This homemade veg loaded vegan spaghetti sauce is rich, thick, and packed with vegetables. It's an easy, hands-off weeknight veggie pasta sauce that comes together fast but tastes like it cooked all afternoon.
Next, try this pasta bolognese vegan recipe or my creamy vegan pink sauce for pasta.
🔍 A Quick Look: Homemade Veg Loaded Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
- 📝 Recipe Name: Veg Loaded Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
- 🕒 Total Time: About 40 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Mushrooms, green bell pepper, carrot, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, dairy-free, oil-free option
- ✨ Best For: Spaghetti nights, meal prep, freezer meals
- 💕 Why You’ll Love It: Savory, veggie-packed, no long-simmer
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Jump to:
- 🔍 A Quick Look: Homemade Veg Loaded Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tested Tips
- How to Make Veg Loaded Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
- Serving Suggestions
- Make it Your Way
- Storage and Meal Prep
- Veg Loaded Vegan Spaghetti Sauce FAQs
- More Vegan Comfort Food Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
I love my slow simmered marinara sauce, I really do. But sometimes I just want something delicious without it turning into a project. This homemade veg loaded spaghetti sauce does exactly that.
Easy prep, easy simmer, and somehow it still tastes like you put in way more effort than you did. And this pasta sauce ends up tasting much richer than you’d expect (especially for a meatless spaghetti).
I love pairing it with my impossible meatballs recipe (or vegan sausage crumbles) and this vegan parmesan substitute. This vegetable pasta sauce will have you coming back to it again and again, because it's just that good!
Why This Recipe Works
- Onion, pepper, carrot, and mushrooms build the base so the sauce tastes rich.
- A quick deglaze and a splash of tamari give you that something extra without trying too hard.
- Chunky or smooth, your call.
- The sauce simmers while the pasta cooks, and by the time you drain the noodles, dinner’s basically done.
- Perfect for meal prep, because it tastes even better the next day!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make this vegan spaghetti sauce with vegetables:
- Onion, garlic, and green pepper: Yellow or sweet onion both work, and you can sub red pepper if that’s what you have.
- Cremini mushrooms: Or baby bella mushrooms or white mushrooms work too
- San Marzano tomatoes: My first choice, but you can use any.
- Tamari: Soy sauce works too.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list & amounts.
Tested Tips
- I like to chop the veggies small. Make sure they're uniform in size.
- Depending on the size you cut the veggies, it could be more of a mushroom spaghetti sauce. If that's not your thing, chop them small or blend them at the end; either way, they give this pasta sauce great flavor.
- If it tastes a little bright at first, don’t worry. Give it the full simmer, and it settles in.
- If you don't use San Marzano tomatoes and the sauce tastes acidic (once fully cooked), add ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda when the heat is off, to soften (only if needed, taste first).
How to Make Veg Loaded Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
For exact measurements, scroll down to the recipe card
- Step 1: Sauté onion in olive oil until soft. Add green pepper, carrot, mushrooms, and garlic and cook until soft.
- Step 2: Add wine (or broth), tomatoes, and mash.
- Step 3: Stir in herbs, tamari, and maple syrup and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Step 4: Add fresh basil, adjust salt, and blend if desired.
If you love vegan Italian recipes, make sure to check out this delicious vegan lasagna soup and vegan marry me chickpea pasta.
Serving Suggestions
- Over any pasta of your choice and pair with a side of cucumber tomato salad.
- A vegan meatball sub with provolone cheese sauce.
- Just a bowl and a piece of warm, crusty bread, or serve this vegan spaghetti sauce with vegan tomato bruschetta.
Make it Your Way
This meatless spaghetti sauce recipe is easy and flexible in the best of ways.
- Extra hearty: Add lentils, tofu sausage crumbles, or vegan meatballs.
- Spicy: Add ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- Oil-free: Sauté with water or broth instead of oil.
- Smoother: Use the immersion blender at the end for a hidden veggie spaghetti sauce (it works wonders for little kids). Start with blending ¼ of the sauce and adjust from there.
This homemade spaghetti sauce is super flexible and pairs well. Toss vegan sausage crumbles in the sauce for the last 5 minutes for a "meaty" texture. And then use it as a sauce on these vegan mini pizzas.
Storage and Meal Prep
- Fridge: Let the sauce cool, then store it in an airtight container for up to 4–5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. I like freezing it in smaller portions so I can grab exactly what I need.
- Meal prep: I usually double the batch and portion it for quick pasta nights, baked dishes, or even as a pizza base. For more vegan plant based meal prep ideas check out my how to meal prep vegan or take this 3-day plant based challenge.
Veg Loaded Vegan Spaghetti Sauce FAQs
Vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, and celery give spaghetti great texture and body. For extra richness, add tomato paste, olives, or a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Some of the best vegetables for spaghetti are the ones that melt into the sauce and add flavor, not just bulk. Mushrooms, onions, garlic, bell peppers, carrots, and celery are classic because they make the sauce richer and more satisfying. Zucchini, spinach, and eggplant are great too if you want something a little lighter but still filling.
Yes, spaghetti can be just as good without meat. When you build flavor with onions, garlic, vegetables, and good seasoning, the sauce feels rich and satisfying on its own. Most people don’t miss the meat once the sauce is done right.
A great meatless pasta sauce is all about building flavor in layers. Start with sautéed onion and garlic, then add vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, or peppers for body. Season with herbs like basil and oregano, and finish with something savory, a splash of tamari, a spoon of miso, or a little balsamic. When the sauce is well-seasoned and simmered, it tastes rich and satisfying without needing meat at all.
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Homemade Veg Loaded Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, medium, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, large, finely diced
- 1 carrot, small, grated
- ½ cup cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup white wine, or veggie broth
- (2) 28-ounce cans Whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, or ground fennel
- 1 tablespoon tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1.5 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
- 15 leaves fresh basil, optional, chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add green pepper and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in carrot, then mushrooms. Cook another 2-3 minutes until everything is soft and fragrant. Stir in garlic and cook just 30 seconds.
- Splash in a little white wine (or broth) and scrape up the good bits from the pan.
- Add both cans of tomatoes and gently mash with a potato masher or fork. If you’re making pasta with this, I usually start the water now.
- Stir in basil, oregano, fennel, tamari, and maple syrup.
- Bring to a rolling simmer. Cover partially and cook on low for about 25-30 minutes.
- Stir in fresh basil and salt. Adjust salt to taste.
- Leave it chunky or blend part of it with an immersion blender if you want it smoother. Serve over pasta noodles of your choice.
Video
Notes
- I like to chop the veggies small. Make sure they're uniform in size.
- Depending on the size you cut the veggies, it could be more of a mushroom spaghetti sauce. If that's not your thing, chop them small or blend them at the end; either way, they give this pasta sauce great flavor.
- If it tastes a little bright at first, don’t worry. Give it the full simmer, and it settles in.
- If you don't use San Marzano tomatoes and the sauce tastes acidic (once fully cooked), add ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda when the heat is off, to soften (only if needed, taste first).
- No wine? Veggie broth works just fine. You just want that little splash to lift the flavor.
- Want it smoother? Blend half with an immersion blender and leave the rest chunky. Best of both worlds.
- Salt tip: Pinches as you go, then one final taste at the end.
- Toss in cooked lentils or vegan sausage crumbles in the sauce for the last 5 minutes for a "meaty" texture.
- Oil-free option: You can sauté with a splash of broth instead of oil. Flavor still holds.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
I’ve been making this sauce for years, and it's always been a favorite. Green pepper and fennel don’t sound like a big deal, until you taste it. The combo just works. Simple but so delicious.