Warm your heart and satisfy your tummy with this Vegan Soy Strip Bolognese featuring Om Nom’s by Yumasoy. This dish is my healthier, lighter version of the classic Italian recipe, full of flavor and texture with a lavishly thick creamy sauce.
If you are new to cooking with soy strips, you will be pleasantly surprised by the meaty texture and complex flavors they bring to this heart-healthy, oil-free and gluten-free adaptable dish.
Watch My Cooking Show on UnchainedTV!
I am ecstatic to announce that the Susan Cooks Vegan Show is now live on UnchainedTV! Click this link to watch the first episode where I this Soy Strip Vegan Bolognese showcasing Om Nom’s by Yumasoy.
What are Soy Strips and Where Can I Find Them?
In this Vegan Soy Strip Bolognese, I’m featuring a product I love and use at home. It’s called Om Nom’s by Yumasoy. I love Om Noms because they are plant-based meat alternatives made from whole, non-GMO soybeans and all recognizable, natural ingredients and are 100% preservative and chemical-free. In addition, they come in three delicious flavors, Teriyaki, Mediterranean Herb, and Thai Yellow Curry, which allows me to get creative in the kitchen.
Being a busy Mom, I love that when I’m in a time crunch, I can have a healthy meal on the table in minutes. I simply heat the Om Noms (they only take 5 minutes), toss them with my favourite veg or carb, and delight in a delicious, wholesome meal.
Get Your Om Noms Here!
Order these ready-to-eat, whole food, plant-based meat alternatives online or if you’re in Vancouver, head over to the shops listed in the link below.
Meet Gina and Steevi- The Women Behind Yumasoy
Yumasoy is a local, Vancouver-based, women-led company founded in 2020. I first met Gina at the Planted Expo in Vancouver. Her passion for a plant-based lifestyle moved me, and I related to her struggle to find protein sources that were enjoyable, easy to make, and wholesomely produced to serve her family.
She met partner, chef and nutritionist Steevi McNeely who wanted to share the positive impacts of eating healthily and the power of plant-based foods. Together they created Yumasoy to offer a genuinely yummy
alternative to consumers looking to have it all – taste, health and convenience.
How To Make This Vegan Soy Strip Bolognese
- Prep: Chop the Om Noms soy strips into small pieces roughly the size of a chickpea and prep your veggies
- Cook the Pasta
- Sauté
- Prep Tomatoes: Using your hands or kitchen scissors, tear or cut the whole tomatoes into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Season: Sprinkle in Italian seasoning and add bay leaves.
- Deglaze:Pour in red wine to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits stuck to the pan.
- Add Tomatoes: Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and 1-2 cups pasta water (or vegetable broth). Simmer on medium/low for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced by half.
- Blend Cashews: Blend raw soaked cashews with plant milk, scraping down the sides as needed until it reaches a smooth consistency. Add this cashew cream to the saute pan. Mix well.
- Simmer
- Finish
Find detailed instructions in the recipe below
Use Whole Tomatoes In This Vegan Soy Strip Bolognese
If you can, I recommend paying a bit extra for a can of San Marzano whole tomatoes imported from Italy, adding tremendous flavour depth to the sauce. Or, if you can’t find those, buy a good-quality (large) can of whole tomatoes. Pour them out into a separate bowl before adding them to the sauce; use your hands to crush and break them into smaller pieces, then add them to the sauce.
Don’t Use Crushed, Diced or Stewed Tomatoes!
Stay away from crushed, diced, stewed, or any other more processed forms (unless specifically called for in the recipe) as these are typically made from lesser quality tomatoes and have a more cooked, tomato-paste-like flavor. They also may contain calcium chloride in them so that the chunks keep their shape and as a result, they don’t break down properly. Always use whole canned for sauces. Diced canned tomatoes are good if you’re making a slow-cooked dish but you still want distinct tomato pieces—maybe in chilli or stews.
Why Should I Use Canned Tomatoes Instead of Fresh?
Most tomatoes today are picked green and transported unripe to protect them from bruising and spoilage. The green tomatoes are then ripened somewhat artificially by exposing them to ethylene gas. This treatment makes the tomato turn red but does not ripen, allowing the sugars to develop and giving the tomato a sweet taste.
