Recipe: Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

For as long as I've known her, one of my co-workers — who's been a vegetarian for decades — has told me how much she misses Sloppy Joes. Burgers she doesn't care about; Thanksgiving turkey she has no use for. But she misses Sloppy Joes. So I have considered the options in trying to see if I could create an edible version for her using ground beef-like substances. Finally, I found soy chorizo. I've used it in chili, and I've sprinkled it on nachos; it's got the meaty consistency, good flavor and color... it was the perfect choice for my attempt at Sloppy Joes.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces soy chorizo
• 1 12-ounce package vegetarian burger crumbles
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 12-ounce bottle chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Buns, for serving

Directions

Place the chorizo and the vegetable crumbles into a large skillet; cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the onion and cook until the onion is translucent.

Combine the chili sauce, mustard, soy sauce, salt and pepper; pour over the chorizo mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Refrigerate overnight for the flavors to blend, then reheat and serve on toasted buns.

Serves 8.

This recipe was written by Mary Bilyeu and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on May 4, 2011.