Tempeh Sloppy Joes are a veganized family friendly version of the sloppy joes a lot of us grew up with as a kid. In this recipe, I swapped out some of the ingredients to make a delicious plant based version to enjoy at dinner time! If you’re like me, you had the ground beef version mixed with a jar of sauce all mixed together and everyone loved it.
In this recipe, the ground beef is swapped out with chopped up tempeh and mixed with homemade sauce and sautéed veggies. Tweaking some some recipes and making them plant based can be an easy way to enjoy plant based meals.
Tempeh can make a great meat alternative for your plant based dishes. Give it a try!
What is Tempeh and where do you find it?
I’m so glad you asked!
Tempeh (“Tem-pay”) is made from soy beans that are fermented and blended with whole grains in to cake like formation. It has a mild nutty flavor and is good at absorbing flavors and sauces. This can be a great substitute for meat products in chilis, tacos, and other meaty dishes.
Vegan Tempeh Sloppy Joes
Where do you find it in the grocery store?
Tempeh is stored in the refrigerated section along side the tofu. Some stores have a variety to pick from like original tempeh, tempeh blend of grains, or seasoned tempeh.
How expensive is tempeh?
Tempeh cost on average around $3 for a single packet and serves 3-4 people. It’s an inexpensive source of protein. One 3 oz serving of tempeh has 18grams of protein and no cholesterol. Temeph is also a good source for fiber, iron, calcium and minerals. It’s worth a try!
Let’s get cooking! What are the ingredients in the Tempeh Sloppy Joes?
Ingredients Vegan Tempeh Sloppy Joes
- Tempeh
- Onion
- Green Bell Pepper
- Garlic
- Tomato Paste
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- Ketchup
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (substitute soy sauce or tamari)
- Dijon Mustard
- Garlic Powder
- Onions Powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
How do you make it?
- Chop the tempeh into small pieces. As an alternative, you can use your hands and crumble the tempeh in to a bowl. Set aside.
- Prep your veggies. Chop the onions, garlic and green bell peppers
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add in the onions and bell peppers and saute with a little water (1-2 tbsp) for about 5 minutes or until the onions soften. Add in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. This is optional but for a little heat, you can add red pepper flakes and stir.
- Add in the crumbled tempeh and tomato paste sauté with a little water and mix together.
- To the pan, add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, onion powder, garlic powder, dijon mustard and water. Stir and bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. It’s ready to serve!
How to Serve Tempeh Sloppy Joes?
You could go traditional and serve on bun and create a delicious Sloppy Joe sandwich. If you’re looking to skip the bread, add the sloppy joe mixture to a baked potato (my favorite😁). It’s even good all by itself!
Ingredients for the Vegan Tempeh Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 8oz Tempeh
- 2 garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/2-1 cup water
- 1 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce substitute tamri or soy sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Crumble the tempeh in small pieces with your hands and place in a bowl. Set aside
- In a large skillet over medium heat add in the onions and bell peppers and saute with a little water (1-2 tbsp) for about 5 minutes or until onions soften. Add in the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add in the red pepper flakes and stir.
- Add in the crumbled tempeh and tomato paste saute with a little water and mix together.
- Add in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, onion powder, garlic powder, dijon mustard and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
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