I've made Vegan Sloppy Joes from a lot of different things, cauliflower, beans, even soy curls. But THIS time I'm using something entirely different, and it is SO easy it's ridiculous!
So what's the secret ingredient that makes these Vegan Sloppy Joes so quick and tasty?
Well, last week I used Bulgur Wheat to make a thick and meaty Cincinnati Chili, and I remember looking down at my pot thinking, "This would make some killer sloppy joes!". And, it does!
The history of bulgur (cracked wheat) goes back at least 4000 years, so it truly is an "ancient grain". It originated in the Middle East and is even mentioned in the Bible where it was called Arisah. It's simply whole wheat kernels that have been boiled, dried, and then cracked.
Nutritionally speaking, it's even healthier than brown rice - fewer calories, less fat, and more fiber. (And dare I say less worry about arsenic too)
Of course, since it's a wheat product, it DOES have gluten.
So..... for those of you with Celiac Disease, uh...sorry? But I DO have other Sloppy Joe Recipes - so don't please don't leave me.... not yet anyway.
And where exactly do you FIND this miracle grain?
If your grocery store has bulk bins, that would be where'd I start. Our Winco has it in bulk and I'm sure Whole Foods does too. And if your store has a large section of Bob's Red Mill products (as our Fred Meyer does), chances are you can find it there as well. If you're still struggling to find it - look in the aisle where they have the flour, quinoa, couscous, etc.
And if you STILL can't find it - here is my Amazon Affiliate link (and because I'm an affiliate, I DO make a few pennies if you buy any)
So with THAT out of the way - let me show you how simple this is to make.
Vegan Sloppy Joes
We're going to make these easy Vegan Sloppy Joes by sweating down some onions and peppers, adding a few spices, all our wet ingredients, and finally our bulgur. Then we just let it simmer until it thickens - about 30 minutes.
I told you this was easy.
I diced half an onion and added it to a saute pan along with half of a diced poblano. You can use bell peppers instead if you want. I was going to but my only red bell pepper was....fuzzy....and squishy....and kind of gross....
So poblano to the rescue and no, it wasn't hot at all.
As the veggies soften up, I tossed in some simple spices, chili powder (McCormick), cumin, black pepper, and paprika, gave that a stir to let those spices toast a bit, then stirred in some garlic.
For the wet ingredients, I added a 15 oz can of tomato sauce, some low-sodium veggie broth, a tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce, and maple syrup for sweetness. Then a little vegan Worcestershire sauce and good old-fashioned yellow mustard for a little tang.
Then we add ¾ cup of bulgur. Cover the pan, make sure it's on low heat (low and slooow), then let it simmer for 30 minutes. If it still looks too liquidy (is that even a word?) let it go a little longer without the lid, but the bulgur should absorb most of it.
And that, my friends, is all she wrote.
Add whatever condiments you like and of course use whatever kind of bread or bun you're able (or want ) to use. I chose Dave's Killer Buns but naturally, as in most bread products there IS a bit of oil, but at least with these, there are TONS of whole grains and seeds to make them slightly healthier than your normal everyday hamburger bun.
Of course, you don't HAVE to use bread at all, scoop some onto a baked potato, or better yet, a SWEET potato. I bet that would be amazing.
Anyway, that's it for this week, and as always I truly hope you enjoy these easy, TASTY, Vegan Sloppy Joes. Let me know what you think down in the comments below.
Have a good weekend and we'll see you next time.
Vegan Sloppy Joes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 -6 1x
- Category: Sandwich Central
- Cuisine: American
Description
I've made Vegan Sloppy Joes from a lot of different things, cauliflower, beans, even soy curls. But THIS time I'm using something entirely different, and it is SO easy it's ridiculous!
Ingredients
- ½ onion
- ½ poblano pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup red bulgur
- your choice of sandwich bread or buns
Instructions
- Dice the onion & pepper and add to a saute pan
- Add a tablespoon of water or broth to prevent sticking
- When the veggies have softened, add the chili powder, cumin, pepper, and paprika
- Mix well then stir in the garlic
- After a minute or two, stir in all the wet ingredients and mix well
- Finally, stir in the bulgur and cover
- Let simmer over low heat for 30 min or until liquid has been absorbed
- Serve on your favorite bread or bun
Cruznv
Lazy Nurse here... Any ideas after sauteeing veggies, etc in my IP, about how long I’d cook it for in my Instant Pot...
Susan Wright
I am making it for our next meal its sounds great thank you
so much
Suzy
I've made this twice now. The first time I was left wanting more flavor. This time, I used a regular red bell pepper, but I also used a good quality organic BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce. It was perfect! Very bbq-y like I'm used to. But dear me, I need to reduce the chili powder; a tad more heat than we prefer. But overall, definitely a 5-star recipe! Thanks Chuck!
Tamsin
Love this. Made it twice now. Thank you for a great recipe.
Audrey Yzaguirre
I made this for lunch today, with a few changes. I only had an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, but I had a lot of leftover tomato paste. So I used 1/2 cup of paste with 1/2 cup of vegetable broth. I also used a red bell pepper, and then added some sliced pickled jalepenoes and the juice from a jar of them. I didn't have red bulgur, so I used the fine one that I did have. It only took about 15 minutes for it to thicken and absorb the liquid. My husband actually had seconds, a very rare thing, being a reluctant plant based eater.
Thanks for the recipe. I served it over leftover roasted golden and sweet potatoes.
Sunny
Would regular bulgur work? I’m in the South Pacific and haven’t seen red bulgur but the regular kind is everywhere. Thanks!
Jillee
Fantastic!
Debbie
I plan to make this tomorrow night. I can't wait. I've used Bulger before as a meat substitute in soups and stews. Works perfectly.
Carolyn Blakeney
I had a recipe years ago that used bulgur as the alternative to ground beef in a sloppy joe recipe, but it has long since been lost! Not sure that my current bulgur is red bulger (it was from a discount grocery store that closed in my area) but will give this a go with what I have on hand.
Kevin
I will use this recipe on my favorite meat substitute (for slopply joes) - lentils and buckwheat.
Jed
Hey Chuck, the first thing I noticed when coming to your website was you definitely need for advertisements. Not nearly enough for me to wade through. You need way more so that it almost buries your recipe.
Chuck Underwood
Without the ads - I would be broke and probably still be working night shifts to pay my bills instead of providing you free recipes.
Sarah
I read that as a sarcastic way of saying thank you for not having more ads. Some blogs are so full you can’t read them on your phone. Between the one on top and the one on bottom and the ones that pop up there’s no space for words. You really don’t have very many ads. Thank you!
Carolyn Blakeney
Jed this is an issue with the advertisers, not the content on the site. The advertisers climb all over each other on ALL the cooking sites I follow, as well as the sewing, crafting, gardening, and etc. sites I subscribe to. The advertisers can fix the way they present- the site owners cannot.