Lentil Sloppy Joes

You GUYS! For your meatless Monday, I made you these quick and easy Lentil Sloppy Joes!

I hope you like lentils like I like lentils because these Lentil Sloppy Joes are just as easy and are simply the vegetarian version of the classic meaty sloppy joe.

As a kid {and still as an adult} I loved a messy sloppy joe. Soft squishy bun melting away from the saucy, meaty filling. To.Die.For.

Coming home after school and finding out we were having sloppy joes for dinner always made me happy. Still does. It’s quick. It’s easy. And now thanks to lentils there’s a healthy meat-less option.

Now as a kid we didn’t top our sloppy joes with anything. My husband likes to add a slice of cheese to his. But since these are healthy-joes, I top’em with a quick cilantro cabbage slaw. The slaw jazzes them up with color, crunch and flavor.

For fun I used slider buns, but of course… regular buns work just fine. I love using slider buns especially for kids whose little hands might not be able to grip a big-o-bun that has joe spilling out everywhere, know-what-i-mean?

Now how about I show you just how easy it is to make these joes!

I took the base of my classic childhood sloppy joe sauce and amped it up with bell peppers, cumin, chili powder and swapped out the sugar for real maple syrup. It might sound crazy, but it does add a touch of sweetness to balance out all the savory.

Start by rinsing a pound of dried lentil under the faucet until the water coming out from the lentils runs clear.

Cook The Lentils:

Throw them into a deep sauce pan and fill with 5 cups of cool water.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, drain and set off to the side.

Prep The Veggies:

For the “joe” sauce; finely dice up a red and green bell pepper {1/4 cup of each}, one medium yellow onion and 3 cloves of fresh garlic.

Make The Sauce:

In a large measuring cup {or any bowl} measure and add in the cup and a half of ketchup. Have you made your own ketchup yet? It’s the bee’s knees you guys!

A tablespoon of chili powder.

A teaspoon of cumin.

And 1/8 teaspoon of paprika.

Measure and add in the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Next add in the 1/2 tablespoon of both prepared mustard and vinegar and then 2 tablespoons of real maple syrup.

And lastly, pour in a quarter cup of water.

And then stir and that’s it. So easy!

Next, heat a Dutch oven over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the pot is hot {ha!} add in the peppers and onions.

Then sauté, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft and the onions are translucent.

Next, add in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Then after the garlic has cooked for a couple minutes, pour in the joe sauce.

Next, stir, cover and simmer the sauce on low for 10 minutes.

Lastly, after the sauce has simmered add in the cooked lentils and then stir them into the sauce.

All that’s left to do is to stuff some buns and make the Lentil Sloppy Joes. I used whole wheat slider buns… but any buns will do!

It’s Monday, let’s go meatless!

Enjoy! And if you give this Lentil Sloppy Joes recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Yield: 12 servings

Lentil Sloppy Joes

A vegetarian version of the classic sloppy joe.

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Ingredients

FOR THE LENTIL SLOPPY JOES:

• 1 pound brown lentils
• 5¼ cups water, divided
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1½ cups ketchup
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
• 12 whole wheat slider buns

FOR THE CILANTRO CABBAGE SLAW:

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small purple cabbage, shredded
• 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced thin on an angle
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions 

MAKE THE SLOPPY JOES:

• Rinse and drain one pound of lentils. Place them into a large saucepan. Pour in five cups of cool water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and set off to the side.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, water, maple syrup, mustard and vinegar. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, sauté the peppers and onions together until soft and translucent. Next, add in the minced cloves of garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Reduce the temperature to low and pour in the sauce. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the drained lentils, stir to combine and heat for 5 minutes or until warmed through.
• Spoon the lentil sloppy joe filling on a whole wheat slider bun and top with the slaw and serve.
• Sloppy joe filling can be kept warm in a crock pot set on low or warm setting.

MAKE THE CILANTRO SLAW:

• Combine slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate for one hour or until ready to serve.

Serving: 2sliders, Calories: 335kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 466mg, Potassium: 690mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 2894IU, Vitamin C: 48mg, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 5mg

Author: Laurie McNamara

Course: Mains & Entrees

Cuisine: American