Lentil Sloppy Joes
Make one-pot lentil sloppy joes in 30 minutes for an easy weeknight vegan meal. Homemade sloppy joe sauce is extra flavorful and veggie-forward with the addition of onion, garlic, bell pepper, and carrots.
Servings: 5 servings (~1 cup each)
Calories: 324kcal
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
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely chopped
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 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 1 ½ cups dry brown or red lentils with cold water and sort through them to remove any bad pieces.
- Bring 3 ⅓ cups 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 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat in the same pot you cooked the lentils in.
- Add 1 small white onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 red bell pepper, and 1 carrot, and sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened and starting to brown.
- Add 16 ounces tomato sauce, 6 ounces tomato paste, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin 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
Lentils: 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. You can adjust the amount of lentils in this recipe depending on how saucy you want the sloppy joes to be.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. 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.
Nutritional info is estimated without the hamburger bun or bread.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 855mg | Potassium: 1317mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 3842IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 7mg
