This easy vegan sloppy Joes recipe is savory, smoky, made with whole food plant-based ingredients, and only takes 30 to 40 minutes to make. It’s naturally sweetened, so you won’t need corn syrup or refined sugar to make them. Bonus – it can be made oil-free and gluten-free! Serve them with chips or our quick and easy oil-free chipotle home fries!
Published May 21, 2015 and updated February 4, 2021.
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More Vegan Sandwiches You’ll Love
Vegan ELT (Eggplant, Lettuce, and Tomato)
The Best Vegan Sloppy Joes
This is one of the best vegan sloppy Joe recipes around.
Why? Because it’s made with healthy whole food ingredients that have wonderful texture and flavor.
Additionally, the sloppy Joe sauce is easy to make, and spiced just right.
It’s an easy vegetarian meal that the whole family will love.
Do You Need Manwich to Make it?
Absolutely not! In fact, the sauce is so simple, there’s no need to buy a canned sauce.
Our sauce is also better for you, because it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup.
So, ditch the store-bought sloppy Joe sauce and stick with this recipe.
How to Make it
The first thing you’ll need to do is prepare the lentils and cauliflower.
STEP ONE
Remove the leaves and core and finely chop the cauliflower so that it resembles cooked ground beef.
We find that a sharp chef’s knife is the perfect tool for this.
A food processor leaves large pieces of the cauliflower and grinds some of it into an almost flour like consistency.
Cook the lentils in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, then add the chopped cauliflower and boil for 5 minutes.
Drain the lentils and cauliflower in a colander.
While the lentils and cauliflower are boiling, dice the onion and red bell pepper.
STEP TWO
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil or vegetable broth on medium-high heat and add the onion, bell pepper, cauliflower and lentils when the oil/broth is hot
Test the oil by adding a small amount of cauliflower to the pan. If it sizzles, it’s ready.
If you’re using broth, wait for it to start boiling.
Stir to combine the ingredients and add the Italian seasoning, chili powder, smoked paprika, celery salt, and garlic powder and stir to fully combine.
Cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion and bell pepper soften, then add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
STEP THREE
Add the strained tomatoes, tomato paste, maple syrup, and vegan Worcestershire sauce and stir to fully combine with the vegetables and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
Is Worcestershire Sauce Vegan?
Traditional Worcestershire sauce is not vegan, as it’s made with anchovies.
However, you do have options.
You can make our homemade vegan Worcestershire sauce. Use tamari instead of soy sauce to make it gluten-free.
Additionally, there are two brands of store-bought vegan Worcestershire sauce that are fabulous.
The Wizard’s Organic Gluten-Free Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Annie’s Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (not gluten-free)
If you can’t find them in your local grocery store, they are sold on Amazon.com.
Pro Tips
- When you’re cooking the sloppy Joes, scrape the sides of the pan often so the lentils cook evenly.
- If you find some larger pieces of cauliflower, use a metal spatula to break them down so you have a consistent texture.
- Taste the sauce and add more seasoning if needed. We all have different tastes.
Great Side Dish Ideas
Serve our cauliflower and lentil sloppy Joe recipe with the following:
Easy Homemade Creamy Vegan Coleslaw
The Crispiest Sweet Potato Fries
Roasted Rosemary and Sage Home Fries
Vegan Southern-Style Creamy Potato Salad
Make our easy vegan sloppy Joes recipe and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. Privacy policy.
Easy Vegan Sloppy Joes
Equipment
- stove
- skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 9-10 cups of cauliflower finely chopped (SEE NOTE)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil if you want this to be oil-free, use 3 tablespoon of vegetable broth
- 1 small white onion finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper core and seeds removed and finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 26 ounce strained tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce SEE NOTE
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup SEE NOTE
Extras
- Hamburger Buns
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the lentils in boiling water for 10 minutes.
- Remove the leaves and core from the cauliflower and finely chop it so that it resembles cooked ground beef. We find that a sharp chef’s knife is the perfect tool for this. A food processor leaves large pieces of the cauliflower and grinds some of it into an almost flour like consistency. Add the chopped cauliflower to the lentils and boil for 5 minutes.
- Drain the lentils and cauliflower in a colander.
- While the lentils and cauliflower are boiling, dice the onion and red bell pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil or vegetable broth on medium-high heat and add the onion, bell pepper, cauliflower and lentils when the oil/broth is hot
- Test the oil by adding a small amount of cauliflower to the pan. If it sizzles, it’s ready. If you’re using broth, wait for it to start boiling.
- Stir to combine the ingredients and add the 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon of celery salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste, stir to fully combine.
- Cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion and bell pepper soften, then add the minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- STEP THREE
- Add the 26 ounces of strained tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons of vegan Worcestershire sauce and stir to fully combine with the vegetables and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Taste the sauce and add more seasoning or syrup if needed. Make it your own.
- Pile it on a bun and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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