Lentil Sloppy Joes

Best Lentil Sloppy Joes with the most delicious perfectly balanced, tangy, sweet and savory sauce from scratch. Featuring gorgeous protein packed beluga lentils this recipe is a family favorite, naturally vegan and can easily be made WFPB oil-free while still packing on the flavor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword lentil sloppy joes, vegan sloppy joes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 115kcal

Author Florentina

Ingredients

1.5 cups black Beluga lentils (or French lentils)
1 medium yellow onion finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
2 Tbsp capers (brined + roughly chopped)
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
3 Tbsp tomato paste double concentrated
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1-2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp chili powder + more to taste
3 Tbsp shoyu or tamari
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup ketchup (or a great tomato sauce like Marinara or Arrabiatta)
1/4 cup water
1 bay leaf
12 buns for serving

Instructions

Pick through and rinse your lentils. Add them to a medium saucepan and cover with 5 cups of water. Bring to a simmer, add the bay leaf and a pinch of salt and partially cover with a lid. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander, discard bay and set aside.
1.5 cups black Beluga lentils, 1 bay leaf
While your lentils are cooking preheat a large high sided skillet on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil (use water for WFPB compliance). Sauté the onion with a pinch of salt until completely softened. Add the maple syrup and continue cooking until the onion begins to caramelize and get a nice golden color all over. Stir in the bell pepper and cook a few more minutes until its tarts to soften.
1 medium yellow onion, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1/2 red bell pepper
Push the aromatics towards the sides of the skillet and drizzle a little olive oil in the center. Drop the garlic and capers in the hot oil and cook just until fragrant, 40 seconds or so. Give everything a mix.
2 Tbsp capers, 2 garlic cloves
Add the onion, paprika and chili powder and stir, then mix in the tomato paste, mustard, ketchup, shoyu, vinegar and water. Bring everything to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Taste and adjust seasonings with more chili powder and balance out the tanginess to your liking with a little more vinegar or alternatively another teaspoon of maple syrup if the sauce is too tangy for your taste.
3 Tbsp tomato paste, 2 Tbsp dijon mustard, 1-2 tsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp chili powder + more to taste, 3 Tbsp shoyu or tamari, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup water
Stir in about 3/4 of the cooked lentils and make sure to coat them all over in the sauce. If you find this consistency too saucy then add the rest of the lentils, otherwise reserve them for later to add to a salad or a soup etc.
1.5 cups black Beluga lentils
Serving: Grill the inside of the buns on a cast iron griddle until nice grill marks form then rub with a garlic clove. Spoon the sloppy lentils over each bun and top with the finely shredded red cabbage, classic pickles, coleslaw, butter lettuce and a slice of vegan smoked gouda or provolone. Nice alongside a few salt and vinegar potato chips.
12 buns for serving

Video

Notes

Ketchup - The cult classic American recipe is heavily based on ketchup as the major component of the sauce, so use the best cleanest one you can find it. Alternatively be wild and free as yours truly and opt for a thick homemade tomato sauce like Marinara or spicy Arrabiata instead. It's a nice more luxurious swap for the foodies in your life.
BBQ Variation - Add in 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce and simmer down the sloppy sauce until thickened to your liking. Serve with extra BBQ sauce on top.
On Storage - Store in lidded airtight containers in the fridge up to 5 days just because I'm not the FDA, but I'm sure day 7 is just as good. Alternatively freeze for up to 4 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in a skillet or the microwave oven.

Nutrition