Lentils simmered with chili, maple, paprika, cumin, tomato and soy sauce make this meatless sloppy joe so delicious – you won’t miss the meat!
What do vegan chefs and soul food chefs share in common? A deep knowledge of how to take vegetables and legumes and steep them in rich flavor. I’ve learned more about creating flavor from vegan and soul food chefs than I have any other chefs in the world. Why? Because it’s easy to make already flavorful ingredients taste good, like lobster, king crab, or chocolate, but to make a lentil taste spectacular, you’ve got to know your stuff.
This recipe is smart in that it knows its lentils. See, lentils not only very readily absorb flavors, they also exude them in rich brown broths that tinge other vegetables and spices in flavor – and flavor is what it’s all about.
Tomato paste works with maple syrup and tomato sauce in this vegan take on sloppy joes to create that rich sloppy joe base we all know and love, while green pepper provides a zesty green crunch to the mix. Yellow peppers and lentils make the whole creation flavorful, meaty, and give it a nice bite, too. And isn’t food just all that more delicious when we can take a bite of something knowing it’s wholesome and good for us as well?
The Most Delicious Ways to Eat Lentil Sloppy Joes
Ahhhh. Bread. I don’t care what anyone says, I love it and without carbs, I sag and wilt. Keto is fine occasionally, sure, but give me chubby cheeks and a brioche bun any day over never eating bread again. I love, love, love it.
And, yes, brioche buns are my recommendation for all things burger and vegan burger. They’re so buttery and pillowy that everything tastes good on them. Other great bread choices here are whole wheat buns (as seen in this recipe), pretzel buns and onion buns or, if you’re really hungry, an everything bagel—which will make this one filling sloppy joe. You could also top them with vegan shredded cheese and, for spice lovers, some sliced jalapeños on the side.
The great thing about these lentil sloppy joes is that kids love them as well as adults. It’s not as hard to get kids to eat lentils as it is, say, spinach, especially drenched in this rich red sauce. There aren’t too many things kids won’t eat that has red sauce on them (I learned from Rachel Ray back in the day). In fact, red marinara and chili sauces can disguise many a kid-dreaded vegetable, making it something much more kid-appealing, Kids go for all things red, hence Dorothy’s glittering ruby slippers …
How to Make Ahead and Store
You can store the lentil sloppy joe filling (minus the bread) for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.
Serving Suggestions
These marvelous lentil sloppy joes are wonderful with anything cheese, like this vegan favorite: Vegan Ravioli made amazing with the use of vegan ricotta and applesauce which really activates the spinach flavor and turns it simply sublime.
For dessert, you cannot get a better vegan dessert than this Banana Dragon Fruit Nice Cream or maybe these super-delicious Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Lentil Sloppy Joes (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup brown lentils rinsed and drained
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15-ounces can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 whole wheat hamburger buns toasted
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and bell peppers, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin, cooking for another minute until fragrant.
- Add rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce, maple syrup, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to low and let the mixture cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Adjust seasonings to taste, then spoon the lentil mixture onto toasted whole wheat hamburger buns and serve immediately.
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