I think every American can recall sloppy joe night from their childhood. My mom used to buy some tub of pre-made mix from the refrigerated section and slap it on some cheap potato buns and call it dinner. I loved it. Sloppy joe night was definitely one of the better dinners in my childhood home.
Veganizing sloppy joes isn’t exactly revolutionary or anything that hasn’t been done before. This is just my version, and honestly the best version I’ve had. My recipe isn’t nearly as sweet as Manwich (at least what I remember from many many years ago) so if you like it sweeter, a teaspoon or two of brown sugar will do you good.
Finally, don’t be afraid to break out that tiny food processor attachment for your immersion blender you never use. It’ll do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to mincing your veg and crumbling your tempeh. As my dad always says, work smarter not harder.
- 1 green bell pepper, minced
- 1/2 white onion, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 2 green onion, diced
- 1 package tempeh, crumbled
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp barbeque sauce
- 4 hamburger buns
- Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once warm, add in bell pepper, onion and a pinch of salt. Sautee for 5-7 minutes or until veg is soft.
- Add in jalapeno, green onion and crumbled tempeh. Cook for an additional 3 minutes to toast tempeh.
- Add in jar of marinara, water, garlic, garlic powder, paprika, mustard, maply syrup, apple cider vinegar and barbeque sauce. Stir to combine and allow to cook over medium low heat until thick, around 20 minutes.
- Serve warm piled high on toasted hamburger buns.
Can be served with extra barbeque sauce, mustard, pickles, raw onions or pickled jalapenos. Live your best topping life.