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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    January 20, 2021 62 Comments

    Vegan Tofu & Beet Ground (vegan ground beef)

    2.4K shares
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    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.

    Vegan Tofu & Beet Ground (vegan ground beef)! This veggie ground is made with just a few simple ingredients that make for a chewy, juicy, meaty, totally vegan bite. 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. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipesThere are a few keys to making the vegan ground beef so amazing.

      1. 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.
      2. 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!Vegan Tofu & Beet Ground (vegan ground beef)! This veggie ground is made with just a few simple ingredients that make for a chewy, juicy, meaty, totally vegan bite. 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. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes
      3. 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 seasoning ingredients, and then add the chopped beet and tofu.

    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.

    Crumble the tofu or use a potato masher to break it up, then stir to combine with the seasoning.

    Mix with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated.

    Spread over a baking sheet and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring every now and then.

    Spread the crumbles evenly over the pan. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then.

    Until the tofu is browned.

    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.

    Sauté onions and garlic. Add the tofu mixture, and a broth slurry. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the tofu is juicy.

    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.

    Vegan Tofu & Beet Ground (vegan ground beef)! This veggie ground is made with just a few simple ingredients that make for a chewy, juicy, meaty, totally vegan bite. 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. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes

    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.

    Print Recipe
    4.89 from 9 votes

    Vegan Tofu & Beet Ground

    This veggie ground is made with just a few simple ingredients that make for a chewy, juicy, meaty, totally vegan bite. 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.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time50 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    ingredient tag: tofu
    Servings: 6 (makes about 3 cups)
    Calories: 163kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    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)
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    Chopping the Beet: To chop the beet, I just use a knife and cutting board. I don't even bother removing the skin, I just scrub it clean and then chop.
    Canned or Cooked Beets: If you want to use canned or cooked beets, there is no need to roast them with the tofu. Just chop and add to the pan with the cooked tofu and the broth slurry. 
    Make ahead: this recipe tastes even better the next day! To make ahead prepare the recipe as written, let cool, then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
    Oil-free: to make oil-free, replace the oil in the tofu marinade with 1 tablespoon vegetable broth. When sautéing the onions, omit the oil and instead do a water or broth sauté.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving (about ½ cup) | Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sonya says

      October 16, 2022 at 12:13 am

      hello. would canned beets work too? it is all I have atm.
      thanks

      Reply
    2. Joyce says

      July 04, 2022 at 9:42 am

      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.

      Reply
    3. Cynthia L Erbentraut says

      November 02, 2021 at 10:25 am

      What do you think about adding organic beet powder? Would that work?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 11, 2021 at 8:50 am

        That would add color, but it won't do much for the taste and texture 🙂

        Reply
    4. Malinda says

      July 16, 2021 at 2:59 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        July 20, 2021 at 3:39 pm

        Wonderful, so happy you enjoyed it Malinda! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Di Ki says

      March 02, 2021 at 11:31 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 04, 2021 at 11:43 am

        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. 🙂

        Reply
      • Char says

        March 14, 2021 at 5:40 pm

        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.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          March 21, 2021 at 12:02 pm

          When you leave a comment you can give the recipe a star rating 🙂

    6. Carly says

      February 24, 2021 at 8:40 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:52 am

        Whoops! I forgot to add the metric. I've fixed it so you can make it now 🙂

        Reply
    7. Char says

      February 22, 2021 at 12:49 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:15 am

        Hi Char, I include suggestions in the post. See the line I wrote just above the recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    8. AJ says

      February 15, 2021 at 8:35 pm

      I was very skeptical and I don’t love beets... OMG! This is delicious!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 16, 2021 at 4:52 pm

        Haha, amazing!!

        Reply
    9. Carla says

      February 12, 2021 at 4:58 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 15, 2021 at 4:14 pm

        Haha, wonderful! So thrilled you loved it, Carla 🙂

        Reply
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