We all remember this beloved open faced sandwich from our childhood. Tangy with ketchup and satisfying, veganized and served on a buttery biscuit, Sloppy Joes have become a modern day classic.
I first tried Sloppy Joes as a child back in the 1970s. It was love at first taste and put this messy, tangy sandwich into my top ten favorite meals. I haven’t made Sloppy Joes since I went vegan but I decided recently to remedy that and give vegan SJs a try. I’m really glad I did because the vegan version, packed with flavour, healthiness is as delicious as I remembered this sandwich to be.
How to make Sloppy Joes
Making Sloppy Joes is easy but does involve a little preparation and some specific vegan ingredients, such as vegan Worcestershire Sauce. That’s not too much of a problem as you can buy a vegan version or make your own. The recipe itself is very simple.
Step 1: Preparation
1. Marinate the tvp for a few hours or overnight.
2. Cook the lentils until soft. Drain and set aside.
3. Chop green pepper, onion and garlic in a food processor.
4. Measure out the seasonings into a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Cooking
1. Begin by heating the oil in a deep wide skille over medium low heat.
2. Next add the onions. Cook the onions until translucent.
3. Once onions are cooked, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well mixed.
4. Cook stirring until mixture starts to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until sauce thickens up, about 10 to 20 minutes. You don’t want it to be too liquidy or too dry.
5. Taste test mixture and add more seasonings if desired.
Step 3: Serving
1. While mixture is cooking, preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Place the buns on an unlined baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes.
2. Once Sloppy Joe mixture is done, serve it immediately on the toasted hamburger buns.
3. Serve the Sloppy Joes with coleslaw, pickles, french fries and potato chips.
An easy fun meal for the whole family
This truly is a recipe for the whole family. Both adults and kids love it and it doesn’t even have to be “sloppy”.
You can serve Sloppy Joes as a burger or you can serve them open faced and eat them with a knife and fork. So much easier and less messy! Either way, this easy, fun meal will make you and your guests or family very happy. Enjoy!
More Vegan Comfort Foods
Going vegan doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite comfort foods. There are vegan recipes for almost every comfort food. Here are some of my favorites:
Small Batch Vegan Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
A whole foods vegan diet is healthy, kind to animals, and kind to the planet. It is also delicious and affordable. If you like this recipe, please share! ~Una
Vegan Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils
- 1 cup tvp
- 1/4 cup vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 cup ketchup
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 green pepper chopped
- 1/2 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon stevia seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon barley malt or molasses
- 4 large hamburger buns
Instructions
- Place TVP, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, water, onion powder and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Stir and make sure the TVP is well covered. Cover dish and let marinade for at least one hour and preferably overnight.
- Cook lentils and drain well. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the onion, garlic and green pepper. Place them in a food processor and process until all are finely chopped.
- Heat a pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, and green pepper. Saute, stirring until onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add the lentils and tvp to the skillet to the skillet as well, and stir to combine.
- Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, water and spices to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Continue cooking sauce, uncovered over very low heat until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10-20 minutes.
- Serve the mixture on toasted buns. Serve hot.
You must be logged in to post a comment.