Author: This Vegan Hamburger Helper is creamy, cheesy, meaty, and total comfort food. Made with chewy crumbled tofu, pasta, and a rich dairy-free sauce, it's a cozy one-pot dinner that's nostalgic and satisfying without relying on expensive vegan ground beef or store-bought plant-based cheese.
This dish is comfort food heaven right here! Rather than simply swapping in vegan ground beef and cheese, I decided to make this vegan hamburger helper recipe with 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. The sauce is made with 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 it is! This recipe takes a little longer to prepare than traditional hamburger helper, but most of that time is hands-off, which means it doesn't add a lot of extra work for you.
Why You'll Love This Vegan Hamburger Helper
- Meaty texture: The baked tofu crumbles are chewy and meaty thanks to being baked in the oven. It's so worth it!
- Cheesy without cheese: The sauce is creamy and savory, with the nostalgic flavor you love but NO cheese (dairy or vegan!) at all.
- Budget-friendly: Tofu, pasta, and pantry staples keep this meal affordable without pricy substitutes.
- Total comfort food: It's got all the goodness you remember from your childhood, in a better-for-you form!
Ingredients for Vegan Hamburger Helper
For the Tofu Crumbles:
- Extra-firm tofu: Crumbling and baking it creates a chewy, meaty texture that's so much better than vegan ground beef.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds savory depth.
- Soy sauce: Use tamari if needed for a gluten-free option.
- Olive oil: This helps the tofu brown.
For the Pasta:
- Olive oil: For sautéing the aromatics.
- Yellow onion and garlic: These build the savory base of the sauce.
- Vegetable broth: This adds more flavor than cooking the pasta in water.
- Plant-based milk: Soy or oat milk work especially well for a rich, creamy sauce.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds cheesy flavor without plant-based substitutes.
- Ketchup: Adds a little sweetness for that classic Hamburger Helper flavor.
- Seasonings: Paprika and salt for color and flavor.
- Short pasta: Cavatappi works well, but any short pasta shape will do.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce.
How to Make Vegan Hamburger Helper
- Season the Tofu: In a large bowl, mix together the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and olive oil. Drain the tofu, crumble it into the bowl, then use a potato masher or your hands to break it into small pieces. Stir until the tofu is evenly coated.
- Bake the Tofu: Spread the tofu crumbles over a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and chewy.
- Cook the Pasta: While the tofu bakes, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened and golden. Stir in 2 cups of broth, the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, ketchup, paprika, and salt. Stir in the pasta, bring to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
- Finish: Stir the baked tofu crumbles into the pasta. In a small cup, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup of cold vegetable broth to make a slurry. Pour it into the pasta and stir well. Simmer for another few minutes, until the sauce thickens, then serve hot.
Tips and Variations
- Don't skip baking the tofu: It's key to achieving a meaty texture for the tofu.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta and tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Add veggies: Stir in peas, spinach, broccoli, or chopped bell peppers if you'd like.
- Make it extra cheesy: Top the dish with shredded vegan cheddar cheese for some extra melty goodness.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftover vegan hamburger helper in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Warm in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add a splash of plant-based milk or broth if the sauce has thickened.
If you try this Vegan Hamburger Helper recipe, let us know by leaving a comment and rating it. I'd love to see what you made. Share your creation in the It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Community (this is where we're all hanging out now!) or tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Hamburger Helper
This vegan hamburger helper is easy to make with everyday ingredients like crumbled tofu and homemade cheesy sauce. Total comfort food!
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, (gluten-free if preferred)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 block (350g/ 12oz) extra-firm tofu
For the Hamburger Helper:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1 cup plant-based milk, (such as oat or soy)
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups uncooked cavatappi pasta (also called scoobi doo), (or other short noodle) (gluten-free if preferred)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
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-high 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 vegetable 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.
Notes
Cavatappi pasta (also called scoobi doo): is a corkscrew-shaped pasta. I think it's fun in this recipe but feel free to swap it for macaroni, shells, penne, orecchiette, or another short pasta shape.
Gluten-free: some gluten-free pasta can be a bit starchier than wheat pasta, so if your sauce is nice and thick, you can skip adding the cornstarch slurry. If your sauce gets too thick, add a splash of vegetable broth or water as needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 4 servings) | Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 997mg | Potassium: 546mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 657IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 3mg
jessica youd says
Added a couple handfuls of spinach at the end and topped it off with a few shakes of hot sauce.Dinner was a big hit tonight.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So glad you loved it Jessica! Spinach and hot sauce sound like the perfect additions, yum 😊
Erin Bellinger says
My teenagers LOVE this! So glad you have the option to double and triple the recipes. I make a big batch so they can fuel up before sport practices! Slowly making my way through your recipes, so many awesome ones to choose from! Thanks!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Erin! That makes me so happy to hear. Thanks so much for cooking through my recipes!
JJ says
My 3 year old liked it so that’s huge. I thought it was ok. Next time I would cook the tofu more than 30 min to try to get it really brown and crisp(?)
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So glad your little one liked it, JJ. You can definitely cook the tofu longer if you prefer it extra browned.
Saundra says
"The Best' is about accurate. I made this recipe for the first time 2 days ago, and I'm making it again. It's really delicious. The texture and flavour of the tofu is perfect. I didn't think we could hit 'hamburger helper' so closely. I will tweak it tonight and add a bit more ketchup and paprika to suit my taste. loved it.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha love that!! THank you so much for the review Saundra 🙂
Diana says
Have made this several times and it’s always a hit. Have made it with tofu, as per the recipe, and also with tempeh. I chopped it in the food processor into a mince like texture and added it in with the pasta. I think I will make it with veggie ground tonight. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Oh that's so lovely! So thrilled you are enjoying my recipes so much Diana, thank you for the lovely comment 🙂
Jacqueline says
I made it with beyond burgers and tricolor shell pasta over the stove and it was delicious! I used what I had and found recipe while I was already cooking the vegan burgers on the stove which is why I cooked everything on the stove. Extremely versatile recipe, thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it so much Jacqueline! 🙂
Rose says
This is so delicious! Plus, most of the ingredients are staples that I already had which was very convenient.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! I am so happy loved it Rose! Thank you for the review 🙂