A vegetarian (also vegan and gluten-free) version of everyone's favorite messy sandwich!
I was not a good vegetarian the year that I tried it in high school. I did not have my complete and utter love for vegetables that I have now and I didn't eat any of the good stuff - like hummus or quinoa - that I should have eaten to get a more well-balanced diet. Oh, and I kind of cut a lot of corners.
Case in point: I went to visit a friend who was in college that year. We hung out, went to a party and came back to her dorm room late, very hungry. She had one of those plug-in cook tops and some chicken noodle soup from a can. She heated it up and I just picked out what I could of the chicken pieces. They were tiny and everywhere and the whole soup was probably infused with chicken. I obviously didn't take the vegetarian thing very seriously.
These days, I eat plenty of meat. Mostly chicken and turkey and seafood and lean pork. But we do like to have a meatless night here and there. And since I love, love, love sloppy Joe's, I wanted to try a meat-free version. So I experimented with this for a bit and finally settled on the recipe below. Except, well… I pretty much always use chicken broth. Instead of vegetable broth. It's what I've always got on hand and ready to go! I'd still make a terrible vegetarian, apparently.
So use whatever broth you have but you gotta try this version of sloppy Joe's. The mushrooms are so hearty and bring so much good flavor, and then combined with the tangy sauce - so much yum. Even the carnivores won't mind tucking into this.
Now, I know it seems like a ton of mushrooms! And it is, but they cook down a lot. It's kinda like spinach that way. You end up with not nearly so much, just all the meaty, umami flavor that mushrooms bring. The mushrooms also give off a lot of moisture as they cook, so you don't have to add much to get this nice and saucy (and sloppy, as they should be!)
So these sandwiches come out vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free (just check your sauce mixes and buy gluten-free versions) - a dinner everyone can enjoy! And if you're worried about a soggy bun, try these tips:
1. Toast the bun. This helps a lot. Even more helpful is...
2. Use mayonnaise on the bottom bun. It creates a fat barrier that prevents the sauce from dripping through and soaking into the bread. My husband requests this every time he orders a burger at a restaurant.
3. Serve it my favorite way - stuffed into a baked potato! I love having my sloppy Joe's in a potato instead of in a sandwich. I always eat the whole potato, so it acts as an edible bowl with the sloppy Joe mix. Delicious.
Whichever way you go, you may need a fork. Messy central!
I hope you enjoy this veggie-fied version of sloppy Joes!
Veggie sloppy Joe's
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small green pepper, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
- 8 oz. white button mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (srirachi or otherwise)
- For serving: whole wheat sandwich rolls
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute for 3-5 minutes, until tender.
- Add the garlic and mushrooms and saute for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced a bit.
- Turn off heat and load up your sandwiches!
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Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Lol! You are forgiven for being a terrible vegetarian a while back! I was a vegetarian for a couple years and then a pescatarian for over a decade. Culinary school forced me to knock that nonsense off. But im like you, I still eat vegetarian quite often.. and lots of times I cut "vegetarian corners" like using chicken broth #opps! 🙂 These veggie sloppy joes look awesome, girlfriend! Love that they looks so meaty without the meat! #winning! I'll be trying these for sure! Cheers, lovely!
Kathryn says
Haha, the worst! Oh well... Love that you've come full circle and are back to eating ALL the foods 😉 But I'm with ya, a good vegetarian meal - especially a comfort food one like this - is a serious win. #nomnom Have a great week girl!
Mandy says
For what it's worth, most Worcestershire sauce is not vegetarian or vegan; most varieties contain anchovy. You may want to edit your post to suggest a vegetarian version of it, or a substitute!
Kathryn says
Thanks Mandy! That's a good point. (See, I'm still a terrible vegetarian.) I know Trader Joe's and some other retailers offer an anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce and there are also kosher versions that would be vegetarian. I'll update the notes of the recipe to point that out.
Lucy @ Bake Play Smile says
Oh my gosh!! Check out those yummy mushrooms! How amazing do these burgers look!!! Thanks so much for linking up with Fabulous Foodie Fridays. xx
Kathryn says
They've certainly got the mushrooms covered 😉 Super tasty, too! Thanks for hosting such a great party! Have a wonderful weekend!