At about 30% cheaper than the price of the cheapest store-bought brand, and made from whole foods, this recipe is well worth it! Could also be made organic, if desired!
Equipment | Single burner and oven |
Difficulty | Easy |
This vegetarian ground beef recipe, crafted with plant-based alternatives, closely replicates the texture of traditional beef! Perfect for a hearty vegan dinner, this twist on a classic ingredient opens up a world of possibilities.
No seitan is used in this recipe! The base is tofu, walnuts, and whole oats!
This recipe could easily be halved (be sure to cut down the cooking time if you half it!) but I like this bulk version because there is very little extra work, and it freezes so beautifully!
It's almost magic how this vegetarian ground beef recipe transforms simple ingredients into a convincing plant-based meat alternative.
Substitutions?
I can't find red miso, only white... That's a shame! Red miso is better-rounded, but white will work if that is all you can find.
I don't have any mustard powder! You could substitute it with yellow or french mustard.
Can I use quick oats? You can, but the end product will end up a little more mushy and less convincing.
Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Gather the ingredients. Finely mince the 1 cup walnuts. Drain the water from the 2 16oz blocks of tofu. Mix together the 4 Tbs nutritional yeast, 4 Tbs soy sauce, 4 Tbs oil, 2 tsp red miso paste, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp ground white pepper, and 1/4 tsp ground mustard powder in a small bowl with a fork.
Put all the ingredients and the 1 1/2 cup oats into a large mixing bowl.
Squish it all together with your hands, squishing out all medium and large chunks and making sure the seasoning is well distributed.
It should be quite fine.
Dump the mixture into a 9inX13in (22cmx33cm) casserole dish that is lined in parchment paper. Do not pack or smooth out! You want lots of rough edges and air space. Put the pan into the oven for 2 hours.
Every 30 minutes, pull it out and gently stir/flip it with the spatula. The trick is for it to remain crumbly and to dry out evenly.
After the two hours are over remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely. It is now ready to be used. If you want to freeze it, now is the time! It freezes beautifully.
How to cook it!
If cooking from frozen let it thaw for a bit.
For every 1 cup of beef you will need 2 Tbs oil, 1 Tbs soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water. So for 2 cups, 4 Tbs of oil, 2 Tbs soy sauce, and 1/2 cup water, etc.
Heat the oil on medium heat. If your recipe needs the beef to be sauteed with onions add them in this step and let them cook before then adding the beef.
Add the beef to the oil and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil is almost completely absorbed. About 2-3 minutes.
Carefully add the water and the soy sauce, and let simmer until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
Now continue with your recipe as normal!
How can I serve this?
This is so crazy versatile! Use it in any dish that would usually require ground beef. Such as:
Moussaka
Tacos
Nachos
Lasagna
Cottage Pie
Bolognese
Hamburger gravy
etc!
Storage.
This ground beef recipe will last in the fridge 4-5 days.
Can I freeze it? Absolutely! Highly recommended! It will be good in the freezer for 1-2 months.