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    One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper

    April 7, 2020 By Rene 35 Comments

    This One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper is 100 times tastier (and healthier) than the classic boxed dinner. Made with lentils for plenty of fiber and protein.

    Jump to Recipe
    This One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper is 100 times tastier (and healthier) than the classic boxed dinner. Made with lentils for plenty of fiber and protein | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #hamburgerhelper

    Did anyone else grow up on that boxed hamburger helper? I don't remember eating it a lot, but it definitely was around in my childhood.

    Today we are elevating a boxed dinner to something that is healthy, vegan and made in one pot (hello, easy weeknight dinner).

    This One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper is 100 times tastier (and healthier) than the classic boxed dinner. Made with lentils for plenty of fiber and protein | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #hamburgerhelper
    This One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper is 100 times tastier (and healthier) than the classic boxed dinner. Made with lentils for plenty of fiber and protein | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #hamburgerhelper

    So, let's talk about how to make this One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper

    This recipe really is super simple. Sauté some onions and garlic with a few staple spices. Add in the lentils and tomato paste. Then bring the pasta and broth (you can find my favorite vegan beef broth here) to a boil.

    Once the liquid has been absorbed by the pasta, add a little vegan cream cheese to the mix - for that extra creamy texture. Serve it up with green onions, hot sauce and plenty of crusty bread.

    And that's it. Dinner is ready in 30 minutes with minimal dishes and plenty of happy tummies.

    This One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper is 100 times tastier (and healthier) than the classic boxed dinner. Made with lentils for plenty of fiber and protein | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #hamburgerhelper
    This One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper is 100 times tastier (and healthier) than the classic boxed dinner. Made with lentils for plenty of fiber and protein | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #hamburgerhelper
    Print Pin
    5 from 17 votes

    One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper

    This One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper is 100 times tastier (and healthier) than the classic boxed dinner. Made with lentils for plenty of fiber and protein.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Keyword one pot
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 397kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ yellow onion diced
    • 2 cloves garlic diced
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • 12 oz cooked lentils
    • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 8 oz macaroni dry
    • 3 cups vegan beef broth*
    • 2-4 tablespoon vegan cream cheese I used chive flavored
    • green onion for topping
    • hot sauce optional

    Instructions

    • Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Stir to coat evenly and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until onions are tender.
    • Add cooked lentils and tomato paste to the pot and stir to combine. Add broth and macaroni to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the macaroni is cooked (approx. 10-12 minutes). Stir frequently so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom.
    • Before serving, add vegan cream cheese to the pot and stir to combine.
    • Serve while hot, topped with green onion and hot sauce.

    Video

    Notes

    *You can get this at Whole Foods or online here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 469mg | Potassium: 977mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Iron: 4mg

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

    If you make this recipe be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and  @thissavoryvegan!

    This One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper is 100 times tastier (and healthier) than the classic boxed dinner. Made with lentils for plenty of fiber and protein | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegan #hamburgerhelper
    « Weekly Vegan Dinner Plan #98
    Vegan Breakfast Nachos »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah

      November 13, 2022 at 5:44 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! I love how easy it is and that's it 1pot - fantastic for a weekday meal. I didn't have cream cheese on hand so used vegan shreds instead. I also added chopped spinach and some frozen corn for extra oomph! will be making again! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Rene

        November 17, 2022 at 3:02 pm

        So glad you liked this Sarah - and love the idea of adding extra veggies!

        Reply
    2. Heather

      October 01, 2022 at 4:48 pm

      5 stars
      This was awesome! So quick and easy. I didn't have cream cheese, so I used 3 Tbsp of plain vegan yogurt (Kite Hill) instead and it was fab.

      Reply
      • Rene

        October 10, 2022 at 9:52 am

        Oh yum! I love the idea of using vegan yogurt!

        Reply
    3. diane

      August 21, 2022 at 9:30 am

      5 stars
      This is so easy and so tasty. It has become a family favorite.

