This homemade vegan mince recipe is rich and savory and so versatile! It’s delicious served with rice or mashed potatoes or use it as a mince substitute in any recipe.
This vegan mince is so delicious. It’s made from a mix of tofu, walnuts, vegetables and spices but the end result is just so good you will want to eat it with everything!
It’s wonderful as a sauce for pasta or rice or mashed potatoes but it’s also fabulous on toast!
It works great to replace regular mince in lasagnas and pasta bakes, enchiladas, shepherd’s pies or anything else requiring a mince.
Ingredients You Need To Make Veggie Mince
Ingredient Notes
- Cremini mushrooms – are ideal for this mince recipe as they are full of flavor. They are also called portobellini or baby bellas. You could also use white button mushrooms.
- Coconut sugar – simply balances the flavors in this recipe, it does not make it sweet. You can also use light brown sugar.
- Marinara sauce – just use your favorite brand of marinara sauce.
- Walnuts – create texture in this recipe. Other nuts like pecans or almonds or hazelnuts ‘may’ work as a sub but walnuts are the best.
- Tofu – extra firm or firm tofu is perfect for this recipe. You don’t need to press it first.
How To Make Vegan Mince (Step By Step)
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Place the tofu in a bowl with a flat bottom and use a fork to mash it.
- Add walnuts to the food processor and process until finely chopped.
- Add whole mushrooms to the food processor and pulse it until finely chopped. Don’t let the food processor run or the mushrooms will turn to paste. You just want them finely chopped.
- Add the mashed tofu, chopped walnuts and chopped mushrooms to a mixing bowl and mix them together. This is your veggie mince.
- In a pot on medium heat add olive oil, chopped onions, celery and red bell pepper. Sauté until softened.
- Add crushed garlic, dried basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and cumin and sauté together for a minute to toast the spices.
- Add the veggie mince, light and dark soy sauce, liquid smoke, tomato paste, marinara sauce, coconut sugar, salt and pepper and toss together. Cook until the mushrooms have released extra liquid and the liquid has cooked down, leaving the mince a good consistency.
- Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley, over rice or mashed potatoes.
Vegan Mince Recipe FAQ
You can serve vegan mince over rice or mashed potatoes or even on toast. It’s also great as a filling for Sloppy Joes or for using in a lasagna or as a filling for enchiladas.
If you use a gluten free soy sauce (or switch it out for tamari) then this vegan mince is gluten-free.
Keep leftovers in the fridge in a covered container and consume within 4-5 days. It can be reheated in the microwave.
Yes this mince is freezer friendly. Let it cool completely before freezing. Thaw in the fridge and reheat when needed.
More Vegan ‘Meat’ Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Mince
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Extra Firm Tofu (226g)
- 1 cup Walnuts (100g)
- 5 cups Cremini Mushrooms (480g)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Finely Chopped
- 2 Medium Stalks Celery Finely Chopped
- 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper Finely Chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic Crushed
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- 1 tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- ½ tsp Liquid Smoke
- ½ cup Tomato Paste (130g)
- 1 cup Marinara Sauce (240ml)
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place the tofu in a bowl with a flat bottom and use a fork to mash it.
- Add walnuts to the food processor and process until finely chopped.
- Add whole mushrooms to the food processor and pulse it until finely chopped. Don’t let the food processor run or the mushrooms will turn to paste. You just want them finely chopped.
- Add the mashed tofu, chopped walnuts and chopped mushrooms to a mixing bowl and mix them together. This is your veggie mince.
- In a pot on medium heat add olive oil, chopped onions, celery and red bell pepper. Sauté until softened.
- Add crushed garlic, dried basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and cumin and sauté together for a minute to toast the spices.
- Add the veggie mince, light and dark soy sauce, liquid smoke, tomato paste, marinara sauce, coconut sugar, salt and pepper and toss together. Cook until the mushrooms have released extra liquid and the liquid has cooked down, leaving the mince a good consistency.
- Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley, over rice or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Tofu – extra firm or firm tofu is perfect for this recipe. You don’t need to press it first.
- Cremini mushrooms – are ideal for this mince recipe as they are full of flavor. They are also called portobellini or baby bellas. You could also use white button mushrooms.
- Walnuts – create texture in this recipe. Other nuts like pecans or almonds or hazelnuts ‘may’ work as a sub (we have not tested this).
- Marinara sauce – just use your favorite brand of marinara sauce.
- Coconut sugar – simply balances the flavors in this recipe, it does not make it sweet. You can also use light brown sugar.
- Gluten-Free: If you use a gluten free soy sauce (or switch it out for tamari) then this vegan mince is gluten-free.
- Storing and Freezing: Keep leftovers in the fridge in a covered container and consume within 4-5 days. It can be reheated in the microwave. It is also freezer friendly. Let it cool completely before freezing. Thaw in the fridge and reheat when needed.
So delicious! There are so many things that can be done with this. This will be on permanent rotation. Thanks!
Thanks so much for the awesome review Victoria!
Wouaaaahhhh! Fabulous recipe once again! Saw it yesterday evening, cooked it this morning and had it for lunch 30 mins ago. Tasty, full of flavours and easy to prepare. So tasteful that I had to slow down myself to eat slowly, savouring the different flavours. Had it on quinoa with ratatouille. Colourful plate.
Big test this weekend, served on pasta as a bolognaise to the teens of the house 🙂
@ Debra, give it a try, you don’t taste the mushrooms. You won’t regret it.
Thank you Alison for this excellent recipe, one more time.
Thanks a million Isabelle!! 🙂
Made this today for a family gathering! Everyone absolutely loved it… I regret forgetting to leave any for myself. Thank you so much for the recipes!! I signed up for the newsletter and I’m now finding myself making your recipes each week. Absolutely delish! Also, this is my first time trying tofu and it was a pretty good first impression.
Also, I found it to be very meaty!
Fantastic! So happy to hear that Camila. Thanks a million!
I hate mushrooms what can I use instead of?
I don’t know that there is a good sub for the mushrooms. You don’t really taste them though! 🙂