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A Surprisingly Good & Healthy Twist
This recipe is a surprisingly delicious and healthy spin on the classic Sloppy Joe! While tofu is the star here, don’t worry if it’s not your jam—you can easily swap in lentils, beans, cauliflower, or even organic, certified humane ground turkey, depending on your dietary preferences and goals. Everything in this dish is organic for an extra dose of healthfulness.
Bold flavors like smoky paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder meet fresh onions, peppers, and garlic for a flavor-packed bite. The rich sauce—made with tomato paste, tomato sauce, Date Lady BBQ Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and veggie broth—ties everything together in the most satisfying way.
Served over crunchy Napa cabbage or tucked into gluten-free Warrior Bread, this is one recipe you’ll want on repeat.
Ingredients
· 1 brick organic tofu, pressed
· 1 tsp onion powder
· 1 tsp smoked paprika
· 1 tsp garlic powder
· 1 tsp ground cumin
· 1 tsp ground mustard
· 1 tsp dried thyme
· 1 TB chili powder
· 1 yellow onion, chopped
· 1 cup peppers (red, green, jalapeño, yellow—your choice), chopped
· 2 cloves garlic, chopped
· 2 TB + 1 tsp coconut aminos, divided
· 1 (8 oz) can organic tomato sauce
· 1 (6 oz) can organic tomato paste
· 1/3 cup Date Lady BBQ Sauce (link below)
· 1 tsp organic Worcestershire sauce
· ½ cup vegetable broth (for sautéing)
Instructions
COOK THE TOFU
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Press tofu overnight (or at least several hours) to remove excess moisture.
3. Crumble into small pieces and season with 1 tsp coconut aminos and your favorite dry spice blend. (I use a home made mix of chili powder, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, thyme, sea salt, and pepper—made in bulk for convenience.)
4. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Set aside.
If using another base like lentils, beans, cauliflower, or turkey, pre-cook it here instead.
MAKE THE SAUCE
1. In a small bowl, mix the dry spices (onion powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, mustard, chili powder, thyme). Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat ½ cup veggie broth over medium heat. Add onion and peppers. Sauté until the onion is translucent (about 7 minutes). Add garlic and cook a few more minutes.
3. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, and Worcestershire.
4. Add the dry spice blend and stir well.
5. Fold in your cooked tofu (or alternative) until everything is coated and warmed through.
6. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes.
TO SERVE
Spoon over chopped Napa cabbage, spoon it on toasted Warrior Bread (link below) and top with Napa cabbage, or serve this on a burger bun. Grab a fork (or use your fingers), and dig into this deliciously flavor-filled dish.
Want a printable version of the Sloppy Joe Meet Tofu Recipe? Click HERE.
The photo below shows the recipe made with lentils