      Reply
    4. Natalie

      August 09, 2021 at 4:21 am

      Can I substitute cans lentils and if so how many cans?
      Thanking you kindly, Natalie

      Reply
    5. Tracy L

      January 17, 2021 at 7:22 pm

      5 stars
      Made it tonight and we LOVED it! Will be a new one in our rotation! Love one-pot meals!!

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 19, 2021 at 8:42 am

        You can never go wrong with a one pot meal! So glad you liked it!

        Reply
      • Emily

        January 23, 2021 at 3:39 pm

        Another fantastic recipe!!! Made it twice so far and I love it. Had an extra bell pepper laying around so I threw it in when I put in the onion & spices. I've tried this recipe with chickpea pasta as well, and it worked just great. Delicious👍

        Reply
    6. EP

      January 07, 2021 at 5:21 am

      This looks amazing! Adding this to my recipe list for next weeks dinner!

      Do you think I could sub vegetable broth for the 'beef' broth or would that really take away from the flavor?

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 07, 2021 at 12:54 pm

        You can definitely swap it. You might want to add a splash of soy sauce to give it a little umami flavor 👍

        Reply
    7. Jackie

      December 02, 2020 at 6:16 pm

      5 stars
      I loved this! Added a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast to cheeze it up a bit more and a can of hatch chiles for a bit of spice but otherwise stayed to true to it as written. My very carnivorous husband and brother loved it as well even though they were skeptical of lentils as a meat replacement, so I'm glad they gave it a chance and gladder they approved! Will definitely be making (and probably doubling) this regularly as I barely have enough left over for lunch. So so good, way better and healthier than the boxed version I grew up on!

      Reply
      • Rene

        December 02, 2020 at 8:05 pm

        So glad you (and the rest of your family) liked it 🤗

        Reply
    8. Jan

      October 22, 2020 at 6:53 pm

      5 stars
      Made this and it was A-mazing! Used regular beef broth though.

      Reply
      • Rene

        October 26, 2020 at 12:35 pm

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    9. Ashleigh

      September 07, 2020 at 10:41 am

      5 stars
      My family loves this meal. I always double it
      So that we have enough for my family of five.
      Has anyone tried freezing this? I am not usually one to make a freeze meals but with baby #4 due in a few weeks I thought this may be a good options. Although, I am not sure how the pasta would freeze. Anyone have any insight?

      Reply
      • Rene

        September 08, 2020 at 8:06 am

        I haven't tried freezing this, but if I were going to I would make the lentil/veggie/spice portion ahead of time and freeze that. When you are ready to eat add the frozen mixture to a pot to thaw, then add the broth, dry macaroni and cream cheese. Hope that helps and congrats on baby #4!!!

        Reply
    10. Becky

      August 20, 2020 at 7:02 am

      5 stars
      I am so incredibly pleased to have discovered This Savory Vegan and all Rene's amazing recipes! I made this vegan hamburger helper last night and couldn't stop shoving it in my face! So yummy and easy to make. I plan to share it with all my non-vegan friends to encourage some meatless weeknight meals as this is dish is universally pleasing.
      Thanks for such great vegan meal options!

      Reply
      • Rene

        August 26, 2020 at 7:30 am

        Love a Meatless Monday for non-vegans - because everyday is Meatless Monday for vegans 😂 But so glad you liked it!

        Reply
    11. Quizeen

      July 25, 2020 at 8:18 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, I was a little kid in the 70s and my mom did not cook. So, we ate a lot of Hamburger Helper, which I enjoyed at the time. Now, as an adult and a 25-year vegan, I can say—even with a ton of nostalgia—that this totally tastes like Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper, like spot on.

      I don't eat salt anymore, so I left it out, used whole wheat rotini (it's what I had) and Treeline cream cheese (no coconut oil or any oil at all for that matter), and a bunch of minced chives and man, this is good stuff. The real deal. Make it.

