Vegan Hamburger Helper Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This easy vegan Hamburger Helper is a one-pot pasta dinner that's savoury, comforting and ready in around 30 minutes. And because it uses inexpensive pantry staples, it's a great budget-friendly weeknight meal. Each serve provides around 23g of protein and 10g of fibre, making this a surprisingly satisfying bowl of pasta. Main ingredients: TVP, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, crushed tomatoes, vegan cheese, pasta.

Prep Time8

Cook Time20

Total Time28

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Amanda Logan

Equipment

1 Heavy-bottomed pot with a lid

Ingredients

1 cup textured vegetable protein smaller mince-like pieces
3 cups vegan beef stock (warm/hot) divided (1 + 2) or veggie stock
1½ tablespoon olive oil
1 onion peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
400 g crushed tomatoes fire-roasted if you can get them
1½ tablespoon Braggs All Purpose Seasoning or soy sauce
250 g / 8.8 oz elbow pasta You can also use a 226g box
½ cup dairy-free milk I use soy milk
1-1½ cups grated vegan cheese to taste

Spice Mix

½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon chilli powder or to taste

Instructions

Add the dried TVP to a bowl with a cup of warm/hot stock to hydrate. At this point, I also add all my spices to a small bowl so I can throw them all in the pot together when needed.
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and add the onion. Cook on medium for 3-4 minutes or until soft before adding the garlic. Cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the spices to the pot and stir well to combine. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring before adding the hydrated TVP. Stir to combine.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes.
Now, go ahead and add the pasta and the remaining two cups of stock. Stir in the Braggs seasoning or soy sauce and the dairy-free milk.
Note: the liquid should only just cover the pasta and "mince" mixture. No more. We can always add water if needed, it's harder to remove it.
Stir in the grated cheese.
Partially cover the pot with a lid. Cook on medium, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is bubbling - and then turn the heat down to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, with the lid partially on again for around 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through.
Once cooked, remove from the heat and allow to sit for around 3 minutes before serving.

Notes

Serving Suggestions

Serve hot with a little extra grated cheese and finely sliced parsley.

OK, hear me out. My favourite way to enjoy this vegan pasta is to stir through a half-teaspoon of Dijon mustard and finely diced sandwich pickle to my bowl. It adds a tang that reminds me of the mustard on a McDonald's cheese burger.

How to Make a Vegan Hamburger Helper with More Vegetables

This recipe is for hamburger helper in its pure-ish form, however, I often add add extra vegetables -

When I sweat the onions, I also cook one finely chopped carrot and 2 stalks of celery, also finely chopped. It's a soffritto like in my vegan bolognese recipe.
Next, I add finely chopped mushrooms (about a cup) and cook those off before I add the spice mix and the hydrated TVP.
After I've added the tomatoes, I throw in about a cup of grated zucchini.
I often use wholemeal fusilli pasta instead of the macaroni and finally,
I throw in a cup of finely sliced baby spinach at the end.

Nutrition