You GUYS! For Meatless Monday, try these quick and easy Lentil Sloppy Joes.
If you like lentils, you’ll love this vegetarian take on the classic meaty sloppy joe. It’s simple to make and full of comforting, saucy flavor.
As a kid — and still now — I adored a messy sloppy joe: a soft bun soaked with saucy filling. Coming home to sloppy joes after school was always a delight. It’s fast, easy, and thanks to lentils, now there’s a healthy meatless version.
We didn’t add toppings as kids, though my husband likes a slice of cheese. For a lighter option I serve these with a quick cilantro cabbage slaw to add color, crunch and brightness.
I used slider buns for fun, but regular buns work great too. Sliders are especially handy for little hands that can’t quite hold a large, overflowing sandwich.
Here’s how easy they are to make.
The recipe builds on classic sloppy joe sauce but adds bell peppers, cumin and chili powder, and swaps refined sugar for real maple syrup. The maple adds a natural sweetness that balances the savory spices.
Start by rinsing a pound of dried brown lentils under cool running water until the water runs clear.
Cook the Lentils
Place the rinsed lentils in a deep saucepan, add about five cups of cool water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.
Prep the Veggies
Finely dice red and green bell peppers (about 1/4 cup of each), one medium yellow onion, and mince three cloves of garlic.
Make the Sauce
In a bowl combine 1 1/2 cups ketchup, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/8 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1/2 tablespoon prepared mustard, 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar and 1/4 cup water. Whisk until smooth.
Stir the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced peppers and onions and sauté until soft and the onions are translucent, about 5–7 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
Reduce heat to low, pour in the sauce, stir and simmer for 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
Stir in the cooked, drained lentils and heat for another 5 minutes until warmed through and well-coated in sauce.
Fill whole wheat slider buns (or your preferred buns) with the lentil filling and top with the cilantro cabbage slaw. Serve immediately.
It’s Monday—let’s go meatless!
Enjoy! If you try this Lentil Sloppy Joes recipe, snap a photo and share it with me on social media.
Lentil Sloppy Joes
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 the lentils. Place in a large saucepan, add five cups cool water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
- In a bowl combine ketchup, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, water, maple syrup, mustard and vinegar. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium with olive oil. Sauté the peppers and onions until soft and translucent, then add garlic and cook 1–2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low, pour in the sauce, stir and simmer 10 minutes. Add the drained lentils, stir to combine and heat 5 minutes until warmed through.
- Spoon the lentil filling onto slider buns, top with cilantro slaw and serve.
- Keep leftover filling warm in a crock pot on low if needed.
MAKE THE CILANTRO SLAW:
- Combine slaw ingredients in a large bowl, toss to coat, and refrigerate for one hour or until ready to serve.