Oct 5, 2022

The Best Vegan Hamburger Helper

5 from 57 votes

The Best Vegan Hamburger Helper is easy to make and uses easy-to-find ingredients that you likely already have on hand. Inspired by the cheeseburger flavor, tofu is seasoned and cooked for a beefy-tasting bite, and the pasta is cooked in a cheesy creamy sauce that everyone will love. You won't believe this is vegan!

This dish is comfort food heaven right here! Super cheesy and satisfying, all while being completely dairy-free and meat-free. I found most vegan hamburger helper recipes called for store-bought products such as vegan ground beef and vegan cheese. These products are not only expensive, but they can be difficult to find as not every grocery store carries them, and they are not always the healthiest.

So instead I made my vegan hamburger helper recipe using easy-to-find, affordable ingredients, that you might already have in your kitchen. For the vegan beef, I use extra-firm tofu that is crumbled and seasoned, then dried out in the oven. This makes the tofu super chewy and meaty. For the sauce, it's made using onions, garlic, vegetable broth, plain plant-based milk (such as soy milk or oat milk), nutritional yeast, ketchup, paprika, and salt. You will not believe how cheesy and delicious this sauce is! This recipe takes a little longer to prepare than traditional hamburger helper, but the extra time is just because the tofu needs to bake so it is completely hands-off. This recipe is easy to make and a new fave in my house!

If you are new to making tofu crumbles, you are in for a real treat! This crumbled and baked tofu technique is a fan favorite on my blog. Check out more recipes that use this technique including my Vegan Chorizo Tofu Crumbles, Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles, Vegan Tofu & Beet Ground, Vegan Tofu Bacon Bits, Tofu Bolognese, The Best Ever Vegan Lasagna, The Best Vegan Chili (and there are still even more). Trust me when I say, once you start making tofu crumbles, you will never go back! Hamburger helper has never tasted so good. (And all while saving the animals too)!! Now onto the recipe!

How to Make The Best Vegan Hamburger Helper:

For the Tofu:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease the pan.
Mix nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and olive oil together in a large bowl. Open and drain the tofu (no need to press it), then break off chunks and add them to the bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the tofu into crumbles. Stir the tofu crumbles well making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated in the nutritional yeast mix.

Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the pan. Bake for about 30 - 35 mins, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. Set aside.

For the Hamburger Helper:
In the meantime, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown.

Add 2 cups veggie broth, the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, ketchup, paprika, and salt and mix to combine. Add the pasta and stir again. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook covered until the pasta is al dente, stirring as needed, 10 - 15 minutes.

Once the pasta is al dente, add the baked tofu crumbles and stir in.
Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup cold vegetable broth in a small cup. Pour the slurry in with the noodles and tofu and mix. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

If you have leftovers (you won't, haha), allow the pasta to cool then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Gently reheat in the microwave.