Lentils, mushrooms and walnuts. That’s the whole secret to a vegan ground beef that’s crumbly, savory and genuinely MEATY, with no TVP, no oil and nothing from a package. Make one big batch, freeze it in portions, and you’re halfway to tacos, chili or a weeknight pasta sauce. Even the non-vegans at my table go back for seconds. It’s that good!
1 ½ cups of this vegan ground beef can be substituted for 1 pound of cooked hamburger meat in your favorite recipes. I like to use it in my vegan enchilada casserole for a hearty plant-based dinner.
Ingredient Notes
- Lentils: I use beluga lentils because they hold their shape, which gives this its crumbly ground beef texture. Green or brown work too. I tested red and yellow lentils and they turned to mush.
- Mushrooms: Shiitakes bring a deep, savory umami that makes this taste genuinely meaty. Baby bellas work great too.
- Walnuts: Minced walnuts add a hearty, meaty bite…plus a bonus of omega-3s, fiber and plant-based protein. (Nut-free? See the recipe notes for my swaps.)
Step by Step
If you have uncooked lentils, you’ll need to cook them before you begin. Go to the recipe card for easy directions to make them on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot.
I like chopping by hand, I find it meditative. If you don’t enjoy the process, use this inexpensive small manual food chopper to make the prep easy.
Water or broth works just as well as oil for softening the veggies.
Mix in the nutritional yeast and spices, continuing to cook over medium-low heat.
Keep stirring and breaking up clumps, so it starts to look like ground meat.
After mixing in the lentils, cook until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes.
Don’t rush this part…the drying out is what gives it that ground beef texture.
My absolute favorite way to enjoy this vegan lentil ground beef is loaded onto some hummus and scooped up with chips. Use my roasted cauliflower hummus for a low-carb alternative.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- If you’re still using Beyond Meat, try reading the ingredients and then let me know if you have any questions about making this homemade vegan beef recipe instead.
- Spice blends like taco seasoning help turn this basic vegan hamburger meat into the perfect filling for all your favorite Mexican recipes.
- Freeze ½ cup portions in Souper Cubes silicone molds and pop frozen cubes into silicone freezer bags to have a stash that comes in super handy.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Ground Beef Recipe with Mushrooms & Lentils
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry beluga lentils
- 1 red onion minced
- 3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms minced
- ¾ cup minced walnuts
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Cook lentils. This can be done up to 5 days in advance. Add the 1 cup dry lentils to a small saucepan with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes for al dente lentils. See notes below for how to cook them in an Instant Pot.
- Prep: Mince onion, mushrooms and walnuts. You can use a food processor or a sharp knife and cutting board.
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Use 1-2 tablespoons water or vegetable broth to sauté onions, mushrooms and walnuts for about 5 minutes, stirring once in a while.
- Turn down the heat to medium-low. Stir in nutritional yeast, cumin, garlic powder, paprika and pepper. Keep mixing until everything is evenly dispersed.
- Whisk together tamari, tomato paste and water. Then, pour it onto vegetable mixture and mix well.
- Stir in lentils and cook, stirring occasionally until crumbly, resembling ground beef. It will take about 10 minutes.
Notes
How to store and serve
- Serve: Use in all your homemade recipes that call for ground beef. One and a half cups of vegan ground beef is equal to one pound ground beef that’s been cooked.
- Store: Completely cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for 3 months.
- Freeze: flash-freeze it spread out on a tray, then move to an airtight container.
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Robynne Gant
I needed a soy free recipe and this is perfect! It was easy and economical. I have used it in a few recipes and it works every time.
Debra Klein
Fabulous! I love that you found this recipe that works so well for you.
Juanita
Omnivore here. I wanted beef over rice with green bell peppers but had most of the ingredients for this recipe on hand so I decided to give it a try. It has an excellent flavor and is an interesting new way to enjoy lentils and rice. The kid enjoyed it as well.
I did sub green lentils and added evoo and extra water as the vegetables dried out after adding spices. Next time I may add more mushrooms for a little more chew. Nevertheless, it is delicious and we will keep this recipe in rotation.
Debra Klein
Thanks for stopping by….I love that you were open to trying this and it worked out well for you! Yay…and glad you’re already looking towards making it again. A little more mushrooms always a good idea in my kitchen!
Aly
I love this recipe–at first, it seemed a little overwhelming, but Debra breaks down the steps and it comes together so nicely! Even my meat-loving husband liked it!
Debra Klein
I love that you were willing to try it, and that he liked it!!!
Shirley Leger
Can this be made nut free?
Debra Klein
Of course, you can skip the walnuts…but I do like the added texture they bring. Are seeds an option? If so, I would substitute with some minced pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Even a handful of hemp seeds would be good. If you can’t use nuts or seeds, try some oats that have been pulsed in the food processor.
Lauren
I don’t have tamari. Could I use worsteshire instead? Also can you freeze this?
Debra Klein
You can use any form of soy sauce that you tolerate well. I think worcestershire will work well…but I haven’t tried it. If you do, please report back for us! Yes, you can freeze, I suggest spreading onto a flat baking tray and flash freezing for a couple hours, then transfer to an airtight container.
Laura
Is there an adequate substitute for walnuts in this recipe?
Debra Klein
I would try pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds….still mince them like you would the walnuts.
Laura
Thank you. I will. I like both of those alternatives. I just happen to be allergic to walnuts. Your recipe looks delicious. I plan to try it soon.
Debra Klein
Great. I look forward to hearing how it comes out with the seeds instead of the nuts.
Cassondra Carito
Can this be frozen?
Debra Klein
Yes. You can freeze this vegan ground beef recipe. I recommend freezing in portion sizes that you think you’d use like 1 cup, 1/2 cup. I use souper cubes to make it super easy…freeze and then pop them into a freezer safe zip top silicone bag.
Rita
Really delicious! I mixed this into some tomato sauce and served over whole wheat spaghetti. My non-vegetarian husband declared this a keeper! I take that as the highest compliment coming from him for a vegan recipe! I plan to try the sloppy Joe’s with the remainder. Thank you, Debra!
Debra Klein
A high compliment indeed. Thank you! I also made this vegan ground beef recipe over the weekend for non-vegans to rave reviews…it really is that good!