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    Home » Vegan Main Dish Recipes

    Lentil Sloppy Joes

    By Sarah Pilley Updated Apr 10, 2024 · Published Apr 10, 2024

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    Lentil sloppy joes on a hamburger bun with sesame seeds; more sloppy joe and buns are in the background; text reads "lentil sloppy joes, easy vegan recipe".

    Lentil Sloppy Joes are a delicious plant-based and veggie-packed take on a classic sloppy joe. This easy vegan recipe is ready in just 30 minutes and in one pot!

    Lentil sloppy joes on a hamburger bun with sesame seeds; more sloppy joe and buns are in the background.

    This recipe has been a staple of mine for quite some time! 

    While I’ve tried making sloppy joes with vegan beef crumbles, my favorite version has always been with lentils!

    These vegan sloppy joes are also packed with onion, garlic, bell pepper, and carrots for a little extra veggie goodness. 

    And when I’m feeling a little fancy, I like to serve my sloppy joes with a French baguette, vegan coleslaw, and sweet potato fries!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Lentil Sloppy Joes
    • Top Tips
    • Storage
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    You will need these simple ingredients to make vegan sloppy joes:

    Ingredients with labels: onion, garlic, buns, bell pepper, carrot, lentils, and sloppy joe sauce.
    • Lentils are key to making plant-based sloppy joes! I tested this recipe with red and brown lentils; both taste great! Green lentils take a bit longer to cook but should also work. For a “meatier” sloppy joe, you could also use vegan ground beef crumbles or TVP.
    • Onion and Garlic are major flavor boosters for sloppy joes. They also add some texture to the sauce.
    • Red Bell Pepper and Carrots add flavor and texture but are optional if you want more of a classic sloppy joe. But if you want even more veggies, you could add finely chopped mushrooms!
    • Sloppy Joe Sauce brings together the entire recipe! I use a combination of tomato sauce, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, and ground cumin for the sauce.
    • Hamburger Buns or French Bread make for an extra tasty sandwich.

    Please refer to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and detailed instructions.

    How to Make Lentil Sloppy Joes

    Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the best vegan sloppy joes with lentils:

    Cooked lentils with vegetable broth in a large pot.

    1. Cook lentils until tender and then drain.

    Cooking onion, garlic, bell pepper, and carrot in a large pot.

    2. Saute onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper.

    Tomato sauce added to the cooked vegetables in a large pot, simmering.

    3. Add sloppy joe sauce and simmer.

    Lentils added to the sloppy joe sauce.

    4. Add lentils and finish cooking!

    Top Tips

    Adjust the Sauciness! I like to cook an entire 14-oz package of dry lentils and then add them to the sauce. This way, I can add fewer lentils if I want a saucier (and I daresay sloppier) sloppy joe, and vice versa for a less saucy one.

    Adjust the Spice! These sloppy joes aren’t too spicy, so if you’re looking for a little extra heat, double the amount of chili powder and add some hot sauce or chopped jalapeño.

    Have Fun Serving! Get creative with how you serve your sloppy joes! You could top them with vegan coleslaw, add them to stuffed peppers, or pile them on potato nachos. Some BBQ tofu bites are also great alongside if you're having a cookout!

    Vegan sloppy joe on a spoon with a sloppy joe sandwich in the background on top of a orange and white gingham napkin.

    Storage

    Sloppy Joes made with lentils typically last 4 to 5 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze leftover sloppy joes for up to a month.

    To reheat, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, or gently heat them on the stovetop until warmed.

    Spooning out sloppy joe with lentils from a bowl.

    Did you make this recipe?
    Please leave a rating and tell us how you liked it!

    📖 Recipe

    Lentil sloppy joes on a hamburger bun with sesame seeds; more sloppy joe and buns are in the background.

    Lentil Sloppy Joes

    Lentil Sloppy Joes are a delicious plant-based and veggie-packed take on a classic sloppy joe. This easy vegan recipe is ready in just 30 minutes and in one pot!
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    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 7
    Author: Sarah Pilley
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    Ingredients

    Lentils

    • 1 ½ cups dry brown or red lentils see notes
    • 3 ⅓ cups vegetable broth

    Sloppy Joe Sauce

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 small white onion finely chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
    • 1 carrot finely chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
    • 16 ounces tomato sauce two 8-oz cans
    • 6 ounces tomato paste
    • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

    For Serving

    • hamburger bun or baguette, lettuce wrap

    Instructions

    Cook the Lentils

    • Rinse dry lentils with cold water and sort through them to remove any bad pieces.
    • Bring the vegetable broth to a boil.
    • Add the lentils and bring them to a boil.
    • Reduce the heat and simmer the lentils uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The lentils should be tender.
    • Drain the lentils and place them in the bowl where you plan to store leftover sloppy joes.

    Prepare the Sloppy Joes

    • Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in the same pot you cooked the lentils in.
    • Add chopped onions, garlic, pepper, carrot, and sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened and starting to brown.
    • Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar to the pan and stir to combine.
    • Simmer the sloppy joe sauce for about 5 minutes.
    • Stir in lentils and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
    • Spoon over bread choice and enjoy!

    Notes

    See more expert tips, pictures, and variations above for the best vegan lentil sloppy joe recipe!
    Yield: about 5 cups
    Serving Size: about ¾ cup
    Storage: Sloppy Joes made with lentils typically last 4 to 5 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze sloppy joes for up to a month.
    Reheating: To reheat, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, or gently heat them on the stovetop until warmed.
    Top Tips: 
    • Dry Lentil to Cooked Lentil Conversion - In my experience, a cup of dry lentils yields about 2 ½ cups of cooked lentils. So, if you have precooked or canned lentils you will need 3 ½ cups.
    • Adjust the Sauciness - I like to cook an entire 14-oz package of dry lentils and then add them to the sauce. This way, I can add fewer lentils if I want a saucier (and I daresay sloppier) sloppy joe, and vice versa for a less saucy one.
    • Finely Chop Everything - To help the onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper blend seamlessly into the sauce but still give a little crunch, chop it very finely. If you don’t want any texture, use an immersion blender to make the sauce chunk-free, but still get all the flavors.
    Nutritional info is estimated without the hamburger bun or bread.
    Did you make this recipe? Share your experience! Mention @AlternativeDish on Instagram or Facebook, or drop a comment below—I'd love to hear from you!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 611mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2744IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 5mg

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    Headshot of Sarah Pilley.

    Hi, I'm Sarah!

    I’m so excited you stopped by! I'm thrilled to share my passion for tasty vegan food with you on the Alternative Dish. I focus on creating recipes that everyone can enjoy with allergy-friendly tips! 

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