Best Healthy Vegan Veggie Ground Meat Substitute

Veggie Ground

1 head of cauliflower
2 medium carrots
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
16 oz portobello mushrooms (**)
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp sage
2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin powder
1.5 cups walnuts (optional to soak for a softer texture) (*)
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 tsp salt OR TO YOUR TASTE

* for nut free version omit walnuts and add another 8oz of portobello mushrooms more coarsely chopped than the first portion to keep some texture.

** for mushroom free use equivalent in jackfruit and process in to smaller pieces.

I recommend a pan with at least a 3 qt capacity for this recipe.

Coarsely chop all vegetables and garlic in a food processor. Mushrooms can be made even coarser for a more meaty texture (This will need to be done in batches)

Coarsely chop walnuts along with tomato paste until combined..

Add vegetables and mushrooms and continue to cook on medium until water releases begins to release (approx. 5 minutes) Increase heat to high.

Continue to mix until most of the water has cooked out add seasoning. Continue to cook on high for another 5-10 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated and no water remains at the bottom of the pan.

* Depending on your stove, you may need to adjust your temperature setting between medium and high to insure that all of the water evaporates.

Turn off heat and add walnut and tomato paste mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine.

Add to your dish of choice. Enjoy!

Keeps well in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer. I can’t tell you how long since mine never makes it more than a couple weeks without being used!

[aadyae]

I love your cooking. However, I've tried a very similar recipe twice, but the final results had a crunch because the walnuts were not soaked to softness. I tried it a 3rd time, soaked the walnuts and bingo, soft ground. 😊

[righteousantidote]

I made this today for tacos. Everyone loved it. My youngest son asked for another plate and he’s the pickiest eater ever. He hate mushrooms and didn’t even know it was in the recipe. Thanks so much for sharing. Tomorrow I’ll try burgers ☺️

[ymlord]

Javant, I want to really thank you for typing out all the detailed instructions, I know that's quite a task. Your video demos and written instructions are so incredible and kind. Thank you for being a bright shining light in the WFPB movement. I wish you a healthy happy life, filled with so much positivity and blessings.

[terryrobb]

I am 74 and been an omnivore my entire life. My daughter is a vegan and in the last few years I have added more plant based meals, days, weeks to my eating plan. My biggest problem was weird ( to me ) ingredients and lack of flavour.
I made this today and even ad I was prepping the Spice list gave me good sense that this would be tasty. And.. it is ! Can hardly wait to use it for Mexican dishes and a company Shepherd's pie. Unfortunately I can't upload a photo here, but it looks so much like cooked ground meat and give a nice mouth feel.
I am so glad I found you channel, via Reels on FB.
Thank you !!

[gloriahinkson]

I tried this recipe today- Mother’s Day Dinner and it came out great. I substituted sunflower seeds for the walnuts. Served it up with roasted turnips, beets and sweet potatoes. Delicious. Your recipes are giving me the encouragement to go full vegan. Thank you for simple, easy to follow instructions and delicious foods.

[melvonjohnson]

I stop eating meat and transitioned to eating plant-based foods. I must admit, when I stop eating meat, my body went through withdrawals and I become sick--after a few weeks of just eating plant-based foods, I started to see a difference in my body and skin.

[laurielafleche]

I make this every other week now. I bought square soup molds for the freezer and freeze them in packages. Just like you get in the grocery store. Tried it on my husband on his nachos, he asked me why the meat tasted so good. I have used this as a substitute for all his favorites, and he continues to love it. Moved on so many of your other recipes today I am making the hamburger buns.🥰🎉

[tracievans]

I made this Monday for my son and I this week! I didn't have a food processor, so I cut everything up. It was delicious! I'm glad you told us about the water. I would've been discouraged. We made tortillas! I picked up a food processor yesterday to make your carrot cake! It was delicious! I never thought that I'd be one of those people who love the cooking channels! Now, I love finding plant based channels! Yours is one of my favorites!! Thank you! I love your channel!

[chillkani]

I just tried this recipe. It was fun and easy to make. Definitely better than fake vegan meats that I've tried in the past. Thank you very much for sharing and being such an inspiration 🙏🏾

[Anautistictherapist]

GREAT recipe! I actually boiled the walnuts for about five minutes after reading an earlier comment and it turned out perfectly. Thank you!

[christophershelvin]

Tried this recipe last night and was very impressed. You wouldn't know it had any meat at all. I followed the recipe as close as possible and added a few of my own seasonings. Also, I soaked my walnuts the night before to soften then up. Highly recommend and will definitely be a part of my cooking moving forward.

[larraineburrus]

Finally someone who uses REAL FOOD thru the whole recipe. Can’t wait to try this. Thank you it looks absolutely deeeelicious!♥️

[annaelisavettavonnedozza]

This is SOOOO much better than the “Impossible” & “Beyond” crap I was eating. Idk wtf is in that stuff. You made this foolproof (& you’re gorgeous-so that helps 😂) ❤

[josephwebb]

My wife made this today. We love it. Best meat substitute I have had so far, plus no oil total win. Thank you for sharing this 😊.

[melvegan]

This is a keeper. There is so much room to play with this...customizing the spices to make it more chilli or taco flavoured...adding salsa, buffalo sauce, mashed that the base is so healthy and nourrishing. Thank you!! Worked awesome in a tortilla with a little vegan cheese and salsa verde!

[karenchristian]

OK I made the recipe and it is a keeper. I soaked the walnuts as suggested. To get the best consistency and texture I highly recommend using a food processor or Cuisinart. It’s hard to describe the taste of all the flavors but they blended together nicely. The texture is consistent with ground beef and at first take it kind of looks like ground beef. I was making tacos and was tempted to put shredded cheese on it but said nah, that defeats my purpose so I just ate it plain on corn tortillas. It had cooled down and I thought it needed to be heated up but that wasn’t the case. Tasted fine slightly warm. Because the taste is versatile I can see using it in a variety of dishes.

[eternallearner]

If only all cooking videos were this good. It’s not easy for vegans/vegetarians to find good recipes for meat alternatives. I’m really glad I found your channel. Liked and subscribed, with thanks from across the pond ❤️🇬🇧

[danielturner]

Made shepherds pie using your recipe and was amazing! Having tacos with it tonight. Thank you so much!

[TheJmtmom]

Let me tell you something, sir. I'm not even religious, but I declare you are doing the Lord's work! I just made this, and it is A-MAY-ZING. I made it in preparation for your meatball gyro recipe, and I had to MAKE myself stop eating it so I can have some left for the gyros. It's THAT good.I am approaching vegan life as a complete newbie. I had been looking for recipes and came across your channel. SUBSCRIBED without hesitation! Oh, and yes, I followed the advice of some of the other commenters, and soaked the walnuts first (I soaked them overnight). Also, I made a small error in technique. I added everything to the pan at the same time, including the walnut mixture. I forgot it was supposed to be added later in the process. Turned out perfectly anyway. Actually, I think it's easier getting everything mixed together doing it that way. Looking forward to making those gyros and other vegan masterpieces!

[Misses-Hippy]

No beans or peas involved!
Subscribed.
Our furry cousins thank you for your efforts.