Vegan Mushroom Ragu Sauce

Mushroom ragu, with red wine, is the perfect vegan ragu; it's absolutely delicious, and it's great on pasta, polenta or even baked potatoes.

This ragu takes around 50 minutes to cook and prepare, and it is perfect for making ahead of time and reheating at your leisure.

Vegan Mushroom Sauce or Stew

If you visit my site often, you may have noticed that I am rather fond of a good ragu sauce.

I've got options that are as diverse as my sausage ragu, a duck ragu, lamb ragu, tinned-sardine ragu and of course a classic ragu all bolognese.

I am neither vegan nor vegetarian, but find myself cooking "sans meat" on a pretty regular basis. I'm a cook and a greedy eater, so as far as I am concerned, if it tastes good, it goes.

Texturally, this is a full-on celebration of mushrooms, something that apparently some people really do not like... Who knew?

The base of this vegan ragu is made from pulsed field mushrooms that are cooked in a very similar way to a duxelles.

They are joined by almost sweet oyster mushrooms that give a delicate texture and some dried porcini to turn the flavour all the way up to 11.

Finally, the dish is finished with some magical mushroom ketchup that adds a fantsatic acidity and a bit of subtle spicing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use the type of mushrooms mentioned in the recipe?

No, use whatever you can find around; chestnut mushrooms and oyster mushrooms are a relatively common starting point.

But just make the weight with anything from button mushrooms to chanterelle, shiitake to king oyster will work just as well.

Do I have to use dried Porcini mushrooms?

Any dried mushrooms will work, but porcini really are as good as you can get. Yes, they are expensive, but we do not use many, and they add so much flavour to the dish.

If you have a local Polish shop, go and ask in there; they are often much cheaper than the scandalous prices charged in supermarkets.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, this will sit perfectly well in the fridge for 4-5 days in an airtight container.

You will need to add more moisture when you are reheating the dish, a combination of water and more mushroom ketchup works a treat.

A word of note!

If you are vegan, I am sure you know this already, but not all wine is vegan!

So if keeping this dish vegan is important to you, make sure you read the label on the bottle.

Serving Suggestions

Whilst developing this recipe, I always had one dish in mind as a serving partner. That was a nice cheesy polenta made using gruyere cheese. I did say I wasn't vegan.

If you are sticking with the vegan thing, then subbing the cheese out for nutritional yeast can give you a 'similar' vibe.

But this mushroom ragu is incredibly versatile. Throw it over some pasta, onto a jacket potato, or on some buttered toast, and you are away.

But don't stop there, go wild, you can fill cannelloni with this mix, use it as a base for a mushroom shepherd's pie or even stuff pancakes with it.

It would also work well as a side dish for bacon wrapped pork tenderloin or with a steak.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 30cm or 12" frying pan.
• Kettle to boil water to steep the dried mushrooms.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.