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    Home » Recipe Index » Pasta and Noodles

    Vegan Hamburger Helper (One-Pot and Healthy)

    Published: Jul 30, 2021 · Modified: Feb 9, 2024 by Jessica

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN SHARE

    Bring a fun childhood staple back in the house with this easy one-pot vegan hamburger helper! This version is much healthier, but as tasty and quick to prepare as the boxed one. It makes for a great last minute weeknight dinner that's wholesome and super satisfying!

    Overhead view on a bowl containing a vegan hamburger helper. There is a fork on the side of the bowl and also the noodles are garnished with fresh parsley. There is another bowl filled with the noodles and also a blue hand towel on the side.

    Boxed hamburger helper was probably one of my favorite meals growing up.

    I mean, it's like a combo of mac and cheese with ground beef that's spiced up and all made in one-pot. No wonder everyone loved it.

    This version is completely vegan and features seitan as the meat replacement. Seitan adds such an amazing chewiness to the meal and brings extra flavor too. If you don't want to use seitan, then simply swap for other meat-less ingredients such as lentils, tofu, tempeh, etc.

    And here is the best part: it's a one-pot recipe! Everything goes in the same pan (or pot), including the raw noodles. The pasta cooks in the savory creamy mixture while releasing some of their starch to help thicken the sauce. Just like the old fashioned boxed pasta!

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • All made in one-pot!
    • Quick and easy
    • Great plant-based weeknight dinner
    • Hearty and filling
    • Bold in flavor
    • Creamy and feel very rich
    • Dairy-free and can be made gluten-free
    Close up view on a bowl containing a vegan hamburger helper. There is a fork on the side of the bowl and also the noodles are garnished with fresh parsley. There is another bowl filled with the noodles and also a blue hand towel on the side.

    Vegan cheeseburger creamy pasta

    This meal really feels like a vegan cheeseburger, but served with pasta! The ground beef is replaced with seitan for a very similar chewy bite and the sauce is made using soy milk + nutritional yeast to get a cheesy touch.

    What is seitan

    If you have never had seitan before, then this recipe is a great place to start!

    Seitan is made using wheat gluten, which comes from regular flour that had its starch taken away to leave the high gluten protein. It has a bouncy, chewy and very meaty texture that's so amazing (even more meaty than tofu or tempeh). I also love seitan for its high-in-protein content. Careful though, seitan is not for someone with gluten sensitivity or suffering from celiac disease!

    Where to buy seitan and which kind to get

    You can now find seitan in most grocery stores in the fridge section with the tofu, usually close to the produce.

    Although seitan's flavor is naturally mostly bland, it is often sold in flavorful packages. You will find seitan that's ground, in sausage shapes, sandwich slices and in many other forms.

    For this recipe, I used the Upton's ground seitan, Italian flavor. If you have a different brand available at your grocery store, simply use the one you can find and grind it using your hand or chop using a knife.

    Front angle view on a bowl filled with a vegan hamburger helper while a fork is taking some. There is a close up on the noodles on the fork to show the creamy rich texture.

    Vegan hamburger helper ingredients

    • Short noodles
    • Seitan
    • Green pepper
    • Onion
    • Mushrooms
    • Garlic
    • Vegetable broth
    • Soy milk (or other vegan milk)
    • Spices & dried herbs (nutritional yeast, chili powder, paprika, oregano, basil and salt)

    How to make it

    • Start by combining all the spices and dried herbs in a small bowl so it's all ready to go. Chop the veggies and crumble the seitan if necessary.
    • Then, in a large pan or pot, cook the onion and green pepper on medium-high heat until browned, for about 5-7 minutes. Then, add the garlic, mushrooms, spices and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir often and use a little oil if desired so it does not stick to the bottom.
    • Once the veggies are softened, add the rest of the ingredients (seitan, veggie broth, vegan milk and raw noodles). Stir well, cover and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the noodles are tender and the mixture saucy. You will have to remove the cover and stir often so the noodles don't stick to the bottom.
    • Taste to adjust the spices (will depend on the seitan you chose) and add a splash of milk if you want the texture to be more saucy.
    In process picture: overhead view on a large pan that's cooking onion with green pepper. There is a wooden spoon that's stirring in the pan as well.
    In process picture: you can see some onion, green pepper, mushrooms cooking in a pan and also there is a bowl containing some spice that are added to the pan as well.
    In process picture: over head view on a large pan that cooking pasta with ground seitan and vegetables.
    In process picture: you can see a large pan that contains a sauce mixture of vegetables with seitan and raw noodles. You can also see some milk pouring into the pan.
    In process picture: overhead view on a large pan that contains vegetable and raw noodles in a brown sauce.
    In process picture: close up on a large pan that cooking noodles in a brown sauce with vegetables and seitan.

