivore family loved it. It’s a rich, “Sunday gravy”-style sauce, so small portions are actually the best way to serve.

Followed the recipe to the letter. I would say the flavors are super bright and earthy. The vegan in my family flipped for it and ate it all. I am on the fence as I wanted to love it but can’t get past the tang from the marmite. I may try it again and manage the soy, balsamic vinegar and marmite differently.

I've made this a few times. Sometimes I have all the ingredients, sometimes not, but I love how forgiving and flexible the recipe is. I've used star anise in place of fennel seed, and I've used fresh fennel (my fav option) instead of seed. I make mine in my Instant Pot though, as I find that is a more effective (and a little quicker) way to infuse the flavors into the sauce. I also like all the veg cooked soft, and the Instant Pot helps with that too. I also stick blend a portion of the sauce.

Thinking of making for the vegans in the family for the Christmas dinner. There is an allergy to walnuts. Would almonds work as a sub?

Thank you Chefs for ideas! I also have thoughts. The walnuts were still crunchy in the sauce, so I will also roast at 325, 15 minutes, then chop or process them. Umami substitute for marmite: I used a combo of smoked soy sauce, TJ coconut aminos and tamari. Next time, I will try RED MISO, but… Miso is a fermented food, with active cultures that are destroyed if boiled. Melt in 3-4 TBS AFTER removing from the heat.

OMG yum. Made with a few changes as recommended. Used cremini mushrooms. Added dab of anchovy paste instead of marmite (under a tsp). Added more tomatoes and tomato paste. I roasted mushrooms and garlic in the oven together, and used a rolling pin to break up walnuts which I think gives them a softer shape. I used a food processor (gently) for everything before sautéing. Cote du Rhone was a great wine for it. Served over linguini with shredded parm, a dollop of ricotta and fresh parsley. Fab!!!

Sooooo delish. In place of all the stuff I didn’t have—marmite, syrupy balsamic and red wine— I added parm rind (I’m vegetarian, not vegan).

This is outrageously delicious! We were just exclaiming with each bite. We're not vegan, just looking for something to use up walnuts and leftover tomato paste. I didn't have Marmite so I used Worcestershire. I also used about a tablespoon of butter to finish it, rather than adding olive oil at the very end. It's so good and it's got to be better for you than traditional Bolognese. This one is a keeper!!

I used fermented tofu instead of Marmite. It adds a deep fermented/salty flavor much like Marmite. This recipe is a keeper.

I liked it but didn't love it. I liked the use of the mushrooms and walnuts and the celery and carrots but I missed the tomato emphasis of a traditional bolognese. Along with that I also felt that it could have used more fennel and oregano and some basil and bay. Next time I will add more herbs and skip the soy sauce and balsamic and the bouillion to let the tomato sauce shine more.

This was so labor intensive. I agree with other reviewers who say it’s too many vegan umami ingredients. And all the chopping…