Description
Shake up dinner this week by making my quick and easy Vegetarian Lentil Sloppy Joes. I mix canned lentils into a flavorful homemade sauce that comes together in just about 20 minutes. Serve these hearty lentil sandwiches with a side of veggies for a balanced dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium sized green bell pepper, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (15 oz) cans brown lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup finely chopped raw walnuts
- 4 buns
- 4 slices cheddar cheese, optional
- Optional toppings: cheese, onion, jalapeno, pickles
Sloppy Joe Sauce
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in the diced onion and green pepper, plus a pinch of salt. Cook veggies until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
- I like to prepare the sloppy joe sauce while the veggies are cooking. Add all sauce ingredients to a medium sized bowl and mix together well. You can also add them in one by one to the pan if you prefer, I just find it easier to mix them together beforehand.
- Add all sauce ingredients to the pan, mix well and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until bubbling. Next, add in the lentils, mix everything together and cook mixture for 2-3 minutes, until everything is heated through and the sauce is nice and thick.
- Stir in the chopped walnuts and season with extra salt and pepper, to taste. If adding cheese, I like to add the cheese slices to the bun and then spoon the warm sloppy joe mixture over, so that the cheese will melt.
- Use about 3/4 cup- 1 cup of sloppy joe mixture on each sandwich. Add any extra toppings you like and serve with chips and a side of veggies, for lunch or dinner. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
