Sloppy Lentils - A Vegan Sloppy Joe Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (2024)

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This morning I woke up in a complain-y mood. That happens when you get older. You get crotchety. You're all, "Why do people post pictures of themselves in the car all the time? Why do people use hashtags in inappropriate ways? Why won't these kids get off my lawn?" And then you go outside with a broom to chase those kids away. I didn't know what to write about Sloppy Lentils, so I told Chris I was going to write a post to complain about things, to which he replied:

"Oh, yeah, that's a great idea. People will love that."

And then he called me Andy Rooney under his breath. But I think we all know that I have several years to go before my eyebrows reach that kind of plush luxuriousness.


Soooo, hey! Lentils! Lentils are something I have absolutely no complaints about. If I were Herbert Hoover, I would make sure there was a bag of lentils in every pot in this fine country. (Look at me, using my degree in history!) When I was a new and new-ish vegetarian, I was all about meat substitutes, but as I've gotten more comfortable with this whole vegetarian cooking thing, I've almost entirely ditched them in favor of whole foods like lentils. Lentils are cheap and easy (in a good way!), they're tasty, and they are quick to make! Not as quick as popping some faux-nuggets or faux-wings in the microwave, but quicker than beans, which require advance soaking. Lentils don't need soaking! Just throw them in a pot with some water or broth and about 20 minutes later, they're done.

I posted a recipe last year, but I know not everyone is on board the tempeh train, so I wanted to make a lentil version. The sauce has molasses in it, which makes it kind of a cross between sloppy joes and baked beans. We had this in sandwiches one night and then we had the leftovers as a side dish. You can eat them either way! #delicious

Recipe

Sloppy Lentils - A Vegan Sloppy Joe Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (3)

Sloppy Lentils

These Sloppy Lentils make a tasty vegetarian sandwich, but they're great as a side dish too!

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: Sloppy Lentils, vegetarian sandwich

Servings: 4 -6 servings

Calories: 260kcal

Author: Oh My Veggies

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 cup brown or green lentils rinsed and picked over
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4-6 hamburger rolls optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and just beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes. Add the lentils and broth; bring to a boil, then partially cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender enough to eat, but still firm enough to hold their shape (not mushy!).

  • Stir in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, tamari, tomato paste, garlic powder, mustard powder, and cayenne. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Continue to cook the lentils until the sauce has thickened, 10-15 minutes more, stirring frequently. Serve the lentils on the rolls if you're making sandwiches.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 11gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 975mgPotassium: 457mgFiber: 6gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 318IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 4mg

Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angela says

    I've made these a few times and my husband and I LOVE them! They're definitely on the regular dinner rotation. I love that they make me feel like a kid again.

    Reply

    • Kiersten Frase says

      I'm happy to hear they're a hit! 🙂

      Reply

    • MARCIA says

      Just curious...how long did you have to cook the lentils? I'm going on 1 hour and they are STILL not soft.....GRRRRRR....!!!

      Reply

      • Angela says

        I do the 20 minutes like the recipe says. They're still firm but soft enough to chew (not crunchy).

        Reply

      • Kelly says

        Marcia, were the lentils old? Or do you live at high altitude? Both of those things can make them take longer.

        Reply

  2. Alex says

    I'm making this tonight for the second time, as my girlfriend felt in love with that recipe the first time. I'm making a double-batch to be sure it last us longer this time.

    Super easy to make, dosen't take much time, perfect for a weeknight dinner. 🙂

    Reply

  3. jen says

    We're trying to add more meatless meals to our dinner table and this was a real winner. My kids love it straight up or over rice. Thanks so much!

    Reply

  4. Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says

    I made these with a pinch of chili powder and substituted the onion with a green pepper. They were delicious served with homemade potato wedges! Even my meat loving husband said they were great. :D)

  5. Elizabeth says

    This was the first recipe I've made from this site and it was so good! The sauce was just spot on. I will definitely be trying other recipes from here. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Kiersten Frase says

      I'm glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply

  6. Becky says

    We added salt and cayenne to get these to our liking. Next time, I'll try cutting the brown sugar. This will become our quick dinner fix. Thanks for sharing. Your philosophy and journey into " real " vegan foods is similar to ours.

