Vegan Sloppy Joes Not so sloppy, but they are truly delicious. This vegan sloppy joes recipe is homemade, low-fat and kid-friendly. You can make them ahead of time and reheat or freeze them later.
One of my first vegan successes was a vegan sloppy joes. Although traditional sloppy joes contain no vegetables, I added vegetables and lentils to my vegan sloppy joes recipe. Additionally, I use a combination of healthy whole food ingredients. As a result, vegan sloppy joes are one of my family’s favorite foods.
Jump:
When I was a kid, my mom made Manwich Sloppy Joes. My parents poisoned us unknowingly Spaghetti too And ring bologna. And, we lived. After being plant-based, I struggled to get my family on board. Fortunately, once I figured out how to make healthy vegan versions of my family’s favorite foods, I won the battle and everyone joined my plant-based journey.
Recipe ingredients
- Baby Portobello Mushrooms: Portobello mushrooms are firmer and heartier than other mushrooms. , I like to use them in recipes as a meat substitute.
- white onion: White onion has a strong and pronounced flavor, so I love the sharpness of the onion in this vegan sloppy joes recipe.
- Garlic: I like to use fresh garlic cloves whenever possible for the best flavor.
- Red pepper bells: Red bell peppers provide a sweet component to vegan smoothies and bright, vibrant colors.
- Celery: The celery is slightly crunchy, which is delicious in this recipe.
- Cooked lentils: I used Trader Joe’s steamed, cooked lentils.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar gives the recipe some acidity and tanginess.
- Pure Maple Syrup: A little maple syrup cuts the acid and provides a bit of sweetness.
- Chili Powder: The spice mix varies from recipe to recipe, but usually includes some combination of ground-dried chiles, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and onion powder.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: I buy Annie’s, which tastes fabulous.
- Organic Tomato Paste: Tomato paste thickens the sloppy joes.
- Montreal Seasoning: Despite the name Poultry Seasoning, Montreal Steak Seasoning contains no animal products. It is a mixture of coarse salt, spices (including black pepper and cayenne pepper), garlic, onion, natural flavors and paprika extract.
Substituting recipe ingredients
- Use any mushroom you like.
- Yellow onions provide a similar flavor to white onions. Red onion is also great in this recipe.
- Substitute ¼ teaspoon garlic powder for each clove of garlic.
- Opt for green or yellow chilies instead of red chilies. Or, try a can of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped.
- Fennel is often used to replace celery in recipes.
- Try canned lentils, drain or cook your own lentils. Make sure they are not overcooked and mushy.
- Apple cider vinegar is an alternative to red wine vinegar.
- Agave or date syrup replaces maple syrup in recipes.
- Instead of Montreal steak seasoning, combine a quarter cup sPaprika seasoned with two tablespoons of chili powder and one tablespoon of kosher salt and ground cumin. If you like it spicy, don’t hesitate to add cayenne to the mix.
How to Make Vegan Sloppy Joes
These sloppy joes are easy to make and cook in one skillet. Like many of my one-pot recipes, vegan sloppy joes are cooked in stages to prevent the vegetables and other ingredients from overcooking. And, if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to chop your vegetables, I strongly recommend investing in an inexpensive vegetable chopper..
First, I saute the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Then, add the mushrooms, celery and red bell pepper.
My version of Sloppy Joes caters to both adults and children. The combination of flavors is what makes it so great. Loaded with lots of veggies, this sandwich fools the average carnivore. I served this at a party once, and no one realized the “meat” was the mushrooms.
Once the vegetables are fried, add the rest of the ingredients. The mixture will thicken as the tomatoes and vegetables lose moisture.
I used Annie’s Worcestershire sauce, but any vegan Worcestershire will work. The combination of pure maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce tanginess works well with garlic and tomato paste to create a lovely sauce. I like to add a diced jalapeño for a hint of spice, but don’t add jalapeño if you don’t like it hot.
Easy meal prep!
Since I like to plan, I make vegan sloppy joes to heat up quickly for dinner. Allowing flavors to develop in the refrigerator improves the flavor of vegan sloppy joes.
