This Vegan “Beef” and Broccoli is delicious and comforting. Lots of protien and naturally gluten-free from the TVP and comes with savory and slightly sweet sauce.
Beef and Broccoli used to be one of my favorite items to order at an Asian restaurant. The hot rice, tender broccoli an flavorful beef is a great combination.
Once I became vegetarian, I still crave it. So I decide to make my own version using TVP. For those who don’t know, this stands for Textured Vegetable Protien. It’s made from defatted soy flour that’s been pressure cooked and then dried. It comes in all sorts of sizes and shapes. You can rehydrate it in water (or a broth) and use it in stir-fry’s or fried to put in a sandwich. Anyway you want really.
It’s an excellent meat replacement because it has a high protien content, gluten-free, and contains no fat. Once you master cooking it, it can be really delicious.
So it became a prime substitute to use in my vegetarian “beef” and broccoli.
Important note: This post contains affiliate links, but it does not affect my opinion of the products. I used all of these and love these products. You can read my full disclosure here.
Ingredients for Vegan Beef and Broccoli
For the marinade, you will need:
- Marmite or Vegemite. This is also called Yeast extract or seasoning. It is filled with umami and gives your TVP a meaty taste.
- Cocoa Powder. It might sound weird, but it adds a bitterness to your marinade that cuts through all the salty and umami.
- Molasses. Molasses is rich in iron and gives your “Beef” an iron-y taste.
- Mushroom Seasoning. This adds an extra hit of umami. This is a seasoning that comes from dried mushrooms and is like a natural MSG. You can get yours from the Asian market or online.
- TVP slices. TVP comes in different slices, but for a recipe like this, I prefer using TVP slices.
For the rest of the recipe:
- Cornstarch. Once you coat your TVP in this, it will make the outside crispier and thicken your sauce.
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar. To sweeten your sauce.
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Broccoli. You can use frozen or fresh. Just make sure to cut into small florets.
- Rice. I use Japanese short grain rice, but you can use any rice you want or noodles if you prefer.
Want More?
Try Out Similar recipes below:
Beef and Broccoli
Materials
Marinade
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp marmite
- 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp molasses
- 1 tbsp mushroom seasoning
- 100 g tvp
"Beef" and Broccoli
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 2 tsp ginger
- vegetable oil for frying
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1/4 cup marinade or water
- rice for serving
Instructions
- In a saucepot, mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil.
- In a separate boil, add your tvp and pour the hot marinade on top. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour to rehydrate.
- Once ready, reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid and discard the rest. Squeeze the tvp to remove any excess moisture. In another bowl, coat in cornstarch and add to a large pan.
- Heat the pan and fry the tvp until it gets crispy on the outside. Turn off the heat and add the broccoli. Sautee for a few minutes to soften it.
- In a bowl, mix the sauce together. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic and ginger, and the marinade.
- Add the sauce to the pan and stir to coat everything in the sauce. Bring the heat to low and let thicken.
- Once it's done, serve over rice immediately or store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I hope you try this recipe. If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below.