06 January 2022

Vegan Sloppy Joes Everyone Loves

Vegan Sloppy Joes Everyone Loves / www.delightfulrepast.com

Though I am not vegan, or even vegetarian at this time, I eat like one much of the time. Meatless sloppy joes were in my regular rotation when I was a vegetarian, and I made them with TVP—textured vegetable protein—back in the day. 

But I developed this recipe with lentils, for a few reasons. One, I'm not keen on TVP. Two, I don't feel the need for a meatless product to imitate meat. And three, I really like lentils. I could live on legumes!

Cooking time for lentils is shorter than for beans, but the cooking time varies depending on the variety and the age of lentils. This time, before opening a new package, I used the last of the bag of lentils that was well past its "best by" date, which meant they required longer cooking.

If you're not toasting the buns for burgers and other bun sandwiches, I hope you'll give it a try. Heat equal parts of unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil on the griddle and toast the split buns well on the cut side and lightly on the outside. Makes them soooo good.

Here's my Homemade Hamburger Buns recipe (apologies to my vegan friends because there is also meat in that post). There are a number of good vegan cheeses on the market now, which hasn't always been the case! Perfect also for those who are dairy-free.

This recipe even passes muster with Mr Delightful, who isn't as keen on legumes as I am. That means: if you're having vegans and carnivores at the same table, you can make them both happy with this recipe!


Vegan Sloppy Joes Everyone Loves / www.delightfulrepast.com

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Vegan Sloppy Joes


(Makes 8)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium (about 4 ounces/113 grams) yellow onion, finely diced
1 medium (about 4 ounces/113 grams) green or red bell pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces/43 grams) tomato paste
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) lentils
2 1/2 cups (20 fluid ounces/591 ml) water
1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons country Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 14.5-ounce (411 grams) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

8 buns, split and toasted
Garnishes: shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapenos, sliced dill pickles


1 In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil and cook onion for about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and tomato paste; continue cooking for about 2 minutes.

2 Add lentils and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed and lentils are firm-tender (biteable, but not completely cooked).

Note: Remember that cooking times for beans and legumes can vary. 

3 Stir in paprika, salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and crushed tomatoes. Bring back up to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes more, or until the lentils are tender and the mixture is thick. 

4 I use my own Homemade Hamburger Buns or similar ones from the bakery, split and well toasted on the griddle with half organic unsalted butter and half extra virgin olive oil, and 1/2 cup of sloppy joe mixture for each.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

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48 comments:

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Sounds good to this carnivore/omnivore, even though I’m not inclined to any particular prohibition or regimen for its own sake. Meat substitutes I’ve tried have pretty much passed the taste test. When I grow up (I’m not going to grow up), and stop burning calories before they can attack me with their sidebar minions, I will pursue healthier choices…

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Sully. When you're doing so well on your own regimen, one would hesitate to recommend any modifications to it! Carry on!

Lynn and Precious said...

Happy New Year, Jean. I love trying to eat vegan a few days a week and lentils are good
anytime for me. This looks like a great recipe to try during this cold cold weather. Something tangy and hot is perfect. Lynn and Precious

Slabs said...

Thank you so much Jean for participating and sharing your post at #SeniorSalonPitStop. I have shared this on SM and wish to take this opportunity to wish you the very best for 2022 and beyond. Take care and see you at our weekly Linky

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Lynn, thank you. Hope you'll try it soon. And, yes, it is tangy. Love that word! Hope you and Precious are staying cozy!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Esme, thanks so much. Comments and SM shares are always appreciated! All the best to you as well.

Pom Pom said...

Hi sweet Jean! Isn't it interesting how we incorporate things into our forever eating even if we aren't following a strict restrictive diet anymore? I am eating dairy and wheat now, but I am a bit careful I don't overdo it. Your recipes always sound yummy!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Pom Pom! How good to hear from you! Thank you. And, yes, it IS interesting how we incorporate things from former restrictive diets into our forever eating. Well said!

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

YUM! Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 64. Pinned and/or shared!

TONY said...

Legumes will (are) save (saving) the world!!! Happy New Year Jean to you and also Mr Delightful.2022 has got to be better than 2021....surely? All the best, Tony

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Dee. Much appreciated.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Tony. Yes, please, to better, surely better!

ellen b. said...

Lots of great ingredients so I'm sure it's good. I'll pass this on to one of my vegetarian friends. Happy New Year to you.

Lorrie said...

Hello Jean,
Although I'm not very fond of legumes, this sounds like something I would enjoy. Lentils are better than a lot of other legumes, in my opinion. Toasting buns makes the dish taste so much better!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Ellen. I so appreciate your sharing it with your vegetarian friend! Hope you have a wonderful 2022.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Lorrie, thanks. Lentils seem to be the legume that non-legume people (like you and Mr Delightful) like best!

gfe--gluten free easily said...

These Sloppy Joes sound wonderful! Lentils are so good. Surprisingly, it's hard to find ones that are free of cross contain with gluten grains so I don't often eat them but this recipe is such a great option for those who need a vegetarian version of Sloppy Joes! I love vegetarian and vegan recipes that make everyone happy. As with gluten-free recipes, if they're done well, that should always be the case. :-) Will definitely be sharing your recipe with others. Thanks, Jean!

Shirley

Unknown said...

