Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, which means one of my FAVORITE food seasons is here! I’m a July baby, which means I was put on this earth for burgers, corn on the cob, peaches, pasta salad, BBQ chicken, and vanilla cones. I’ll just be here absolutely blissed out until October, when it all becomes pumpkin-flavored (and then I’ll still be blissed out).
Something else I love about summer food is that nobody cares if you look like a hot mess eating it – in fact, the messier the better. Barbecue sauce all over your fingers is the ultimate sign of happiness. Ice cream dripping down your arm is adorable. Corn in your teeth is the essence of beauty. Summer is (literally) dripping with nostalgia. Unfortunately, a lot of summer food (and barbecue food, specifically) isn’t inherently plant-based. I myself am not vegan, but I do strive to eat sustainably – and I believe strongly that plant-based eating should not be a barrier to delicious, nostalgic food. This recipe is an answer to that.
I first developed this recipe for Vegan BBQ Sloppy Joes two years ago and then refined it last year for a cooking class (which you can take on-demand on my website!). WOW. I knew I loved this recipe, but the reception was incredible. My class loved it, my vegetarian brother loved it, even my dad (who is very much not a vegetarian) loved it. That’s when I was sure I had something special.
Another bonus? This whole recipe only takes about 30-45 minutes start to finish, making it perfect for a summer potluck OR a fun weeknight dinner!
How To Make This Recipe (The Short Version!)
Dice a yellow onion and a jalapeño (for less heat, use a green bell pepper).
Crumble a block of super firmtofu and use a towel to squeeze out the water.
Season the tofu with some smoked paprika, garlic powder, and pepper.
Whisk together your sauce – apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, vanilla extract, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, brown sugar or pure maple syrup, and a slurry of cornstarch. Not feelin’ up to making your own BBQ sauce? Use your favorite bottled brand.
Sauté the seasoned tofu crumbles in neutral oil until crispy, then add the diced veggies and cook until soft.
Add your sauce and cook until the liquid has absorbed and thickened.
Make a quick coleslaw by combining slaw mix, vegan mayo, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, pickle brine (optional), and celery seeds (also optional).
Scoop some Sloppy Joe filling onto a hamburger bun (I love a potato bun!), top with coleslaw and sliced pickles, and enjoy!
Notes & Substitutions:
FILLING:
Tofu: Using super firm tofu (or at least extra firm) is important to the texture of this recipe. Anything softer will not hold a crumble as well. Instead of tofu, you can also use a plant-based ground “meat” substitute like Impossible, Beyond Meat, or another brand that you like. If you’re not vegan, feel free to use regular meat.
Jalapeño: If you want less heat, remove the seeds or use a small green bell pepper instead.
Smoked Paprika: The smoked paprika is really what gives these sammies a “barbecue” flavor. If you don’t have smoked paprika, you can use regular.
SAUCE: This recipe includes a “DIY” barbecue sauce. If making a sauce from scratch isn’t your journey, that’s OK! Use something store-bought. A barbecue sauce I like that happens to be vegan is Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Flavor. If you are going to make your own sauce and need to make some subbies, here are the ingredients you can change up:
Soy Sauce: Use your favorite soy sauce substitute like tamari or liquid aminos.
Vanilla Extract: This brings a little extra oomph to the sauce – if you’re out of it, just omit. Or, use a little splash of bourbon!
Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup: Brown sugar gives the sauce its “molasses-y” flavor. If you need to replace it, do so with a brown sugar substitute,coconut sugar, or pure maple syrup as noted in the recipe. I don’t recommend using white sugar or pancake syrup as substitutes.
Cornstarch: You can use any thickener you have on hand to create a slurry – some gluten-free options include arrowroot, potato starch, tapioca starch, or rice flour.
SLAW: If you’re not a coleslaw fan, feel free to skip this entirely. If you can find a vegan slaw that’s premade, that also works!
Slaw Mix: Bagged slaw is pretty easy to find in the salad section these days, but in case you can’t find it, a mixture of shredded green cabbage and carrots is perfect.
