Homemade Beanfeast Bolognese Mix

Homemade Beanfeast Bolognese served on plate with spaghetti and cutlery to side.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Jacq

This homemade Beanfeast Bolognese mix is perfect for keeping in the pantry for those days when you need a quick and easy meat-free and dairy-free meal. The dried mix can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container for months, ready to be cooked into a budget-friendly vegan or vegetarian dinner with just a few extra pantry ingredients.

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Equipment

Mixing bowl
mixing spoon
large deep frying pan / skillet / saucepan
airtight food container (this is only required if storing the dried Bolognese mixture for later use)

Ingredients

Dried Bolognese mix:

150 grams TVP (Textured vegetable protein) mince [may be known as TVP crumbles outwith UK]
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon onion powder [or granules]
1 tablespoon garlic powder [or granules]
1 teaspoon paprika [or tomato powder]
1 teaspoon salt [I used sea salt]
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar [I used granulated sugar but any sugar is fine - it helps to balance acidic flavours from the canned tomatoes and tomato paste]
2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder [or 1 dried crumbled stock cube such as vegetable OXO stock cube]

Add when cooking Bolognese mix:

1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can chopped tomatoes [1 x 400 grams (14 oz) can]
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 litre water, boiling [1000 millilitres / 1.8 pints]
1 can haricot beans (navy beans), drained [or chickpeas, 1 x 400 grams / 14 oz can, or about 260 grams cooked beans]

Stir through at end of cooking:

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar [or balsamic vinegar, add extra to taste]

Instructions

Prepare dried Beanfeast Bolognese mix:

Add the TVP, oregano, mixed herbs, bay leaf, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, sugar, and stock powder to a mixing bowl. Mix well. If not using immediately transfer the dried mix to an airtight food container. It will keep well for at least 3 months, in a cool, dry place.
150 grams TVP (Textured vegetable protein) mince, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder

Prepare homemade Beanfeast Bolognese:

Add the dried Bolognese mix to a non-stick pan, along with the tomato paste, soy sauce, and can of chopped tomatoes.
1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 can chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Pour in the water and stir well, ensuring the tomato paste has mixed through.
1 litre water, boiling
[Optional: If adding soft fresh vegetables such as diced bell pepper or diced mushrooms you can add them now. For this recipe I added ½ diced bell pepper as it was just sitting in my refrigerator needing used up.]
Over a medium-high heat bring to the boil.
Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the beans and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add extra small amounts of water if necessary.
1 can haricot beans (navy beans), drained
Season with red wine vinegar, and extra salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the bay leaf.
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Serving suggestion:

Enjoy with cooked spaghetti or linguine, or another pasta shape. Or perhaps as a baked potato or mashed potato topping. Salad and crusty bread are nice additions.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES

The dried homemade uncooked Beanfeast mix yields about 192 grams (7 oz)

The cooked Beanfeast mix yields about 1230 grams (1.2 kg / 43 oz) - Depending on appetites and portion sizes you may get 6 portions from this recipe.

STORING

Store cooked Bolognese within the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

REHEATING

Reheat leftovers by adding to a non-stick pan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently until piping hot throughout. Add a small amount of water if necessary before reheating.
Reheat in a microwave - add the Bolognese to a microwave safe bowl add a microwave lid and reheat for about 2 and a half minutes, stir well. If not piping hot yet re-heat for an extra minute.

VARIATIONS / SUBSTITUTIONS

Add diced bell pepper, diced courgette (zucchini) or a few diced mushrooms to the Bolognese at the beginning of cooking.
Add whole cherry tomatoes or similar tomatoes at the beginning of cooking or half-way through depending on how soft you prefer the finished texture.
Stir through some cooked vegetables for the last 5 minutes of cooking - this is a good way to use up a small amount of leftover vegetables.
Cooked sweetcorn can be added a few minutes before the end of cooking.
Replace canned beans with canned or cooked whole lentils.
Replace red wine vinegar balsamic vinegar.

To prepare 2 portions:

Use approximately ½ of the dried Bolognese mix (about 96g / 3½ oz) along with:

1½ teaspoons tomato paste
1½ teaspoons soy sauce
½ can of chopped tomatoes
500ml (7 fl oz) boiling water
½ can drained haricot beans or chickpeas, or about 130 grams [5 oz] cooked white beans
1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar

Cook according to the recipe instructions - although this smaller quantity may require a few minutes less cooking time.

Please note that exact quantities do not need to be precise. One of the benefits of these homemade Beanfeast-inspired mixes is their flexibility. Feel free to adjust the amount of liquid, tomatoes, beans, and seasonings to suit your preferences.

QUICK NOTE

Although these recipes aim to be budget-friendly and easy to prepare, flavour is still a priority and so is being able to adapt the recipe to your own preferences and ingredients you have available. So do feel free to adjust the seasonings to taste.

For another homemade inspired Beanfeast dried mix see our - Homemade Beanfeast Chilli mix.

Nutrition