Canned tomatoes are a better choice because they contain vine-ripened tomatoes that are densely packed and have a higher concentration of flavor that stands up better to heat.
And as advertised, whole peeled tomatoes are peeled. There’s no skin on them, which means no weird, curly spears of tomato poking out of your pasta.
Save your fresh tomatoes for bruschetta, pizza and salads. You’ll thank me. 😉
More Pasta Recipes To Try
If you love this Vegan Soy Strip Bolognese and are looking for more pasta recipes you are going to want to try:
Vegan Cheesy Tomato Spinach Carbonara
Vegan Pumpkin Spagetti Alfredo
Potato Gnocchi (vegan, of course )
Thanks For the Love!
When you make your first batch of this Vegan Soy Curl Bolognese share it with me at @SusanCooksVegan. I’ll feature your beautiful creation on my Instagram and Facebook stories.
You can also find me on my other channels YouTube, Instagram, Facebook , Pinterest and Twitter.
Don’t forget to leave a comment on the recipe below and give this recipe a star rating.
Thanks for the love, my friends!
PrintVegan Soy Curl Bolognese featuring Om Noms by Yumasoy
This Vegan Soy Strip Bolognese featuring Om Nom’s by Yumasoy will warm your heart and satisfy your tummy with its luxuriously thick creamy sauce. It is a healthy, lighter version of the classic Italian recipe full of flavor and texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Main dish, Pasta
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil or vegetable stock (more if needed)
- 2 cups onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrot, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 package of Om Noms, Mediterranean Herb*
- 1 ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 28oz can whole tomatoes (I use San Morazano)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked*
- 1 ½ cup plant milk
- 2 cups vegan broth or pasta water (more if needed)
- Salt to taste
To Serve:
- 1 8oz box fettuccine pasta (gluten-free if needed)*
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan (optional)
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Dried chilli flakes (optional)
- Toasted bread
Instructions
- Prep: Chop the Om Noms soy strips into small pieces roughly the size of a chickpea. If using soy curls, rehydrate for 10 mins in hot vegetable stock (preferred) or water: drain and chop. Create the mirepoix – finely dice onions, celery and carrot (watch my cooking show for a demonstration).
- Cook the Pasta: Place a large pot of salted water (which should taste like the sea) on high heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to prevent sticking. Once the water has come to a rolling boil, add pasta and cook al dente(tender yet firm) following directions on the box. Just before draining, reserve 2 cups of pasta water. Do not rinse.
- Sauté: Place a large (deep) sauté pan over medium heat. Pour in 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil (or vegetable stock). Add onions, celery and carrots. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking (4-5 minutes). Mix in the minced garlic. Add a pinch of salt to the mirepoix to remove the moisture. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until vegetables is soft. Push mirepoix to one side of the pan. Add Om Noms or Soy Curls to the exposed side, adding more oil or vegetable stock as needed. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Prep Tomatoes: Meanwhile, using your hands or kitchen scissors, tear or cut the whole tomatoes into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Season: Sprinkle in Italian seasoning and add bay leaves.
- Deglaze:Pour in red wine to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits stuck to the pan.
- Add Tomatoes: Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and 1-2 cups pasta water (or vegetable broth). Simmer on medium/low for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced by half.
- Blend Cashews: Blend raw soaked cashews with plant milk, scraping down the sides as needed until it reaches a smooth consistency. Add this cashew cream to the saute pan. Mix well.
- Simmer: Turn the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes (or longer to develop flavor). Stir every few minutes to prevent burning. If the sauce becomes too thick, add some reserved pasta water.
- Finish: Remove bay leaf from the sauce. Add in cooked pasta. Mix well and let the pasta heat through for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and sprinkle on chopped parsley, nutritional yeast and dried chilli flakes (if using). Plate and serve with a side of toasted bread for dipping.
Notes
*Formally called Italian Herb
*If using a high-speed blender soak cashews for 10 minutes in boiling water. If using a regular blender or food processor, soak cashews overnight.
* Tagliatelle, rigatoni, gnocchi, eggplant or any thick or ridged pasta will work with this bolognese sauce.
