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Vegan Mince

You’ll never go back to store-bought vegan mince once you make this recipe. Full of flavor and texture this tofu-based dish uses mushrooms and walnuts along with a combination of spices and seasonings for a deep earthy taste and a serving of mince you can eat on its own or in your favorite recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Ground Meat

This homemade vegan ground meat comes together quickly and easily. Don’t let the long list of ingredients be a deterrent because this veggie ground meat is absolutely delicious and keeps well for quite a few days. I suggest you double the batch and put half in the freezer to use another time.

Helpful Equipment To Vegan Mince

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Food processor
• Skillet
• Spatula or flipper

Ingredients To Make Plant-Based Mince

• 8 ounces (226g) of Extra Firm Tofu
• 1 cup (100g) of Walnuts
• 480g of Mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Onion (Finely Chopped)
• 2 Medium Stalks Celery (Finely Chopped)
• 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper (Finely Chopped)
• 4 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
• 1 teaspoon of Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon of Oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika
• 1 teaspoon of Cumin
• 1 tablespoon of Light Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Dark Soy Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke
• 1/2 cup of Tomato Paste
• 1 cup of Marinara Sauce
• 2 tablespoons of Coconut Sugar
• 1 teaspoon of Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper

How To Cook Veggie Mince

Mash the tofu with a fork or potato masher in a flat bottom mixing bowl.

Process walnuts in the food processor until finely chopped. Once the walnuts are chopped, add in the whole mushrooms and pulse until they are finely chopped.

Be careful not to let the processor run or the mushrooms will end up like paste. You want them to have some texture and not be completely smooth.

Remove the mushrooms and walnuts from the food processor and add them to the mixing bowl with the mashed tofu. This is your veggie mince.

Heat olive oil in a pot or frying pan and saute chopped onions, celery, and bell pepper until they have softened.

To the hot pan add the crushed garlic, dried basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin and toast until the spices become fragrant.  Add the veggie mince mixture to the pan.

Stir in both the light and dark soy sauces, liquid smoke, tomato paste, marinara sauce, coconut sugar, salt, and pepper, and mix to combine. Cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid and the mixture cooks down giving the mince a nice thick consistency.

Serve the homemade vegan mincemeat with fresh chopped parsley as a garnish and some rice or potatoes on the side.

• Prep time: 15 mins
• cook time 15-20 mins

All About Vegan Mince

Vegan mince is a combination of plant-based ingredients like tofu, mushrooms, and walnuts seasoned with a variety of savory spices and sauces to replicate both the taste and texture of ground beef.

Vegan mince can be eaten on its over rice or potatoes or used in your favorite shepherd’s pie, sloppy joes, chili, or wherever you’d substitute vegan meat for ground beef.

Variations of Plant Based Mince

• To change up the flavor add different spices; try adding a few threads of saffron or ground fennel seeds.
• Add fresh herbs like rosemary, parsley, or dill.
• Mix in some dijon mustard or barbeque sauce.

Tips and Tricks/Notes

• Use extra firm or firm tofu for this recipe. There is no need to press the tofu beforehand.
• Cremini mushrooms, also known as porto bellini or baby bells are ideal for this vegetarian mince as they have a nice deep flavor. If you can’t find any cremini mushrooms you can easily substitute white button mushrooms.
• Walnuts add a nice texture to this vegan ground beef. You can try pecans, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts but we haven’t tested the recipe with these so we can’t say how this vegan mince recipe will work out.
• Any marinara sauce will work, just pick your favorite or if you have some leftovers in the fridge feel free to use it.
• We added a touch of coconut sugar to balance the flavors in this vegan mince recipe, it does not make it sweet. You can substitute light brown sugar if you don’t have any coconut sugar.
• You can make this vegan mince gluten-free by using a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari as all the other ingredients make this vegan mince gluten-free.

How To Store This Meat-Free Mince

Leftover vegan mince can be kept in the fridge in an airtight or covered container but make sure to eat it within 4-5 days. To reheat place the mince in the microwave or heat on the stove.

This vegan mince is freezer friendly. Make sure it is completely cooled before placing it in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat when desired.

FAQs

What is vegan mince made of?

This recipe for vegan mince is made with a variety of ingredients including tofu, mushrooms, and walnuts as a base and seasonings and spices to add flavor.

Conclusion

This vegan mince is a hearty and protein-packed minced meat substitute that can be eaten on its own or over rice, quinoa, or potatoes. This flavor-packed mince can also be used as a substitute wherever you’d use store-bought vegetarian ground meat.

Looking for more vegan recipes? You can find them here.

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