Looks fab. I love lentils as well. Will be making this! Thanks.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Shirley, thank you so much. Shares are much appreciated. I wasn't aware of the cross-contamination with gluten issue. Maybe check with Bob's Red Mill. Since they have a large gluten-free line, they might have just what you need. They're happy to answer questions.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Unknown. Let me know how you liked it!

ctgal said...

I love lentils too, and this is a very clever way to prepare them. I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I could easily skip meat and not miss it. I am gluten free, however, so I might even skip the roll. Thank you, and I hope you have a healthy and happy new year.

Kitchen Riffs said...

I love lentils too! And it's weird, I've been thinking of sloppy joes along similar lines. I also don't quite "get" the idea of TVP -- you either want meat or you don't, and if you don't, why fake it? Plus the few I've tried have been kinda meh in my opinion. Anyway, truly nice recipe. Thanks!

Pauline Wiles said...

Lovely recipe! We're trying to eat a bit less meat for the good of the planet and I do enjoy lentils. I didn't know about cooking for longer if they're older, great tip, thank you.

gfe--gluten free easily said...

Jean, I'm always happy to share your great recipes that work for my readers. :-) And I'm well aware of Bob's Red Mill's brand and its "gluten-free" products. Sadly, their lentils are one of the brands in which gluten-full grains have been found. In addition, BRM uses mainstream oats that are mechanically separated to remove the gluten-full grains vs exclusively using oats that have been grown using the purity protocol to keep oats safe from cross-contact/mixing with gluten-full grains from seed to field to harvesting equipment to processing and packaging. Then BRM grinds up its oats to test them in lots vs individual samples which more evenly distributes the grains and achieves a lower parts per million (ppm) gluten result. Of course, that's not how we eat our oats so instead gf consumers can get "hot spots" of gluten and are made ill. BRM refuses to have any of its products certified gluten-free by a third-party inspection agency. Many gluten-free consumers who think they can't eat oats learn they eat oats just fine when they avoid BRM oats and eat truly safe oats that are certified gluten-free and follow the purity protocol. All that is a long way to say that I don't trust any BRM products labeled "gluten-free" or support BRM in any way. I could say more but that's plenty.

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

This sounds great, Jean! I've printed and will give it a try this week. I have to be careful with too much heat as Mr Lightarted has recently rebelled against a few new recipes I've tried. Me? I always like more heat in the dishes. He likes Whimpey, Whimpey, Whimpey.

Victoria Zigler said...

I love this recipe... Thanks! Lentils is what I'd rather use too. I don't really like the fake meats - with the exception of tofu, though I always buy plain and season it myself, since I hate how they either try and make it taste meaty or make it super spicy - so if I want to do a vegan alternative for a meal I'd much rather use lentils, beans, or mushrooms.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, ctgal! I have lots of gluten-free recipes on the blog too, just look for the Gluten-Free subheading on my Recipes index page. You could use the GF pull-apart dinner rolls.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, John! Isn't that the truth, I just don't see the point of the faux meats!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Pauline! I love to include those little helpful hints.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Shirley, that's good to know. I don't have any celiacs in my circle or any who are that sensitive to gluten, so I don't really have to worry about it at this point. But you never know when one could pop up, and I'd want to be extremely careful. Thank you for the info!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Susan, the things we have to put up with, right? You can always make it mild, then divide it in half and spice your half up a bit more!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Victoria. Yes, I agree about the tofu. I always buy the plain and season it myself. But love those legumes and mushrooms!

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

This sounds really good, Jean. I love a bean and grain burger every now and then, so I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy a burger made with lentils. I agree with you about toasting the bun.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Martha! And it's such an easy little comfort food meal.

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

CONGRATS! Your post is FEATURED at the Unlimited Link Party 65!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Dee!

Cocoa and Lavender said...

We are definitely on the same wavelength this week! I, too, dislike the fake meat products intended to mimic meat. If o want that, I’ll eat meat. But there are so many good meatless recipes out there, and yours for Sloppy Joe’s is one of them! I love that you use lentils - great idea!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, David! And I'm looking forward to trying your non-faux-meat veggie burger made with cannellini beans.

Lowcarb team member said...

Many thanks for sharing this recipe ...

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2022.

All the best Jan

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jan, thank you. And may you have a wonderful 2022 as well.

Helen at the Lazy Gastronome said...

Pinned!! This looks great! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party. Hope your week is amazing! I'd love it if you hopped back over and shared this at the Meatless Monday link up too!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Helen. I'll hop over there now!

April Harris said...

I'm a bit like you Jean, I am not a vegetarian but I do like to eat vegetarian meals as often as possible! I am not a fan of meat replacements either, so I'm really pleased to see this recipe for Sloppy Joes using lentils. I'm looking forward to giving it a try. Thank you for sharing with Hearth and Soul! Will share in the H&S Community on FB as well as on Twitter.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, April. I hope you'll like it as much as we do! The SM shares are much appreciated as well.

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

Visiting again to say thanks so much for linking up at A Themed Linkup 97 for Vegan Recipes. Pinned.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Dee. Much appreciated!

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

CONGRATS, Jean! Your post is FEATURED at A Themed Linkup 98 for Crafts and DIY from the previous linkup for Vegan Recipes.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Dee. I really appreciate that!