Vegan Protein TVP Bolognese
A rich, hearty, plant-based twist on a classic comfort dish. This bolognese is packed with flavour and protein, and it’s the perfect way to sneak in extra veggies. I love this recipe because it’s simple, budget-friendly, and genuinely satisfying. The texture of the rehydrated TVP mimics mince beautifully—chewy, meaty, and perfect for soaking up all that rich tomato sauce. It’s also high in protein, low in fat, and super versatile.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf dried
- 0.5 teaspoon thyme and oregano dried
- celery ribs finely chopped (food processor)
- 2 carrots finely chopped (food processor)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup 1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- 800 g tomato passata (tomato puree)
- 750 ml veggie broth
- 2 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce* see notes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Dice – Chop up the veggies, carrots, cerlery and onion into very small pieces. It's best to use the food processor for this as you want them small. Use the "S" blade attachment.
- Sauté – Heat oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook until translucent and caramelised. Then add the bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Cook TVP: Add TVP and cook, breaking it up as you go
- Add tomato: Add tomato passata.
- Rinse out bottle: Pour some veggie stock into the empty bottle, shake, then pour into the pot.
- Add everything else: Add remaining veggie stock and all remaining ingredients.
- Simmer: Give it a good stir, then let it simmer for 30-60 minutes on low to medium heat. You can simmer for longer, it takes even better simmered between 2-3 hours!
Notes
1 teaspoon soy sauce + 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
– gives that umami depth and slight tang.
– gives that umami depth and slight tang.