Let’s be honest — most vegan synthetic meat is unappetizing. I’ve been following a vegan diet for a year now, and I’ve tried more vegan meats than I can count. Out of all of the vegan ground beef products on the market, Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef takes the cake. Its texture is perfectly crumbly, it’s well seasoned and it cooks in just a few minutes. Here are three ways to transform this plant-based protein!

Stephanie Gerson / Daily Nexus

Tasty Lettuce Cups

One day, I was really craving some lettuce cups from my favorite restaurant in my 

hometown. After some experimentation, I created a vegan version! 

Ingredients (makes 3 lettuce cups):

  • ⅓ of a package of Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef
  • ½ cup sliced mushrooms
  • ¼ cup sliced white onion
  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of a shredded carrot
  • 3 romaine lettuce leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce
  • Furikake seasoning to taste
  • Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

Directions:

  1. Finely chop the mushrooms and white onion. 
  2. In a large pan, combine the mushrooms, onion and minced garlic.
  3. Sauté the mushrooms and onions over medium heat for a few minutes until the onion pieces become translucent. 
  4. Add in the Beef-less Ground Beef and cook the mixture for 5 minutes before adding in the soy sauce and hoisin sauce.
  5. To serve, place the Beef-less Ground Beef mixture into a lettuce cup and top it with shredded carrot, furikake seasoning and spicy peanut vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Stephanie Gerson / Daily Nexus

Beefless Tacos

Everyone loves a good taco. Here’s a plant-based swap!

Ingredients (makes 5 tacos):

  • ½ a package of Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef
  • 5 corn tortillas
  • 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • ½ of an onion, thinly sliced
  • Paprika
  • Cumin
  • Lettuce for garnish
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a nonstick skillet lightly coated with coconut oil, cook the bell pepper and onion slices on medium heat.
  2. Add paprika, cumin, salt and pepper to the skillet. I usually aim for 1 teaspoon of each spice.
  3. After 10 minutes, add in the Beef-less Ground Beef and cook for another 5 minutes.
  4. Fill a corn tortilla with the taco “meat” and garnish with lettuce, avocado and a hot sauce of your choosing, like Cholula. If you want to be extra fancy, you can make your own guacamole! 

Stephanie Gerson / Daily Nexus

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

I must confess, I make this dish at least twice a week. It’s definitely my comfort meal of choice.  

Ingredients (makes 3 servings):

  • ½ a package of Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef
  • 1 cup of brown-rice pasta
  • ⅔ cup of sliced mushrooms
  • 14-oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
  • ⅓ cup chopped white onion
  • 1 cup of marinara sauce
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Cook the brown rice pasta according to the package instructions.
  2. In a separate small pan, combine the onion, mushrooms, garlic and spices. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes on medium heat.
  3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add in the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, water and Beef-less Ground Beef. Cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
  4. In a bowl, pour the bolognese sauce over the base of pasta and serve! 

 

If you’re looking to eat more meatless meals during the week, give these recipes a try! While it may not taste exactly like beef, this plant-based substitute eliminates the hassle of cooking meat and cuts down on the environmental impact of the cattle industry. Head to Trader Joe’s before this fan favorite sells out!

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Stephanie Gerson
Stephanie Gerson is a fourth-year Art History major and On the Menu Co-Editor. She can usually be found taking long walks, wandering about museums or grocery shopping.