One of the very first recipes I tried from Dr. McDougall's Quick & Easy Cookbook, so many years ago, was this recipe for Black Bean Sloppy Joes.
I always loved sloppy joes when I was a kid growing up. And as a young man you could still find me pushing a can of Manwich in my shopping cart. There was just something about that meaty, tomatoey, sloppy glob of goodness on a bun (especially with a spread of Cheese Whiz) that tasted so good.
Yes, I said Cheese Whiz ……. really.
I LIKED the stuff ok? But thankfully I'm smarter now….
AND...... thank goodness Dr McDougall, (or his wife Mary more likely), posted this awesome recipe in his cookbook. It's on page 134 if you want to look it up.
In this version of Black Bean Sloppy Joes - fresh onions, bell peppers, black beans, and tomato sauce come together in a fresher, healthier, version of my favorite sandwich, without the meat, and without the high fructose corn syrup in that can of 'stuff' from the grocery store.
Black Bean Sloppy Joes
Start by chopping about half a large onion, half a green bell pepper, and half a red bell pepper. Throw in some garlic and sauté everything in a few tablespoons of water or veggie broth until soft.
In a separate pan - and I use a pan as it has a nice flat bottom, smash up your black beans. Drain and rinse them first and then pick out your favorite smasher.
The idea here is to smash, but leave some big chunks. We're not making refried beans here - so don't go too Hulk on us and smash them to paste… I like to use this rounded potato smasher .
Add the beans to the softened veggies and add your tomato sauce. I also added some tomato paste to make it just a bit thicker and richer in flavor.
Add the rest of your spices and stir to combine.
Taste test often, you might like a bit more sweetness, or a bit more spiciness - so feel free to adjust.
This is not an EXACT duplicate of Dr. McDougall's recipe - I adjusted it to my particular taste. Feel free to do the same.
These black bean sloppy joes are amazing on a bun, or some homemade baked bread. But you might just want to use it as a topper for a baked potato, or some rice.
It's pretty versatile - so enjoy.
Have you ever looked at the ingredients on a jar of Cheese Whiz? What was I thinking?
Black Bean Sloppy Joes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fresh onions, bell peppers, black beans, and tomato sauce come together in a fresher, healthier, version of my favorite sandwich .
Ingredients
- ½ Onion ((diced))
- ½ Green Bell Pepper ((diced))
- ½ Red Bell Pepper ((diced))
- 2 cloves Garlic ((minced))
- 1 can Black Beans (Low Sodium) ((15oz))
- 1 can Tomato Sauce ((8oz))
- 3 Tbs Tomato Paste
- 1 tsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Prepared Yellow Mustard
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Soy Sauce (Low Sodium)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute onion & peppers in few tablespoons of water or veg broth until softened.
- Add garlic and continue sautéing until fragrant - about 1 minute.
- Rinse and drain beans. Mash with potato masher or fork and add to veggie pot
- Add tomato sauce and paste and stir to combine
- Add spices, adjusting to taste as necessary
- Serve on buns, toast, potatoes, rice, or pasta
Notes
Based on Mary McDougall's recipe in the McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook.
Janet
Love the flavor and it is filling. Thank you for the recipe.
Kate
This was really good and very easy since I am new to this eating style.
Dayna Litowski
Added worchestershire sauce and perfect!!!
Chelsea
I love this recipe and make it frequently!
It’s perfect for a quick dinner and delicious topped with coleslaw and sweet potato fries or corn on the cob for a side ?
cbenard
You might want to insert a new step 1: "Saute the garlic in a tablespoon of water until fragrant and brown" or something. It's in the ingredients but not the prep steps. I used common sense and sauted it before the rest though.
Also, I added 2 stalks of celery this time to bulk it up without adding calories (2 extra calories per serving). It worked. It's huge now! I was worried it would be dry since I didn't change the sauce portions, but it didn't really affect the texture at all. Still plenty of sauce. Yummy!