It is so rare that I make a dish that is meant to simulate an actual meat dish, but sometimes there are those old classic comfort foods that need to be re-imagined and updated. Hubby and I do eat meat, although at most we eat it once a week at home, and we get all of our meat from a local farmer, Sojourner Farms, who raises all of his meat on pasture without hormones or antibiotics. Since we tend to try to make the meat from him last, I make many vegan meals throughout the week, which not only is easier on my digestion it just feels better.
I’ve made these vegan sloppy joes a few times now and they have been a huge hit over here. Mark asks for them on almost a weekly basis. The first couple of times I made them, I didn’t really measure, I just added ingredients as it cooked, tasting and deciding what it needed. That is my favorite way to cook. I think I have the recipe pretty close to the way I like it, but I am known to squirt in a little more sriracha or add another spoonful of mustard.
These sloppy joes taste much like the original, but in my opinion even better. The sauce has so much great flavor from the smokiness to the hint of heat. If you don’t eat soy, consider replacing the textured vegetable protein with cooked lentils or chopped up cooked portobello mushrooms, both would be delicious. And as always with my recipes, play with the sauce, make it your own, add more heat, take out the sriracha if you don’t want any spiciness, add in your favorite BBQ sauce, etc. Play!
When I was contacted recently by the very sweet and lovely, Cara, from Forks & Beans, to share a recipe with her readers, I immediately thought of this one. Cara encourages us to have fun with our food, play with it, make it exciting and I am not sure what is more fun and whimsical that sloppy joes. It’ll instantly transport you to being a kid and having your fingers and face covered in sauce.
This recipe was originally shared on Fork & Beans. Please do head over there and make sure that you have some time to spend on Cara’s site, you’ll want to click around and check out all of her incredibly fun and delicious looking gluten-free and vegan recipes, your mouth will be watering in just a few short minutes.
[print_this]Sloppy Joes – Gluten-free + Vegan
Makes 6-8 servings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion (or 1/2 of a large), diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups textured vegetable protein TVP – (cooked green lentils or chopped up cooked portobello mushrooms would also be great here)
- 1 28-ounce can of organic crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup organic tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (make sure it is gluten-free and vegan)
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon stoneground or wholegrain mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple sugar (brown sugar or any other sugar of your choice)
- 3/4 – 1 cup water (you may need a little more if it is too thick)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add diced onion,
green bell pepper and garlic, sauté for 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the TVP, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce,
sriracha sauce, liquid smoke, mustard, maple sugar, 3/4 cup of water, salt
and pepper to the sauté pan. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 40 –
45 minutes. Stirring often. You may find you want to add more water if it
seems too thick. Serve on gluten-free/vegan hamburger rolls.[/print_this]
13 Responses
YUM! I love these. I bet it tastes fabulous with lentils 😀
Thanks Alex – yeh I hope to try them with lentils very soon.
These sure do look like the real deal, I love smoky flavours too!
Look like the real deal, but they taste so much better and so much better for you. Win win!
Ok, so sloppy joe’s are not a part of Australian fare, but I have heard them referred to in many American films and tv shows (mostly as part of High School lunches) and have always been curious. I have just made this version and it is delicious. I am baking some spelt bread rolls as well, so we can enjoy this for dinner. Aside from salad, what are other traditional American condiments used with this meal (mustard, ketchup, cheese??), or is it just the ‘sloppy’ and the bread?
Looking forward to dinner!
Yeh, so glad you liked them! I think some people put processed American cheese on top of their sloppy joes, but I like mine as is or with some fresh green onions on top, sometimes a little piece of lettuce, too. Hubby was topping his sandwich with some of the kohlrabi slaw I made along side it. Thanks so much!
Yeah, we just had them plain on the rolls. My 9 year old daughter who is a devout carnivore absolutely loved them! I changed the recipe a bit (didn’t have smoke flavour) I had no capsicums so I added some taco dip I had in the fridge and grated in some sweet potato (yams?)! I mad a coleslaw using mint and carrot and fennel bulb and home made mayo. So a very similar vibe. We will definitely be making this again. Thank you.
Hi Beth!
I’m wondering if you use dried TVP for this recipe. I have never used TVP but picked up a bag of bob’s red mill dried TVP the other day & the package gives instructions on how to re-hydrate it. For this recipe, do you mean 2 cups of dried TVP, or 2 cups of re-hydrated TVP? (I’m not even sure if they sell it re-hydrated…new to this ingredient!)
Amanda
Hey Amanda – yes I used dried TVP. I am also not sure if it comes any other way, I have only ever seen dried. But yes, I also used Bob’s Red Mill dried TVP and the recipe uses two cups of it as is from the package, dried. I didn’t even think to mention that. Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy these if you make them.
Hi Beth! I just found your blog through Pinterest and I love it! I’ve bookmarked it and will be back many times. I’ve found so many recipes on your site that I want to make! It’s rare to find a great vegan + gf blog. Thanks for doing what you do 🙂
I’m wondering, what brand the buns are that you use for your sloppy joes in the picture? The only buns I can find where I am (I’m in Canada) are not vegan (they contain eggs) or they are frozen hockey pucks. I can’t find anything as fresh looking, vegan, gf, and as soft looking as what you have. Really curious to know!
Thanks!
[…] Sloppy Joes Stuffed Roasted Sweet Potatoes Adapted from Tasty Yummies via Forks & […]
[…] Yummies Sloppy Joes and Grilled Potatoes with […]
This looks great! Also, as English, never had a sloppy Joe, but now I want to! Big fan of liquid smoke. I’ll try it with Quorn (mycoprotein, can buy it in some Giants, Wholefoods and I get it in Wegmans; grounds or diced. Makes great chilli, cottage pie etc). Hungry for dinner already now and it’s only breakfast time.. 😉