    Reply

  7. Kim says

    Ive never cooked with lentils before. Do you think I could make this and freeze it?? This would be perfect for a quick freezer meal for my vegetarian sister when she has her baby!

    Reply

  8. Alyssa says

    could I use water instead of veggie broth?

    Reply

    • Kiersten says

      You can use it, but veggie broth will make the dish more flavorful.

      Reply

  9. Maritza Mattar says

    Hi! I just wanted to check, can this last 5 days in the refriegerator? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Kiersten says

      I think it should last that long, but I wouldn't try to keep it beyond 5 days.

      Reply

  10. Rose says

    Hi I just made this today and so far it seems to be a hit. Thank you so much! My family is transitioning well to vegetarian life.

    Reply

  11. Gabrielle says

    I pinned this recipe years ago when you first published it, and finally got around to making it this week. Oh my gosh!! If I knew it was going to be this delicious I would've bumped other dishes out of the way! I love how simple it is to throw together too. Definitely going to be on repeat! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  12. lyndsea skojec says

    Do you have a calorie count per serving for this meal?

    Reply

    • Alissa says

      We don't calculate the nutritional info for our recipes, but this is a handy tool if you'd like to take a crack at it yourself. 🙂

      Reply

  13. Christie says

    Would this work in the slow cooker?

    Reply

    • Alissa says

      We haven't tried these in the slow cooker, but I think so! You might need to keep an eye on in the first time around just to figure out the timing and if any of the ingredients need adjusted.

      Reply

  14. sheetal says

    Oh man. I love how decadent yet simple these are!

    Reply

  15. Mr says

    Sloppy Lentils - A Vegan Sloppy Joe Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (4)
    This is a staple in our house. Has anyone done this is a crock pot? I have seen other sloppy lentil recipes for the crock pot but this ones has the best flavours. Would love to have this made ahead of dinner time rush! Kids and meat eaters all like this recipe! Winning!

    Reply

  16. AJ Ford says

    Sloppy Lentils - A Vegan Sloppy Joe Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (5)
    Great recipe! Easy, delicious and quick. I'm allergic to most spicy things so I cut the pepper and added another half tablespoon of brown sugar. Really nice and creative. Thank you!

    Reply

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Sloppy Lentils - A Vegan Sloppy Joe Recipe from Oh My Veggies! (2024)

FAQs

What is the sloppy joe sauce made of? ›

What is the sloppy joe sauce made of? It's made with ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire, chili powder, garlic, dry mustard, and a little Tobasco (if you want). That sauce coats the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to make the filling.

What should I add to my sloppy joe? ›

To be clear, a sloppy joe is not a sandwich with chili piled on top. A sloppy joe is a sandwich consisting of ground beef or pork, onions, tomato sauce or ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings, served on a hamburger bun.

Is Manwich Vegan? ›

Manwich is vegetarian and vegan. You just use the sauce to mix with your choice of veggie burger crumbles (or tofu, lentils, seitan, etc.). However, it contains a lot of less-than-desirable ingredients, including ones you would never find in your pantry.

Why are sloppy joes so sweet? ›

The Meat of the Matter

It's no wonder that the sauce for Sloppy Joe filling is often candy‑sweet, since it contains anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup of ketchup (and sometimes brown sugar, too). But the sweet sauce isn't the only problem: The ground beef typically turns out pebbly and dry once cooked.

What's the difference between a sloppy joe and a sloppy Jane? ›

The stuffed pepper sloppy joe is another combo that mixes the sandwich with another popular dish, swapping buns for bell peppers. If you're aiming to eat a lower-fat diet, then consider fixing yourself a sloppy jane. This variant on the sloppy joe swaps out regular ground beef for leaner beef.

