Back in the early 90s, when my family first adopted a vegan diet, we had to get creative when we wanted to re-make our old favorite non-vegan dishes. Back in the day, there was no such thing as Silk soy milk in every grocery store, no Daiya “cheese”, no Gardein, no Boca, etc. (At least, if these products existed, they weren’t marketed or distributed well, as we’d never heard of them.)
While I love and appreciate many of the commercialized vegan products available across the U.S. globe today, I wanted to take a moment to appreciate some naturally vegan ingredients that anyone can find in almost any grocery store, without having to visit special health food sections, or anything like that.
Meet my new favorite tex-mex sloppy joes. The stars of the show? Beans. Yep. Good ole’ black beans and kidney beans, seasoned to perfection with lemon, cilantro, cumin, onion, garlic, and cayenne. You’re going to love the chewiness of the beans, the crunch of the bell pepper and the fresh flavor of lemon and cilantro. Add some fresh greens like lettuce, cabbage, kale, or arugula, and you’ve got yourself a nutritious and protein-rich meal.
I hope each of you enjoy a restful weekend. (Guess what? Tomorrow’s Friday!!)
And today, I just have to share with you a little food for thought that I found fascinating. Did you know that God’s original plan for the human diet was plant-based? Check it out…
“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29 (King James Version)
Quick and easy vegan sloppy joes–perfect for a summer dinner
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Lunch or Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 390kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion (finely chopped)
- 1 green bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup black olives (very finely chopped)
- 15 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes (1 can, with juice)
- 15 ounces cooked black beans (1 can, drained)
- 15 ounces kidney beans (1 can, drained)
- 2.25 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- 6 burger buns (vegan)
Instructions
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Heat up olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat for about 20 seconds.
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Add chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, and minced garlic to your large saucepan, and sauté until onion is tender and becoming clear–about 5 minutes.
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Add remaining ingredients–finely chopped black olives, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, sugar, lemon juice, and seasonings.
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Allow mixture to simmer until most of the juices are cooked off. When the texture of your sloppy joes resembles that of a very thick chili, you know it’s done.
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Toast your vegan burger buns, if desired, and serve sloppy joes with your favorite greens.
Notes
*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 797mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 21.5mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 6.3mg
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