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This 30 second vegan barbecue sauce is made from just 5 ingredients. You probably have all of them in your refrigerator now.
There are two things that I have to order if they have them on the menu at a vegan restaurant.
The first is a reuben. That tangy sauerkraut on top of seitan, tempeh, or tofu slathered in dressing and sandwiched between two slices of rye gets me every single time. (Here are my 10 favorite vegan reubens you don’t want to miss.)
The other is a barbecue or soul bowl.
The flavors always play so nice together. Sweet and smoky barbecue sauce combining with creamy vegan mac & cheese or vegan potato salad, slow cooked easy collard greens. And then a side of black eyed peas, vegan BBQ Soy Curls (shown below), or sticky seitan.
I don’t need to look any further at the menu. My choice is clear.
The last time that I got just such a bowl, I wondered afterwards why I never make that kind of thing at home. Sure, I make vegan collard greens or kale almost daily. But the other things don’t get much action.
The main reason is that for a meal with so many elements, it’s the kind of thing I’d make for dinner. However, David isn’t into barbecue sauce.
It’s like that Flight of the Conchords song “I’m Not Crying” that’s all about a break-up. Brett sings, “I’m making a lasagna… for one.”
There are some things that people just don’t make all for themselves.
But this week while having a cup of chamomile before bed, my mind started wandering to mac and cheese. I couldn’t think of anything else.
And as soon as I could get in front of the stove the next day I pulled out Isa’s Mac & Shews recipe.
I’ve had that one on my radar for the longest time. I mean, the secret ingredient for its umami undertones is sauerkraut! Could anything be more up my alley?
It took some dividing. But I made a quarter of the recipe. Enough to last for 3 soul bowls (or in this case plates).
Quick tip on dividing recipes
If you’re an iPhone user, did you know that Siri can tell you things like, “What’s a quarter of 1/3 cup?” It’s so useful when dividing a recipe by a significant amount!
Not only does she tell you that it’s literally 0.0833 cups, which is admittedly less useful, the phone also gives a full conversion scale with what the amount is in fluid ounces or tablespoons and teaspoons. Answer: 4 teaspoons.
Then it was time to make barbecued tofu to go with it.
Like I said, David isn’t into barbecue sauce. So I always have a hard time finishing a bottle before I see it in the refrigerator and start wondering, “Now… just how long has this been in here?”
So instead I’ve been making a 30 Second Vegan Barbecue Sauce… for One.
Vegan barbecue sauce
This vegan barbecue sauce is made from just 5 ingredients that are always in my kitchen and that you likely already have on hand too.
- Ketchup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Stone-ground mustard
- Liquid smoke
- A pinch of salt
Keep in mind that ketchup brands vary in terms of sweetness. For my tastes, this barbecue sauce is plenty sweet. But if you prefer a sweeter sauce, I bet a bit of brown sugar or agave syrup would do the trick.
I’ve made vegan barbecue sauce from scratch several times. But for something quick and delicious when you need BBQ sauce now or don’t want to commit yourself to a full bottle, this is a great way to go.
How to use homemade sauce on BBQ tofu
Bring a lightly oiled grill pan to a medium-high heat.
Grill two 1/2 inch slices of super firm tofu.
After one side has nice dark grill marks, flip it. Then slather on some barbecue sauce.
When the other side has good grill marks, flip it again, and slather on more sauce.
On warm summer days, of course, this could be done on the outdoor grill instead.
(If you’re using an indoor cast iron grill pan, you’ll want to make sure you clean it right away since the acidic tomato sauce isn’t good for the coating.)
This bowl so put me in my happy place.
With barbecued tofu, sauerkraut, collard greens, garlic, cashews, coconut bacon, and nutritional yeast, it’s like all of my favorite foods having a party… for one.
30 second vegan barbecue sauce for one
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
Caitlin says
looks so good, cadry! would you be appauled that i’ve never had a reuben OR a soul food bowl? i always had a warm spot for barbeque, though 😉
Cadry says
Appalled? Maybe I should be envious! Just like when someone has never watched your favorite TV program, that means that they still have all of the surprise/joy/glee/amazement ahead of them. You’re in for some good stuff! 🙂
Ashlae says
This is seriously genius. Cannot wait to try it and slather it all over a piece of tofu!
Cadry says
Aw, thanks, Ashlae! I hope you enjoy it! 😀
flickingthevs says
Oh man, how do soul bowls not exist over here? I think if they did I would totally follow in your footsteps and order them a lot! I’ve made that mac recipe before, and it’s amazing – one of my fave mac and cheeses! As for what dish I always have to order, I’m a sucker of a pie. Pastry wins every time!
Cadry says
You should open a restaurant selling soul bowls & tacos since both are so hard to find there. It could be a massive hit!
jill332 says
I’m right there with you…vegan reuben! I used to love tempeh reuben but I had the seitan reuben at A.N.D. Cafe in Portland and that is my all time favorite now. Next would probably be mac-n-cheese. I love the whole blend of greens-mac-n-cheese-bbq’d soy curls, tofu, etc. (gotta make a trip to Home Grown Smoker now!…except I’m bummed they took their sweet molasses cornbread off their menu…any recipe recommendations?)
