Vegan Hamburger Helper
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large zucchini, grated about 12 ounces
- 1 package Impossible Meat (or your favorite vegan ground meat, see notes)
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 14 ounce can tomato sauce (not marinara) or crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups no beef stock I like Better Than Bouillon No Beef flavor
- 1 cup unsweetened dairy free milk (I like soy milk)
- 1 pound macaroni pasta (choose gluten free to keep this dish GF)
Instructions
- Pour the olive oil into a large pot (I like to use a heavy bottom Dutch oven). Add the onion and sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir to incorporate.
- Add the vegan ground meat and crumble and sauté until it is beginning to brown.
- Add the zucchini and stir well to incorporate.
- Add all of the seasonings—smoked paprika, liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, and salt. Stir well to incorporate.
- Add the liquid ingredients—tomato sauce, no beef stock, and dairy free milk. Mix well.
- Bring the mixture up to a simmer on medium high heat.
- Add the dried macaroni to the pot. Lower the heat to medium low and allow it to simmer. Stir every minute or so, being sure to keep the macaroni from sticking to the bottom of the pot. It will seem like there is a lot of liquid, but it will slowly be absorbed by the macaroni, almost as if by magic!
- Allow the pasta to cook for 10-15 minutes, checking to see if it is al dente. You don't want it to be overly soft, but you do need it to be cooked all the way through.
- Remove from heat. You can garnish with vegan cheddar cheese, parsley, or green onions if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
I prefer Impossible Meat in this recipe for its neutral taste. For a soy free option I recommend Beyond Meat. To avoid processed veggie meats entirely sub the vegan ground meat with canned (and drained) beans of your choice—kidney beans or lentils would be a great choice!