Tofu Sloppy Joes

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A fan favorite in many school cafeterias, many kids love sloppy joes. With this recipe, we wanted to keep the sweet, delicious taste of sloppy joes that everyone loves and add our own meatless twist of tofu to it. All you have to do is chop some veggies, cook the tofu, add some sauce, throw it all together, and you’re done! Paired with a side salad, this makes a filling, healthy, and easy meal that you’ll definitely want to make again.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. (14 oz. each) extra firm tofu, drained
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
¼ C. low-sodium soy sauce
¼ Cup brown sugar
2 Cups tomato sauce
Kosher salt to taste
8 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Placed drained tofu between layers of paper towels. Set tofu on a large plate or dish, then place a cutting board on top of the tofu and set canned goods (or other heavy item) on top of the cutting board to press the excess moisture out of the tofu. Set aside to drain for 20 minutes while prepping remaining ingredients.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add drained tofu. Use the back of a spoon to break the tofu down into crumbles. Cook tofu, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and firmed up. Transfer tofu to a bowl and set aside.
3. Add 1 more Tbsp. olive oil to pan. Add onion and green pepper and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
4. Add tofu back to pan, along with spices, soy sauce and brown sugar. Cook 3-4 minutes until caramelized. Add tomato sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Season to taste with salt.
5. Serve hot over whole wheat hamburger buns.

Recipe Notes:

  • The tofu takes awhile to cook. The texture of the sloppy joe will taste best once the tofu is cooked to a golden brown crisp; expect it to take around 8-10 minutes, but continue to watch until the golden brown color is achieved.

  • Dice the onions into larger pieces. Having hearty onion cubes mixed throughout the tofu tastes amazing, so try dicing the onions to bite-sized.

  • If you want a better texture in your whole-wheat bun, try sautéing it in olive oil, flipping on both sides until well toasted.