Spiced, fiery, and m-m-m-messy.

 I've always wondered how sloppy joes tasted like whenever I see them in food channels. All I know is that they're these overflowing, very meaty, very saucy sandwiches that are real messy when eaten. I have no idea what they taste like cause I've never ordered or made them before. So here I am. Sharing my very first all veggie sloppy joes.

A key ingredient of this dish is definitely mashed up or pulsed chickpeas. They'll give the texture and appearance similar to that of ground meat. The other veggies, bell peppers and carrots, I just cubed. Not too small, though, since I still wanted that chunky texture.

The sauce part of this dish is what you can really experiment with since it can go several ways. You can make it tangier, sweeter, saltier, or even up the spiciness of it.  The key really is to combine all the ingredients then adjust according to taste. Also, it makes things easier during the cooking process.

 My verdict? I LOVE THEM because they're right up my alley. I didn't miss meat at all when I was eating these. The sauce was very flavorful: spicy, sweet, tangy, herby, and definitely has a kick to it. The veggies were great, too. I got the ground texture from the chickpeas, a bit of crunch from the carrots (I didn't overcook them) and sweetness from the bell peppers. I also drizzled more maple syrup because I'm a sucker for some sweet/salty contrast. This mix with some toasted sesame burger buns? YES. Mess all around, bite after bite? DOUBLE YES. Can you tell how much I love this recipe already? This is definitely a staple, go-to meal for me from now on because not only is it very flavorful, it's also very filling.

CHICKPEA SLOPPY JOES

(adapted from YupItsVegan.com)

Yield: 2-3 servings

Veggies:

1 tsp oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 small bell pepper, small dice

1/2 carrot, small dice

225g chickpeas, drained, rinsed, skinned, and pulsed or mashed

Sauce:

5 tbsp tomato ketchup*

1 - 1 1/2 tsp hot sauce

1 1/2 - 2 1/4 tsp maple syrup, plus more to taste**

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp ground cumin***

1/8 tsp ground coriander***

3/4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp pepper

pinch of salt

Other ingredients:

bread of choice

extra veggies of choice (lettuce, cucumber slices, cabbage slaw, carrot ribbons, onions, more bell peppers, etc.)

extra maple syrup

grated cheese, optional

1. Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic and bell peppers with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 3 minutes.

2. Add in carrots and cook until carrots are slightly softened.

3. Add in pulsed chickpeas and let it heat up alongside the other veggies.

4. Add the sauce mixture to the veggies. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water to loosen it up.

5. Let simmer for a few minutes, or until the mixture sets and becomes a bit thick. Adjust according to taste.

6. Serve on toasted bread of choice, alongside other fillings.

NOTES

*I used regular, unsweetened tomato ketchup. If you're using a sweet kind ketchup, add about 1 tsp of white vinegar to sauce mix. You can also use pickle juice.

**If you don't have maple syrup, you can use brown sugar instead.

***I used cumin and coriander seeds because that's what I currently have on hand. I toasted them first prior to grinding them.