Replacement, freezing, and reheating
If you’re avoiding bread, by all means, use a lettuce wrap for your sloppy joes.
Although most breads are vegetarian, not all breads are oil-free. Believe it or not, the bread section of your local grocery store’s bakery section carries many oil-free bread options. So, stay out of the bread aisle and check out the bakery’s bread.
Other oil-free bread alternatives
Gluten-free bread alternatives
- Ezekiel / Food for Life (check the label; most are gluten-free)
- gluten
- Kinkinic Foods
- Manna Organics
- Mission Corn Tortillas
- Nature’s own
- New Grain Bakery
Recipe FAQs
Manwich is vegetarian and vegan. You use the sauce to mix with your choice of veggie burger crumbles (or tofu, lentils, seitan, etc.). Unfortunately, it contains many less-desirable ingredients, some of which you may never find in your pantry.
If you follow this homemade sloppy joe recipe, you should have the perfect consistency, but if it comes out too watery, try adding a small slurry of cornstarch to the water. That should thicken right up!
The sloppy joe will end up feeling relatively thick, like a meat sauce. Add ketchup and cook for another 10 minutes. If it seems too thin, increase the heat slightly and cook until it is the desired consistency.
advice
- To freeze sloppy joes, leave an inch of air at the top of your freezer container to avoid freezer burn. However, vegan sloppy joes will keep in the fridge for a week, which has never happened in my house.
- I love Super Cube For frozen soups, stews and vegan sloppy joes.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before reheating. I put frozen meals in the fridge the night before for best results.
- Of course, you should serve vegan sloppy joes with steak fries, skinny AF sweet potato fries, or oven-baked fries.
- Another great idea is to serve sloppy joes with vegan potato salad or vegan macaroni salad.
While I have fond memories of childhood “Manwich” sloppy joes, vegan sloppy joes are hearty and delicious. So, if you’re still trying to make vegan meals your whole family can enjoy, give this one a try. My kids love it and I never seem to have enough leftovers that pile up for later.
Other great vegan recipes
If you like this vegan sloppy joes recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Sloppy Joes
Vegan sloppy joes are not so sloppy, but they are truly delicious. These sloppy joes are homemade, low-fat and kid-friendly You can make them ahead of time and reheat them later or freeze them as well Served with vegetarian Greek pasta, this dish is complete!
instructions
-
Saute the vegetables: Saute the garlic and onion in a large pan until translucent.
-
Add red pepper and celery; Cook for about three minutes.
-
Add mushrooms, and cook until browned and liquid has dissipated.
-
Add cooked lentils.
-
Add all remaining ingredients: black beans (or pinto beans), red wine vinegar, maple syrup, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste.
-
Stir.
-
Let it boil.
-
As the ingredients simmer, the consistency will thicken.
-
If you’re making it ahead, place one over the pan and refrigerate it.
-
Reheat when ready to serve.
serve
-
Using a vegan bun, toast and pile a big sloppy joe on the bun.
-
Top with your favorite toppings. I served with sprouts.
-
Popular toppers: coleslaw, pickles, tomatoes, onions; The possibilities are endless.
Comment
- To freeze sloppy joes, leave an inch of air at the top of your freezer container to avoid freezer burn. However, vegan sloppy joes will keep in the fridge for a week, which has never happened in my house.
- I love Super Cube For frozen soups, stews and vegan sloppy joes.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before reheating. I put frozen meals in the fridge the night before for best results.
- Of course, you should serve vegan sloppy joes with steak fries, skinny AF sweet potato fries, or oven-baked fries.
- Another great idea is to serve sloppy joes with vegan potato salad or vegan macaroni salad.
nutrition
Worship: 8gCalories: 183kcalSugars: 35gProtein: 12gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fats: 0.5gMonounsaturated fats: 0.1gTrans fats: 0.01gSodium: 300mgPotassium: 1149mgFiber: 11gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1317IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 4mg
Oh! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher and vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is completely plant-based vegan. I truly believe that what we eat and how we live determines our health and the preservation of our planet! 🙂