Vegan Sloppy Joes

There are many ways to make Sloppy Joes vegan - lentils, TVP, Beyond Meat and others, but my absolute favorite is to use mushrooms. If you want to use just one cremini is he way to go, but it's also fun to add in other varieties to add texture.

Makes 4-6 

2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil

1 medium onion, diced 

1 green bell pepper, diced 

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped

15 ounces tomato sauce  

½ cup ketchup 

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

1 tablespoon yellow mustard 

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

1 teaspoon paprika 

Pinch of cayenne pepper 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

6 hamburger buns, toasted 

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

2. Add the onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to caramelize in some spots, 6 to 7 minutes. 

3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

4. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until well browned. .

5. Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, sugar, coconut aminos, mustard, red wine vinegar, paprika, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. 

6. Spoon onto the toasted buns.