Vegan Mushroom Bolognese

1. Grind the mushrooms
2. Using a dump paper towel, wipe the mushrooms caps, cut a thin slice off the bottom of each stem and give mushrooms a rough chop. Add the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse for a few times until mushrooms resemble ground "meat". You might want to work in batches, because the less mushrooms you put in a blender, the better the grind will be.

Sauté the mushrooms

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and over medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms for 7-10 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Transfer mushrooms to a separate plate. Note: If your slow cooker has a "brown" mode, you can sauté your mushrooms and vegetables there.

Brown the remaining vegetables

1. To the same pan add onion, carrot, celery and ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

Combine the ingredients in a slow cooker

1. Add the cooked ingredients in your slow cooker along with the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, Maple syrup, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir. Cover the lid and cook on low for 4 - 4 ½ hours or on high for 2 - 2 ½ hours.

Adjust the seasoning and serve

1. This recipe uses only ¾ teaspoons of salt, but I don't recommend adding more in the beginning. You can always adjust the salt and pepper later on. Vegan Slow Cooker Mushroom Bolognese is ready to be served.