Combine all the "meat" ingredients in a bowl and mix well. If the soy curls are not completely covered, add a little water to cover them. Let that soak for 15 minutes, and then drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, add all the cheese sauce ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
Heat a deep nonstick pan over medium heat and once hot, squeeze the excess moisture from your soy curls over your kitchen sink and place them in the pan. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until browned, adding a splash of water or oil if needed to prevent sticking. Then transfer the soy curls to your food processor to pulse into a uniform ground and set aside.
Wipe out the same pan and add 3.5 cups of broth and bring to a low boil. Then add the pasta and simmer until al dente, stirring often. Approx. 10 minutes.
If you have a little extra broth once your pasta is cooked, no need to drain. Add the ground soy curls to the pan and give it a mix to absorb some of the excess broth. Then pour the cheese sauce on top, mix well and serve.
Notes
Since the soy curls are being ground up, feel free to use the bottom half of your bag that tends to be broken up.Make sure the soy curls are completely covered by liquid in order to rehydrate them. If needed, add some extra water to the bowl to cover them.Emphasis on low sodium broth for this one, to prevent the dish from being too salty. If you do not have low salt broth, use a 50/50 mix of broth and water.Make sure not to overcook your pasta. In fact, a little undercooked (or al dente) is best since it will continue to soften as it absorbs the excess broth.If your vegan hamburger helper is a little liquidy once everything is mixed in, don't worry. Any excess liquid will quickly absorb as it starts to cool.This dish is best enjoyed straight away, but leftovers will keep refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days.Reheat on stove top with a little extra broth or plant milk to loosen and rehydrate.