    Watch how to make it

    YouTube video

    What kind of noodles to use

    The traditional boxed hamburger helper is made using egg noodles which I swapped for regular wheat noodles to avoid the eggs.

    Short noodles are best when making this dish. Choose anything on the small side, like macaroni, ditalini, cavatappi, rotini, etc. I haven't tried it, but I think that long noodles would not work very well and probably would break a lot while cooking.

    Also, I like using a whole wheat kind of noodles when making this dish. White noodles were also tried and worked well too with the same ratio of noodles vs liquid. Simply use whatever you have!

    Front angle view on a close up of a bowl that's filled with a vegan hamburger helper meal. There is a fork in the bowl just about to take some and you can see a second bowl of noodles as well as a blue hand towel in the background.

    Vegan meat substitutions to seitan

    I find that seitan adds such an amazing chewiness to the meal, but if you don't want to use it, then there are many other options to replace it:

    • Tempeh: In this case, you might want to first boil the tempeh in water for about 10 minutes (I boil the whole block!). I find it tenderizes the texture and removes some of the bitterness. Then, when cool enough to handle, simply crumble it using your fingers.
    • Tofu: Use extra firm tofu, pat dry (or even better, do a quick tofu press) and crumble it using your fingers.
    • Cooked lentils: Just like in this vegan baked ziti, I find that lentils do a great job to bring a fun meaty texture to pasta dishes. In this case, beluga, green or even brown lentils would work great. Just make sure to cook them before adding to the pan.
    • Omit it all together: Although the meat-ish ingredient is important to have a hamburger helper that really looks like the real one, you can also omit it as it won't interfere with the cooking of the other ingredients (plus, there are already mushrooms part of the recipe that bring a satisfying crumbly texture with great umami flavor).

    In all cases, you might need to adjust the spices if using a seitan substitution. The seitan I used was filled with spices, so if using a flavorless substitution, then you might need to add extra dried herbs or spices or even, consider adding a splash of soy sauce for extra umami flavor. Also, if using other kinds of vegan ground meat, then you can add it alongside the veggies so it can brown before adding the broth.

    Front angle view on a bowl that contains a vegan hamburger helper meal. There is a fork on the side of the bowl and the noodles are garnished with chopped fresh parsley. There is a blue hand towel in the background too.

    Cooking tips

    • Cook until the noodles are tender, but still al dente. One-pot pasta meals can turn mushy if not watched carefully, so make sure to lift the cover often, stir and taste to know when to remove the pan from the heat.
    • If too much water evaporated and the mixture is getting too dry before the noodles are done, then simply add a small amount of broth or milk and cook for a few extra minutes.
    • I noticed that the soy milk can get a little foamy at first while cooking. Just keep cooking and stirring and it will turn perfectly creamy later on.
    • I love using soy milk when making this dish. I find it to be creamier and helps create that rich texture.

    Other substitutions

    • If you love vegan cheese, then add a handful to the pan when the meal is completely done and stir until all melted.
    • You can easily make this dish spicy if you like by adding some red pepper flakes, a dash or two of cayenne pepper, chopped jalapeño or simply your favorite hot sauce.
    • This is a great meal to stuff with more veggies, like chopped carrots, leafy green, tomatoes, celery, etc. Add them at the beginning of the cooking process when adding the onion and pepper so they have time to soften too.

