Vegan Sloppy Joes
Vegan Sloppy Joes–a kid-friendly, American classic! Even picky eaters who are reluctant to give up meat love these Vegan Sloppy Joes. In fact, our family and friends who still eat meat love them! When we have family get togethers or go to parties, people ask us to bring this dish. And that’s fine with us because they are easy to transport. We cook it on the stove and then transfer to a crock pot. Then we simply take the crock pot and buns to the party. When we arrive all we have to do is plug in the crock pot and they’re ready!
One of my favorite flavors in these Vegan Sloppy Joes comes from the secret ingredient–Montreal Steak Seasoning. By incorporating these spices we can still enjoy the tastes we used to taste in meat dishes. This strategy made it easier for us to give up meat and transition to a vegan, or plant-based, lifestyle.
We first tried Vegan Sloppy Joes when our friend Gigi Roberts prepared them in a class. We adapted her recipe to fit our personal tastes using flavors we love. We find that they pair up nicely with crunchy veggies. So, we often make coleslaw as a side dish. Kim did a food demo at a medical school recently, and the students added the coleslaw as a layer in the Sloppy Joes, right under the top bun. Genius!
Veggie crumbles work great in this recipe because they have a similar texture to ground beef. For people who are transitioning and missing meat, this dish can help them get away from animal products. For individuals who want a less processed option, we suggest using cooked brown or green lentils instead of the veggie crumbles. We often use lentils when preparing them at home, but when sharing with others we opt for the veggie crumbles.
- 1/4 - 1/2cup waterto saute vegetables
- 1large green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2tablespoons jalapeños, choppedthis makes it mild to medium spice level, adjust to taste
- 2cloves garlic, chopped
- 112 oz. package meatless protein crumbleswe like Lightlife Smart Ground
- 1 tablespoon McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 1teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1tablespoon real maple syrup
- 1tablespoon worcestershire sauceAnnie's brand is vegan
- 1.5 - 2cups tomato sauceWe use no salt added tomato sauce. Adjust to make sauce as thick as you like.
- 3tablespoons tomato pasteWe prefer no salt added tomato paste.
- Heat large skillet over medium heat.
- Add about a tablespoon of water to skillet and sauté chopped green pepper for about 3 minutes. Add more water to skillet, a spoonful at a time, to prevent green pepper from sticking.
- Add chopped onion to skillet and sauté an additional 2 minutes, adding water if needed to prevent sticking. When onion becomes translucent, add chopped jalapeños and garlic cloves. Cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add protein crumbles, steak seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce to skillet.
- Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes, adding more water as necessary to prevent sticking.
- Add tomato sauce and tomato paste to skillet and mix.
- Reduce heat to simmer and cook another 5 minutes, until desired consistency is reached.
- Taste test and add additional seasonings as desired.
- Serve on hamburger buns. Enjoy!
If you want a less processed version, use 1 and 1/2 cup cooked brown or green lentils instead of the veggie crumbles.
For a gluten free option, try lentils or Beefless Ground by Gardein (click here) and gluten free hamburger buns. (Also, check that the other products you use are gluten free, most of the ingredients listed don't have gluten, but brands differ and companies change ingredients frequently).
We like to serve these vegan Sloppy Joes with fresh veggies. We find that crisp vegetables complement the rich, warm tomato sauce nicely.
This recipe adjusts nicely if you don't have a green bell pepper. Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers work great too.
Adapted from Vegan Sloppy Joes by Gigi Roberts.
Recipe from ChickpeaandBean.com
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