Vegan Ground Beef

5 from 130 votes

This vegan ground beef recipe is easy to make with whole-food ingredients and is the most delicious vegan ground meat ever. Use it as a substitute for hamburger meat in all your favorite recipes. This plant-based alternative to ground beef is full of umami flavor with the taste and texture similar to real meat!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings: cups

Calories: 229kcal

Author: Debra Klein

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup dry beluga lentils
1 red onion minced
3.5 oz shitake mushrooms minced
¾ cup minced walnuts
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tablespoon tamari
2 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 teaspoon 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 sauce pan 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 saute 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

Lentils: 1 cup dried beluga lentils will yield 2 cups cooked. Substitute with 2 cups cooked brown or green lentils, or even black beans or pinto beans.

To cook lentils on stovetop: Rinse and drain beluga lentils, then place in small saucepan with 3 cups water. Simmer gently, uncovered for 20 minutes until cooked through but still "al dente" and then drain any remaining liquid.

To cook beluga lentils in the instant pot: Rinse and drain lentils. Place in instant pot with 1 ¾ cup water. Make sure the valve is sealed. Set to high pressure for 6 minutes. Use natural release.

Nutrition