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!
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 cupsServing Size: about ¾ cupStorage: 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.