      Reply
    12. Michelle

      June 11, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      5 stars
      This is a delicious! I didn’t make mine vegan - I used regular whipped cream cheese. I enjoyed this meal so much and my boyfriend, who is always skeptical about the recipes I make since I stopped eating meat, loved it too! Thank you for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Rene

        June 16, 2020 at 10:48 am

        So glad you both liked it!!!

        Reply
    13. ElleK

      April 18, 2020 at 4:26 am

      5 stars
      Very good and hearty! Easily put together too. Used one can of lentils and made my own cream cheese (thanks to the commenter above for the suggestion!). Reminded me of something my mom would’ve made me as a child. Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 24, 2020 at 10:46 am

        Yay! So glad you liked it. And I am all about comfort food these days, so I'm glad you got the same vibe 🙂

        Reply
    14. Mardy

      April 10, 2020 at 6:46 am

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner last night and it was so delicious and easy! I subbed some leftover crumbled field roast sausages For the lentils and added 1/8 tsp of chipotle chili pepper to the spice mix. Thank you for an awesome recipe!

      Reply
    15. Keisa

      April 07, 2020 at 12:43 pm

      Do you know a good sub for cream cheese? Do you think blending some silken tofu would work, or using vegan yogurt? Trying to use what I have on hand.

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 09, 2020 at 5:22 pm

        You could just add a splash of non-dairy milk or omit it altogether. It will taste good either way.

        Reply
      • Maggie

        April 11, 2020 at 12:49 pm

        @Keisa: You can make your own healthier, less processed cream cheese substitute in a high-speed blender with a package of firm tofu (drained), 1/3 c. to 1/2 c. of raw cashews, a tablespoon of yellow miso, a tablespoon of Bragg's aminos/soy sauce/tamari, a tablespoon of apple cider or red wine vinegar, and one more tablespoon of plum vinegar if you have it (extra umami -- if you don't, just use red wine vinegar instead or more AC), and half a peeled lemon (don't bother juicing it--the blender will pulverize it for you, and you might as well get the benefit of all the fiber and phyonutrients from the fruit). Blend until totally smooth (30-60 seconds, depending on your blender). No miso? Use more soy sauce! Use this for any recipe calling for cream cheese (or even thin with a little water for sour cream). I spread it on toast with Everything But the Bagel seasoning on top. (NOTE: there's not a nut-free version of this because the cashews are essential to the texture.) A version of this originally came from Mary McDougall in an ancient newsletter from Dr. McDougall, but it was pretty bland as written -- the extra vinegars and miso makes it tangier and more cream-cheese like. It's amazing in mashed potatoes too.

        Reply
        • Stacey

          July 20, 2021 at 4:39 pm

          Thank you for this, Maggie!!🥰

          Reply
    16. Lynn Weis

      April 07, 2020 at 10:12 am

      This looks fantastic & simple. Thanks! Please tell me, what type of pot are you cooking in, & where can I purchase one?

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 09, 2020 at 5:25 pm

        It is from amazon! One of my faves - https://amzn.to/2Qt3nRi

        Reply
        • Teresa

          April 11, 2020 at 4:09 pm

          I’m so glad someone asked this, I love this pot too! The link seems to be broken though...

          Reply
        • April G

          May 13, 2022 at 3:48 pm

          5 stars
          Made this last night and wow! So good and so easy! Plus, since it’s just me, I have tons leftover. 😀 Woo! So glad I found your recipes Rene! You actually use ingredients I -have- and have access to in your recipes and it makes it so much easier.

          Reply
    17. Jackie

      April 07, 2020 at 6:29 am

      This looks amazing! How much dry lentils did you cook to get 12oz cooked?
      Thanks!
      Jackie

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 07, 2020 at 8:51 am

        It would be a little more than 1/2 a cup. You can always make a little extra and use the leftover for something else 🙂

        Reply

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    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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