This family-friendly vegan hamburger helper is saucy, deliciously creamy, and savory. Made with meaty chunks of soy curls, macaroni, and a variety of seasonings, this one-pot meal is hearty, comforting, and packs bold flavors. Plus, it's easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights!
Rehydrate the soy curls. Add the dry soy curls to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let the soy curls rehydrate for about 5 minutes or until soft.
Drain and rinse. Next, drain the soy curls and rinse them a couple of times under cold water.
Squeeze. Using your hands, squeeze the soy curls to drain as much water as possible.
Make the marinade. In a small bowl, make the marinade by combining the tomato paste, oil, soy sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce together. Transfer the drained soy curls to a bowl and add the marinade.
Toss to coat. Toss the soy curls with the marinade using a spoon or your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the soy curls marinate for about 15 minutes.
The rest
Sauté the onion. Heat the vegan butter to a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add the diced onion and cook for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
Sauté the soy curls. Next, add the marinated soy curls and sauté for another 5 minutes or until they brown slightly.
Pour in the broth. Add the vegetable broth, milk, nutritional yeast, vinegar, smoked paprika, and chili powder to the saucepan.
Add the macaroni. Next, add the dry macaroni and stir to combine. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook uncovered for 7-8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom. If you are using a larger type of pasta, you might have to adjust the cooking time and amount of liquid.
Taste and adjust the seasonings. Once the pasta is tender, remove the pot from heat and adjust the saltiness to your liking. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately!
You can keep this hamburger helper for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Adjust the cooking time. I used mini elbow pasta that only required 7-8 minutes of cooking, but depending on the type of pasta used, you might have to adjust both the cooking time and the amount of vegetable broth.
Add extra liquid. If the consistency is not creamy enough after cooking, feel free to add more milk or vegetable broth. Adjust the saltiness accordingly.
Keep stirring. Do not get away from the pot while cooking the pasta as it tends to stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir very regularly, at least every 2 minutes.
Serve immediately. As with any pasta dish, this is best served immediately for optimal flavor and texture. After a few minutes, the pasta tends to absorb the sauce.