Pickle Brine: If you’re putting sliced pickles on top of your sandwich, you’ll already have this on hand. If not, use twice the amount ofapple cider vinegar instead.
Celery Seed: This is a pretty specific ingredient that not everyone has on hand. Feel free to omit it. If you like the taste of celery but can’t find the seeds, use some fresh celery in your slaw!
I absolutely can’t wait for you to make this recipe this summer and love it. I’m honestly craving it right now just typing this up.
A plant-based answer to a nostalgic summer favorite. To make this recipe even easier, feel free to use a vegan store-bought barbecue sauce.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
SLOPPY JOES
Filling:
14oz. super-firm or extra-firm tofu
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onion
1 jalapeño or green bell pepper
1/4cup neutral oil (i.e. avocado, vegetable)
Sauce:
1/2cup apple cider vinegar
1/2cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3cup light brown sugar or pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed into a slurry with a splash of water
To Serve:
Hamburger buns
Coleslaw (see next recipe)
Sliced pickles
COLESLAW:
2–3cups slaw mix
1/2cup vegan mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon pickle brine (optional – can also substitute another Tablespoon of vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
Instructions
SLOPPY JOES
Line a bowl with a kitchen towel or cloth. Drain your super-firm tofu, then break it up into large pieces into the bowl. Squeeze out as much water as possible through the towel and then toss the tofu to coat with 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and garlic powder, and plenty of pepper. Set aside.
Dice the yellow onion and jalapeño pepper and set aside.
Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl or large glass measuring cup. Set aside.
Heat the 1/4 cup neutral oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until glistening. Add the seasoned tofu and cook until the crumbles are browned on the bottom, about 5-7 minutes. Add the diced vegetables to the skillet and sauté until softened, another 5-7 minutes.
Add the sauce and cook until the liquid has thickened and absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Serve on hamburgerbuns with coleslaw (see below) and slicedpickles.
COLESLAW
Whisk together the 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise,1/2 tsp. celery seed and 1 Tbs. each apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and pickle brine. Pour over the 3 cups slaw mix in a bowl and toss to coat. Best served chilled, but can be enjoyed immediately.
Notes
FILLING:
Tofu: Using super firm tofu (or at least extra firm) is important to the texture of this recipe. Anything softer will not hold a crumble as well. Instead of tofu, you can also use a plant-based ground “meat” substitute like Impossible, Beyond Meat, or another brand that you like. If you’re not vegan, feel free to use regular meat.
Jalapeño: If you want less heat, remove the seeds or use a small green bell pepper instead.
Smoked Paprika: The smoked paprika is really what gives these sammies a “barbecue” flavor. If you don’t have smoked paprika, you can use regular.
SAUCE:
If making a sauce from scratch isn’t your journey today, that’s OK! Use something store-bought. A barbecue sauce I like that happens to be vegan is Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Flavor. If you are making the sauce and need to make some subbies, here are the ingredients you can change up:
Soy Sauce: Your favorite soy sauce substitute like tamari or liquid aminos.
Vanilla Extract:Omit, or use a little splash of bourbon!
Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup: Brown sugar gives the sauce its “molasses-y” flavor. If you need to replace it, use a brown sugar substitute,coconut sugar, or pure maple syrup as noted in the recipe. I don’t recommend using white sugar or pancake syrup as substitutes.
Cornstarch: Any thickener you have on hand. Some gluten-free options include arrowroot, potato starch, tapioca starch, or rice flour.
SLAW:
Not a coleslaw fan? Skip this entirely. If you can find a vegan coleslaw that’s premade, that also works!
Slaw Mix: Make your own mixture of shredded green cabbage and carrots.
Pickle Brine: Use 2 Tbs.apple cider vinegar instead.
Celery Seed: Feel free to omit it, use dill seed, or throw some fresh celery in your slaw.
Keywords: barbecue, vegan barbecue, plant based barbecue, vegan sloppy joes, sloppy joes, plant based barbecue sandwiches, meatless sloppy joes, vegan barbecue sauce, plant based sloppy joes
