When I was younger, I remember requesting two foods for dinner whenever my birthday came around: carrot cake and sloppy joes. To this day, I still don’t know what it was about sloppy joes that I loved so much. Maybe it was the name. Who is Joe anyway? Why did he love these sloppy sandwiches so much? Also, who in the world came up with that weird stuff in a can, better known as manwich? I can’t even get over that name – does eating it make you a cannibal? Ew. No wonder I became a vegetarian, canned meat makes me cringe. Anyway…. let’s talk about making a homemade version, shall we?
Today, on my birthday, I thought I would reminisce a little and make some sloppy joes for old times sake. Now that I’m a vegetarian, I had to change the game plan a bit. Crumbled tempeh is one of my favorite vegetarian substitutes for ground beef. If you aren’t familiar with tempeh, it’s fermented whole soybeans which are formed into a solid block. Check out this post for why fermented foods are so good for you!
Vegan Tempeh Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounces tempeh crumbled
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons green chile
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 5 whole grain hamburger buns
Instructions
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tempeh and saute until lightly browned.
- Stir in the ketchup, tomato paste, green chile, and vegetable broth. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chili powder, paprika, mustard, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken and ingredients are heated through.
- Serve over a toasted bun with a side of chips or sweet potato fries.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
I came across this recipe on Pinterest and we had it last night. It’s so good! Definitely a keeper recipe that we’ll be making regularly. Thank you for it!
Hi… I’m new to eating tempeh. I’ve glad that you should simmer or steam it for 10 to 15 minutes to take out the bitterness is this true? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, I’ve been using tempeh in recipes for a while and honestly never noticed any bitterness but I’ve seen the simmer/steam recommendation on other sites so I thought it would be good to mention for those who have never tried tempeh before!