Pasta and saucy goodness is shining bright in this ultra-comforting dish. A veganized classic favorite, this Vegan Lentil Hamburger Helper will transport you back in time. Homemade deliciousness is brimming with “cheezy” tangy flavors! Lentils and elbow macaroni are coated in a creamy, dreamy cheeze sauce that will have the whole family giving high-5s at the dinner table. Brimming with healthy, wholesome ingredients, it tastes even better than what you can find in a box, this dish is sure to put a smile on your face.

Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.

Hi there, Ameera here!

Say hello to Vegan Lentil Hamburger Helper!  Honestly, I fell in love with this dish and couldn’t stop eating it. Mom and I have been on a quest to create a “Mac n Cheese” type dish for quite some time.

We have been playing around with this recipe for months tweaking it and tweaking it some more. We were probably ready at Kitchen Test #4, but we just kept pushing the envelope to see if we could make it even more delicious!

Dad really wanted us to stop at Kitchen Test #4, because that version was his favorite, but Mom and I landed on Kitchen Test #5 as our favorite.

Test #4 vs Test #5?

So, you might be asking so what was the big difference between the two kitchen tests?  Well, it was the amount of dried mustard powder we used. You will note that the recipe ingredients show a range for the dried mustard powder.

Mom and I absolutely loved the extra flavor zing that the dried mustard powder adds to this dish.  Kitchen Test #4 used 2 teaspoons, while Kitchen Test #5 used 3 teaspoons.

Our suggestion is to start with 2 teaspoons, then once the sauce has been buzzed in the high-speed blender and returned to the skillet to simmer, taste test it and then add more if you want more zing.

Lentils

Don’t you just love lentils?  We certainly do!  Plus, they are oh-so good for you and packed with protein, fiber, and tons of nutrients. An excellent source of iron, folate, and zinc, lentils are definitely a plant powerhouse.  If you are looking for more information on lentils, check out NutritionFacts.org by Dr. Greger with tons of great lentil information here.

Looking for more lentil dishes? Check out these tasty favorites:

• Three Bean Chili – Bold and flavorful
• BBQ Lentil Sloppy Joes – Thick and smoky
• Lentil Shepherds Pie – Cozy and satisfying
• Vegan Sausage Ragu – Rich and aromatic
• Instant Pot Lentil Tacos – Delicious and versatile

This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.

Lentil Convenience

As most of our readers already know, we love small brown lentils. We get our dried lentils from Palouse House. We love to prepare beans in advance and freeze them in about 1.5 cup servings, which is roughly the amount found in a canned bean product.

However, we also love the convenience of Delallo’s canned lentils. You can use either in this dish. Additionally, if you are not a lentil fan or don’t have any on hand, you can use most any bean you wish in this dish.

The key would be not to use a bean that has lost its texture or integrity. In other words, don’t use mushy beans that will turn the dish murky because the beans have split open.

Thin Sauce

After you buzz the sauce and put it in the skillet, you are going to say to yourself, “This sauce is way too thin!”  Fear not my friend, it will thicken – I promise. Once you cook the sauce for about 5 minutes, it will slowly start to thicken, but the real magic happens after you add the macaroni and lentils, simmer for a few minutes, then remove it from the stove.

Let the dish sit for 10 minutes, the simple reduction in heat will cause the cashews in the sauce to tighten and within 10 minutes, you will have a beautiful velvety sauce! The longer the sauce sits the thicker and thicker it gets.

I’ll let Mom tell you more.

Hi! Robin here!

Talk about hitting a home run!  Monkey knocked my socks off with this dish.  It is complete and total comfort food. TP109 loved it.  He was never a huge Hamburger Helper lover back in the day. He would eat it if I made it, but I never made it that often.  The kids always enjoyed Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  This recipe is a Whole Food Plant Based hybrid of those two dishes.

If you try this comforting dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us!  We would love to hear from you.

Products Used:

• Stock pot to cook the pasta
• Large non-stick skillet or similarly large skillet to cook the sauce
• High-Speed Blender

Vegan Lentil Hamburger Helper

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 20 Minutes
• Cook Time: 25 Minutes
• Total Time: 45 Minutes (+10 minute Rest Time)
• Yield: 4-5 Servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Pasta and saucy goodness is shining bright in this ultra-comforting dish. A veganized classic favorite, this Vegan Lentil Hamburger Helper will transport you back in time. Homemade deliciousness is brimming with “cheezy” tangy flavors! Lentils and elbow macaroni are coated in a creamy, dreamy cheeze sauce that will have the whole family giving high-5s at the dinner table. Brimming with healthy, wholesome ingredients, it tastes even better than what you can find in a box, this dish is sure to put a smile on your face.

Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ¾ cup vegetable broth *
• ¾ cup water (or broth)
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons ketchup *
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened plain plant yogurt
• 1 cup unsweetened plain plant milk
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon hot sauce *
• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 Tablespoon low sodium tamari *
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 – [ 14 oz. can ] brown lentils, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups cooked) *
• 2 ¼ cups uncooked elbow macaroni *

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• 2 to 3 teaspoons dried ground mustard powder *
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (+/- to taste) *
• Pinch black pepper

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Instructions

Pasta Boil Instructions

1. Fill a large stock pot full of water. Add some sea salt to the water (optional). Bring the water to a boil then add the pasta. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Note: You want to coordinate the completion of the pasta cooking time with the completion of the sauce. If unsure, then just wait to put the pasta into the boiling water once the sauce is done. Just turn the sauce down really low or remove from the stove.  Boil the pasta until just el dente, do not overcook, drain, rinse with cold water to remove any excess starch, shake well to remove any excess water trapped inside the elbow macaroni, then transfer the cooked pasta into the sauce in Step 6.

 Instructions

1. Place the cashews in a small bowl, cover with boiling water, set aside for 20 minutes, then drain off the water until ready to use. Note: for a quicker method, boil cashews in water for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside until ready to use.
2. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, mix, set aside.
3. In a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot or similarly large stockpot/skillet, add the finely diced onion, sauté over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are tender. (If needed to prevent sticking, add a splash of vegetable broth or water).
4. Add the minced garlic and sauté for one minute, add the Spice/Herb mix, stirring constantly for 30 seconds, just to release their fragrance. Then add the plant milk, vegetable broth, water, yogurt, nutritional yeast, ketchup, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, distilled vinegar, tamari, hot sauce, and soaked cashews, simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the stove to cool slightly.
5. Place the sauce it into a high-speed blender and blend on high for one minute (or longer) to make the mixture creamy and smooth, then return to the cooking pot and simmer for 5 minutes. The sauce will still be thin but will thicken up later. Taste test for flavor, ramp up any spices or flavoring as needed at this time to reach the desired flavor.
6. Stir in the cooked pasta and lentils. Simmer for 4 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. The sauce will still be somewhat thin at this time – don’t worry. Remove from the heat and allow to set for 10 minutes. This will allow the sauce to tighten up and become a nice thick sauce.
7. After resting, serve and enjoy!

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Notes

*Thickness of the sauce: This sauce starts out very thin and almost soupy, but as with any cashew-based sauce, it will tighten up after it starts to slightly cool. Removing from the stove and waiting 10 minutes will work perfectly for tightening up the sauce, as it will cool down just enough to tighten up, yet still be perfectly hot to eat. Additionally, if there are any leftovers, the sauce will really tighten up in the fridge, so you may need to add a splash of water when reheating leftovers. 

*Vegetable Stock:   We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.

*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium.  You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.

*Dried Ground Mustard Powder:  We really enjoyed the flavor that the 3 teaspoons of dried ground mustard bought to the dish; however, we did have one family member that preferred the lower amount of 2 teaspoons in one of the kitchen tests. You may wish to start lower (2 teaspoons) and increase to 3 teaspoons as we did if you prefer more flavor.  You can always add more flavor after you have pureed the sauce and returned it to the pot.  We used 3 teaspoons.

*Ketchup:  You can use your favorite ketchup. Start on the lower side of 1 Tablespoon and increase to 2 Tablespoons if you prefer more tang flavor.  We used 2 Tablespoons. Here is a WFPB ketchup.

*Hot Sauce: We used Frank’s RedHot Original Hot Sauce, but any hot sauce will do.

*Pasta of choice:  You can use your favorite pasta in this dish.  We used brown rice elbow macaroni.  We used Tinkyada brand brown rice elbow macaroni.

*Cooked Brown Lentils:  We used canned Delallo Lentils. We love them for their convenience and firm texture. They are never mushy and work perfectly in this dish. Our local supermarket carries them in the “Italian Specialty” aisle next to the pasta. You can certainly use your own cooked green or brown lentils in this dish, you just want to make sure they are not mushy. Red lentils would not work well in this dish. Feel free to use any bean of choice that you wish. Most beans will work perfectly in this dish.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Servings:  4-5

*Storage:  Refrigerate and use within 5 days.

This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.