What is a New Jersey style sloppy joe? ›

There are minor variations depending on the deli, but it is always a double-decker thin sliced rye bread sandwich made with one or more types of sliced deli meat, such as turkey, ham, pastrami, corned beef, roast beef, or sliced beef tongue, along with Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing.

How do you jazz up sloppy joes? ›

Give your Sloppy Joe a unique spin by replacing hamburger buns with taco shells and adding a little cumin, crisp lettuce, shredded cheese, and juicy tomatoes. Game day appetizers are always a hit, and these Sloppy Joe Mini Pizzas are no exception. These little pizzas pack big flavor.

How do you doctor up Sloppy Joe mix? ›

5 Easy Ways to Doctor up Manwich Sloppy Joes to Improve Taste
  1. Produce.
  2. • 1/4 tsp Garlic powder.
  3. • 1/2 Green bell pepper.
  4. • 1 Large or 2 small jalapeno peppers.
  5. • 1 Onion, medium white or yellow.
  6. • 1 Pickled jalapenos.

How do you thicken up Sloppy Joe sauce? ›

  1. Flour can be used similar to corn starch.
  2. Other thickeners used are bread crumbs, potato flakes and oats. ...
  3. Go gradually with these. ...
  4. Use oats to thicken sloppy-joes as to absorb the excess but it will be thicker the next day.
  5. Barley can be used but is more expensive.
Oct 29, 2021

Is co*ke a vegan? ›

Coca‑Cola does not contain any ingredients derived from animal sources and can be included in a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Is Burger King meat vegan? ›

Burger King has several different partnerships with plant-based meat suppliers around the world, so not all of its vegan burgers are made with the same ingredients. In the US, the Impossible Whopper features Impossible Foods' soy protein-based Impossible Burger.

Is peanut butter is vegan? ›

The bottom line. Most types of peanut butter are free of animal products and can be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet. However, some varieties are made in facilities that also process animal products or contain refined sugar that was produced using bone char or non-vegan ingredients like honey or fish oil.

What is the fancy name for Sloppy Joes? ›

Manwich, slush burger, yum yums, dynamite, spoonburgers, tavern sandwich; a Sloppy Joe can be called by many other names. The most well-known however is Manwich.

What is a cold Sloppy Joe? ›

In this part of the country, where I grew up, a sloppy joe is something else entirely. It's a triple decker sandwich—cold deli meat and cheese on dense rye bread—glued together with coleslaw and Russian dressing.

How do you make Sloppy Joes taste better? ›

Try serving your sloppy joes with their own toppings such as slaw, melty cheese, grilled pineapple, or Hatch green chile. Even just adding a pickle gives extra flavor and crunch, transforming it from a bland sandwich into something great, like the recipe below!

What is in Manwich Sloppy Joe sauce? ›

TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DISTILLED VINEGAR, CORN SYRUP, LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, SUGAR, CARROT FIBER, DRIED GREEN AND RED BELL PEPPERS, CHILI PEPPER, GUAR GUM, SPICES, XANTHAN GUM, DRIED GARLIC, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID.

What are the ingredients in Del Monte Sloppy Joe sauce? ›

Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Green and Red Bell Peppers, Salt, Modified Food Starch (Corn), Worcestershire Sauce Concentrate (Distilled Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, Garlic Powder, Spices, Tamarind, Natural Flavor), Spices, Dehydrated Onions, Garlic Powder, ...

What does sloppy joe sauce taste like? ›

Once you've gathered the ingredients, it's basically like making Bolognese. And the flavour is somewhat reminiscent of it too, except Sloppy Joes taste a bit more like BBQ Sauce. The one big difference is that the sauce is cooked right down so it's really thick and not saucy at all.

What are the ingredients in Hunt's Sloppy Joe sauce? ›

Ingredients. Tomato Puree (Water,Tomato Paste), Water, Sugar/Glucose-Fructose, Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Salt, Spices, Dehydrated Green Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Tomato Fibre, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Dehydrated Garlic, Citric Acid, Flavour, Spice Extracts.

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