Plant-Based Meat Alternative (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
1 cup dried beluga lentils
02 -
1 red onion, finely chopped
03 -
3.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
04 -
¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
→ Sauce & Seasonings
05 -
1 tablespoon tomato paste
06 -
1 tablespoon tamari
07 -
2 tablespoons water
08 -
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
09 -
2 teaspoons garlic powder
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1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 -
1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 -
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
# Instructions:
01 -
Start by cooking your lentils ahead of time - you can even do this up to five days before you plan to make this recipe. Rinse one cup of dried beluga lentils and add them to a small pot with three cups of water. Bring everything to a rolling boil, then lower the heat and let them simmer without a lid for about 20 to 25 minutes. You want them tender but still holding their shape with a slight bite. Once done, drain off any leftover water and set aside.
02 -
Grab your sharpest knife and cutting board, or save some time by using a food processor. Finely mince the red onion, shiitake mushrooms, and walnuts until they're all roughly the same small size. This helps everything cook evenly and creates that perfect ground meat texture.
03 -
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon or two of water or vegetable broth. Toss in your minced onions, mushrooms, and walnuts. Let them cook for about five minutes, giving them a stir every so often. You'll notice the vegetables starting to soften and the kitchen smelling amazing.
04 -
Turn your heat down to medium-low. Now sprinkle in the nutritional yeast, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Keep stirring everything together until all those beautiful spices are evenly coating your veggie mixture. This is where the magic starts happening!
05 -
In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, tomato paste, and water until smooth. Pour this savory mixture right over your vegetables in the skillet and stir everything together really well. The sauce adds incredible depth and that umami richness.
06 -
Add your cooked lentils to the skillet and mix everything together. Keep cooking and stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. The mixture will start to get crumbly and look just like traditional ground beef. Once it reaches that perfect texture, you're done!
# Notes:
01 -
One cup of dried beluga lentils will give you about two cups once cooked. Feel free to swap them out with brown or green lentils, or even black beans or pinto beans if that's what you have on hand.
02 -
If you're using an Instant Pot to cook your lentils, rinse and drain them first, then add to the pot with 1¾ cups water. Make sure the valve is sealed, set to high pressure for 6 minutes, and let it naturally release when done.
03 -
This recipe makes about 6 cups of vegan ground beef, perfect for using in tacos, pasta sauce, shepherd's pie, or anywhere you'd normally use regular ground meat.