Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

Apologies if you've ever eaten bona fide sloppy Joes...I haven't, so this recipe is a bit of a stab in the dark! I've seen them eaten on various American TV shows, so after a bit of online research I've come up with a vegetarian/vegan version.

This is an economical and low-fat recipe, which you could cook in a slow cooker or even whilst camping.

Serves 4-6

• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 large bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 cups veggie/vegan mince e.g. Quorn or vegan alternative (vegetarian ground beef-style crumbles)
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• Finely chopped pickled or fresh jalapeños/chilli sauce/cayenne to taste (optional)
• 1 portion home made bbq sauce, or ½ cup shop-bought mild/sweet bbq sauce.
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 cup boiling water or hot vegetable stock
• Bread rolls/burger buns/pitta breads to serve

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan.

Add the onion, garlic, chilli and pepper and cook gently for 3-5 minutes until softened.

Turn up the heat slightly, stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further minute or so.

Add the veggie mince and mix well.

Pour in the bbq sauce and water/stock.

Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove the lid and allow to cook until the sauce has thickened up and most of the water/stock has evaporated.

Serve in warmed bread rolls with oven-baked sweet potato chips (fries) and corn on the cob.

Not suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Halve the amount of veggie mince and add an extra 1-2 cupfuls of finely diced seasonal vegetables, such as courgette/zucchini, squash, mushrooms, sweetcorn or peppers (and/or some cooked lentils).

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