The Best Vegan Meat Sauce + Gnocchi
Get into this rich, flavorful, and hearty The Best Vegan Meat Sauce + Gnocchi which is the perfect healthy dish for feeding the entire family or as an easy weeknight meal.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 402kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz.) package cooked potato gnocchi, homemade or store-bought
QUINOA:
- ½ cup quinoa, original or multi-color
- 4 cups organic vegetable stock
MEAT SAUCE:
- 2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 4-6 garlic cloves, minced (Adjust amount depending on desired level of garlic flavor)
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil (You can also use fresh copped basil)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 Tbsps organic tomato paste
- 3 cups organic chopped tomato-on-the-vine (You can also use any tomatoes or a 28 oz. can of peeled tomatoes)
- 2 (15 oz.) cans organic tomato sauce
- 2 tsps organic brown sugar
- 2 Tbsps white cooking wine (You can sub with veggie stock instead)
GARNISH:
- Toasted breadcrumbs, optional (See Notes!)
- Vegan parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
TO COOK THE QUINOA:
- Add the veggie stock to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Add in the quinoa, whisking continuously while boiling for 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, whisking every 3-4 minutes until fully cooked through, and water has dried, and the quinoa has thickened. NOTE: This should produce 1 cup of cooked quinoa.
TO MAKE THE MEAT SAUCE:
- In a medium deep skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and let it heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped onions and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and parsley-----stirring until combined. Stir in the tomato paste followed by the tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, brown sugar, and white cooking wine, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce begins to thicken slightly and the tomatoes become tender, about 8-10 minutes. NOTE: You can add ¼ cup of veggie stock to sauce to make it more "saucy" if desired.
- Add in the 1 cup of cooked quinoa, stirring until combined. Let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes so that the quinoa soaks in some of the sauce.
- Remove from heat and serve cooked gnocchi with spoonfuls of meat sauce atop. Garnish with toasted breadcrumbs and/or grated vegan parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- STORAGE: Any leftovers can be kept in a tightly sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. To re-heat, simply microwave for a minute or two or add to a skillet over medium-high heat and stir until heated through.
- GLUTEN-FREE: To make this dish GF, simply use Gluten-Free gnocchi or pasta. Also, if using breadcrumbs, ensure that they are GF-friendly!
- EQUIPMENT: Here, I’ve curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with this The Best Vegan Meat Sauce + Gnocchi . Everything from my fave high-powered blender, baking sheets, wooden spoons, mixing bowls, and more.
Nutrition
Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 3316mg | Potassium: 801mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2251IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 7mg