    How to make this vegan hamburger helper kid friendly

    The seitan that I used was very flavorful and heavy with pepper flavor. My husband and I simply could not stop eating it, but even though my kids are quite adventurous with food, these strong flavors were a little much for them.

    If you are making this meal for a family with kids, then choose carefully your seitan and consider using a meat replacement if you want to be sure to control the spice level (or make your own seitan!).

    Also, you can make it more cheesy by adding extra nutritional yeast or vegan cheese to the pan. Also serve with vegan parmesan cheese.

    Showing is a bowl that's filled with a vegan hamburger helper dish. The noodles are garnished with fresh parsley.

    Storage tips

    I found this meal better served when just prepared as the noodles keep sipping on the sauce while storing, which softens the noodles a little more. It still made for a great next day lunch though!

    Store any leftovers in a air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. When reheating, add a splash of broth, water or vegan milk to loosen up the sauce!

    Other one-pot noodle recipes you might like

    • One-pot tomato and cabbage pasta
    • Coconut curry one-pot ramen
    • Vegan American goulash
    • Cajun orzo and bean skillet
    • Pasta curry
    • One-pot French onion soup pasta

    I hope you enjoy this vegan hamburger helper as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

    Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.

    📖 Recipe

    Front angle view on a bowl filled with a vegan hamburger helper while a fork is taking some. There is a close up on the noodles on the fork to show the creamy rich texture.

    Vegan Hamburger Helper (One-Pot and Healthy)

    5 from 1 vote
    Bring a fun childhood staple back in the house with this easy one-pot vegan hamburger helper! This version is much healthier, but as tasty and quick to prepare as the boxed one. It makes for a great last minute weeknight dinner that's wholesome and super satisfying!
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Servings 3
    Author Jessica Laroche

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup white onion - diced
    • 1 cup green pepper - diced
    • 8 oz mushrooms - diced
    • 2 cloves of garlic - crushed
    • 8 oz ground seitan - or vegan ground meat of your choice
    • 2 cups short noodles of your choice - uncooked, I used whole wheat macaroni but white noodles work well too
    • 2 cups vegetable broth
    • 1 cup vegan plain milk - I used soy milk, plus more if needed

    Spice mix

    • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 1 tsp dried basil
    • 1 tsp chili powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • ½ tsp sweet paprika

    Instructions
     

    • In a small bowl, combine all the spices and dried herbs together (nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, chili powder, salt and paprika). Set aside.
    • In a large pot (or pan), start by cooking the onion and green pepper on medium-high heat until softened, for about 5-7 minutes. Stir often and use a small amount of oil if desired to prevent the veggies from sticking to the pan (or use water).
    • Then, add the mushroom, garlic and spice mix and cook for another 5 minutes while stirring often (if it gets too dry, add 1-2 tbsp of water to help the mixture come together).
    • Add the seitan, raw noodles, veggie broth and vegan milk. Stir well and cover. Keep cooking on a low simmer until the noodles are al dente and most of the water was absorbed (keep it a little saucy though). Remove the cover once in a while to stir and make sure the bottom does not stick to the pan. If too much water evaporated before the noodles are done, then add a splash of broth or milk and cook for a few more minutes or until done.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    • I used the ground seitan from the brand Upton, Italian flavor.
    • If you can't find ground seitan, then use any other form of seitan you have available at your grocery store and grind it using your hands or chop using a knife.
    • You can swap the seitan with tempeh (boil first), tofu or cooked lentils. If doing so, you might need to adjust the spices as seitan is often already filled with spices.
    • Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 1802mg | Potassium: 690mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1056IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 4mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      July 19, 2024 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      This was a great recipe! I used red pepper and added some carrots. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        July 20, 2024 at 6:38 am

        Glad you liked it! 😊

        Reply

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    Profile picture for Plant Based Jess in the kitchen.

    Hi there! I’m Jessica, a pasta obsessed French Canadian now living in beautiful Maine. I’m a mom of two, experienced foodie and ninja meal planner. I believe everyone can make stress-free plant-based meals with wholesome ingredients that your family and friends will love. 

    Join me in my kitchen to discover fun and creative recipes or click to find out more. Welcome!

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