Disclaimer: although these photos may look a little creepy, I promise, the food in these images is 100% vegan!!!
Let me introduce you to my Vegan Tofu and Beet Ground! Also known as vegan ground beef. No animals were harmed in the making of this delicious food. Instead this veggie ground is made with just a few simple ingredients that make for a chewy, juicy, meaty, totally vegan bite.
This vegan tofu & beet ground is flavourful, but only lightly seasoned so you can use it anywhere where you would have used ground beef. Lasagna, pasta, burritos, tacos, sloppy joes, nachos, soups, shepherds pie... the options are endless! Make ahead of time, and store in the fridge or freezer for later so you have it on hand.
There are a few keys to making the vegan ground beef so amazing.
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- Tofu crumbles. If you've been a fan of my blog for awhile you will know that I'm obsessed with tofu crumbles. Tofu is crumbled, seasoned, and then baked. This dries out the tofu making it crispy. Then when you add these crumbles back into a liquid, they absorb some of that liquid resulting in a tofu that is chewy, juicy, and and so meaty in texture. It's a favourite technique that I discovered back in 2015 and it has been a staple on my blog ever since.
- Beets. A beet is finely chopped and roasted along with the tofu in this recipe. This not only adds colour to the tofu, but the roasted beets add and earthy, deep flavour that enhances the meatiness of this dish. If you don't like beets, don't be afraid of this dish because my fiancé Adam also isn't a fan of beets, but he loves this vegan ground beef recipe!
- Broth slurry. To finish the dish, sauté some onion and garlic, then add the roasted tofu and beet mixture, and lastly add a slurry of vegetable broth and cornstarch. This may seem a little odd, but as mentioned under "tofu crumbles", the tofu needs some liquid to absorb to reach the perfect texture. The addition of cornstarch to the broth helps thicken the sauce. The combo makes for the perfect juicy crumbles.
How to make vegan ground beef:
Mix the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and smoked paprika together in a large bowl. It will make a brown paste-like texture.
Add the chopped beet, and then crumble the block of tofu with your fingers into the bowl along with the seasoning. You can alternatively use a potato masher in the bowl to mash up the tofu.
Mix with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated.
Spread the crumbles evenly over the pan. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then.
Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the vegetable broth and cornstarch together. Set aside
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown. Add the tofu beet crumbles to the pan and pour over the vegetable broth slurry. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the tofu has softened and most of the liquid has been absorbed. If desired, add more soy sauce to taste. Enjoy hot or let cool and store to use later.
This vegan ground beef is delicious served hot, but it tastes even better the next day. I only lightly seasoned this recipe, so if you wanted to add your own seasonings you can go for it! I recently had this just on some lettuce wraps which was super delicious, but you could also try it in lasagna, pasta, burritos, tacos, sloppy joes, nachos, soups, shepherds pie, or anywhere that you would have used ground beef.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
Vegan Tofu & Beet Ground
Ingredients
For the tofu & beet:
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free if preferred)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, drained (no need to press it)
- ½ cup chopped raw beet, (½ cup)
To finish the recipe:
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- ½ - 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or to taste, if needed), (gluten-free if preferred)
Instructions
To prepare the tofu & beet:
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line with parchment paper or lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- Mix the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and smoked paprika together in a large bowl. It will make a brown paste.
- Crumble the block of tofu with your fingers into the bowl along with the seasoning. You can alternatively use a potato masher in the bowl to mash up the tofu. Add the chopped beet along with the tofu crumbles, and mix with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated. Spread the crumbles evenly over the pan.
- Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of textures.
To finish the recipe:
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the vegetable broth and cornstarch together. Set aside
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown. Add the tofu beet crumbles to the pan and pour over the vegetable broth slurry. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the tofu has softened and most of the liquid has been absorbed. If desired, add more soy sauce to taste. Enjoy hot or let cool and store to use later.
Notes
Nutrition
Sonya says
hello. would canned beets work too? it is all I have atm.
thanks
Joyce says
I tried this recipe for the first time this weekend. While it tasted good I would not get the broth to evaporate and the texture of the meat was soupy. I will try this again by adding less broth or by adding the broth at a gradual pace. Any suggestion or feedback you have will be appreciated.
Cynthia L Erbentraut says
What do you think about adding organic beet powder? Would that work?
Sam Turnbull says
That would add color, but it won't do much for the taste and texture 🙂
Malinda says
This came out awesome I used it for my fav sloppy joe recipe . I did half tofu crumbles & half lentils . The only thing I did different was I used my air fryer because it’s 90+ outside & I didn’t want to heat up the house either way it worked great you just have to watch it a little closer because it takes less time . I knocked the temp down the last 10 min.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful, so happy you enjoyed it Malinda! 🙂
Di Ki says
Made a big batch last night and the flavor is fantastic. I kept nibbling every time I stirred it. It did take a little bit longer to cook, but perhaps because I made 5 batches in one go. It was also a little runnier than I thought it would be, but I either needed to cook down the tofu and beets more (or chop them smaller!) or add less liquid. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed! And yes, making 5 batches in one go will definitely affect cooking times and I imagine it would make it a bit runnier too, but yes you can just add less liquid or cook it down more. 🙂
Char says
Where do I leave a "thumbs up" for your recipes?
On YouTube, I can see the area.
When I go to your site on the Internet, I don't see the area.
Sam Turnbull says
When you leave a comment you can give the recipe a star rating 🙂
Carly says
I am so keen to try this, but need the metric conversion option please! I'm going to make it tonight and try to convert it myself. Wish me luck!
Sam Turnbull says
Whoops! I forgot to add the metric. I've fixed it so you can make it now 🙂
Char says
I haven't eaten meat for about 35 years. Could you please give a couple suggestions to use this vegan ground beef? I'm not a fan of tofu, but willing to try this recipe. I tried your cauliflower and corn flake dish. Out of this world! Fantastic.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Char, I include suggestions in the post. See the line I wrote just above the recipe. 🙂
AJ says
I was very skeptical and I don’t love beets... OMG! This is delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, amazing!!
Carla says
Might I just say, I am truly amazed. It looks almost freakishly authentic. Absolutely delicious and very versatile. I think I will be enjoying it with pasta tomorrow. Thank you, Sam.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, wonderful! So thrilled you loved it, Carla 🙂