I will have to try Isa’s recipe with the sauerkraut…sounds intriguing. Great blog post!! wonderful links and amazing recipes!!
Cadry says
Yes, I always prefer a seitan reuben to a tempeh reuben! Seitan has a much more satisfying texture in my opinion. The one and only time I visited A.N.D. Cafe, it was brunch-time. So I had one of the nests, but I would love to go back and get a reuben. The reuben at Homegrown Smoker knocked my socks off! It would definitely make my top five list of favorite reubens.
I’ve never tried this recipe for cornbread from Amanda at Pickles & Honey, but it looks really good! And one of the commenters mentioned swapping out some of the maple syrup for molasses. Maybe it would do the trick now that HGS’ cornbread is MIA.
Thanks for the kind words, Jill! Much appreciated! 🙂
Herbivore Triathlete says
I LOVE Southern food! This dish is something I would devour in an instant, all my favorites in one dish, yum! I’ve never had a vegan Reuben but used to love them pre-vegan. I will have to rectify that situation.
Cadry says
Yes, you need to get on that ASAP! 🙂
Barb@ThatWasVegan? says
Well I’m glad to hear Siri is useful for something. I always end up cursing at her. Well, him actually. I switched my phone to boy Siri 🙂 Also, very excited to try this bbq sauce! I bet it’s so much better than what you can buy at the store!
Cadry says
Thanks, Barb! I think Siri has a contemptuous relationship with a lot of people. 😉 If you try the BBQ sauce, I hope you like it!
Becky says
I am with you on a Reuben. I can’t pass it up! If they don’t have vegan cheese, adding sliced avocado is super yummy.
Cadry says
Even when they offer vegan cheese, I often ask for avocado instead. Avocado makes anything better! 🙂
Lizzie says
Mmm, this looks so tasty! I’m a breakfast gal, so any time the offerings include a big plate o’ tofu scramble, it’s hard for me to resist ordering!
Cadry says
Oh, good choice! Got to love a big scramble for breakfast.
Mae says
Mac n Cheese is totally my guilty pleasure at vegan restaurants. Most places don’t have it! Maybe because it’s too traditional or something. But Veggie Grill has a great quinoa pasta mac n cheese that is aaamaaazzzinnngg!!! I can’t believe I’ve never bought liquid smoke…I totally have all of the other ingredients for your BBQ sauce. I’ve been thinking that I bet you could turn potato skin into bacon with some liquid smoke, butter, and salt!
Cadry says
Good to know, Mae! I’ve never had the mac and cheese at Veggie Grill. I’ll have to remember that the next time we’re somewhere that has a Veggie Grill location.
Liquid smoke is really handy to have on hand for making BBQ sauce, vegan bacon, or for adding to anything that you want to have a bit of smoky flavor like split pea soup, chili, or smoky greens. A little goes a long way. It’s good to start with a really small amount (like 1/4 teaspoon) since you can always add more. I linked to my favorite brand in the post. Some of them have weird added ingredients, but my favorite is just condensed smoke.
I can’t wait to see what you work out with the potato skin bacon! Let me know!
Susmitha - Veganosaurus says
Oh my! Soul bowl indeed. That BBQ tofu looks sooooooo inviting. Mmmmm.
Cadry says
Thanks, Susmitha! It’s something I could eat regularly!
An Unrefined Vegan says
Nicely done! I would happily dive into that plate. Bring on the sauce!
Cadry says
Thanks, Annie! 😀
Lisa Mai says
YES I LOVE THIS. I’m pretty sure my palate grew up in the south too because I always go for veg chicken fingers and waffles with a side of collard greens. Because that is the best.
Cadry says
Oh, that is the best! Restaurants need more of that for sure!
Randi (laughfrodisiac) says
That plate looks fantastic! I should order more bbq stuff (or make this!). I am with you on the reuben, but my other most-ordered item is any kind of sushi. I’m addicted. Thanks for reminding me to pay more attention to bbq 🙂
Cadry says
Sushi is one of those things I’ve always wanted to like. I love all of the trappings with the pretty little plates and dishes, sauces for dipping, and gorgeous plating. However, I’ve tried it so many times, and I’m just not into it. It’s too bad, because the people who love sushi really love it!
acookinthemaking says
That plate looks absolutely incredible. Seriously, even though I’ve already eaten lunch, the photos are making me hungry! I could probably eat that exact meal every day and never get tired of it.
If I see a vegan mac and cheese on a menu, it’s game over. The way this dish is prepared varies wildly from one place to another, and I always get excited to try a new take on it.
Cadry says
Thank you, Ashley! I could probably eat this every day too… Or at least I wouldn’t mind trying it for a while! 😉
That is such a good point about there being so many ways to make vegan mac and cheese. That’s one of the fun things about “veganized” takes on entrees. The food is so creative and inventive. That’s the way that I feel about vegan reubens too. The options for fillings are seemingly endless.