Veganuary: Sloppy joes

Over the years, I've made meat, vegetarian, and vegan versions of sloppy joes and I have to say I've enjoyed them all. The vegan version uses green lentils instead of mince, and I love the fact that they still give a meaty texture, but without using real mince or a processed plant-based mince. Using tinned green lentils takes out all the fuss of having to soak and boil the lentils, so if you have the option, I'd use these! The arrival of delicious vegan mayonnaises and cheeses on the market means that it's easy to top the mince with some tasty toppings, but you can also use dairy versions if you prefer. 

I like to make the coleslaw from scratch because it's not difficult to make, but I don't normally bother making the rolls from scratch. If you do want to, I'd recommend putting a tray of boiling water in the bottom of the oven to keep the crusts soft.

If I fancy a different filling, I like to swap out the sloppy joe mix with pulled barbeque jackfruit too (pictured above). The Minimalist Baker has a great recipe that is super simple to make.

This recipe is adapted from the vegan sloppy joes by the Minimalist Baker. 

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed,
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• black pepper pepper, to taste
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1-2 tbsps light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsps soy sauce
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup green lentils, cooked

• 1/2 medium red cabbage, shredded
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 4 tbsps vegan mayonnaise
• 2 tsps white wine vinegar
• 2 tsps white sugar
• salt and black pepper, to taste

• 4 large, or 8 small burger buns
• Grated vegan cheese (optional)

Method

1. Fry the onion in a medium saucepan until softened. Add in the garlic and pepper, and fry for a further 5 minutes.

2. Add the black pepper and spices, and fry for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and pour in the chopped tomatoes. Stir well.

3. Add in the green lentils and leave to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. To make the coleslaw, in a medium sized bowl mix together the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, and sugar, and season. Add in the cabbage, carrot, and spring onion, and mix well. 

5. Slice the buns in half and serve. I like to serve everything on the table to people can add what they want to their buns.