Sloppy Joes – Gluten-free + Vegan

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.

Sloppy Joes – Gluten-free + Vegan

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.

Sloppy Joes – Gluten-free + Vegan
[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]