A yummy, simple meatless version of the classic sloppy joe made with healthy lentils. This is filling, quick and delicious!
The Question Is?
Do you like lentils?
Do you like sloppy joes?
These are important questions of the universe that we all have to answer at sometime in our lives.
Today you get to address both of them at the same time and I bet you are thrilled!
Lentils are Awesome
I am always looking for more delicious meatless meals that I can incorporate into our diet and lentils are a great place to start!
Lentils are a powerhouse of goodness. They happily support your digestive system with high amounts of fiber and carry a good amount of plant based protein.
Additionally, lentils have good levels of folate, potassium, iron and vitamin B1. We should probably all eat more of them!
Buns or No Buns?
This sloppy joe recipe comes together pretty quickly. The longest part is letting the lentils cook, which takes about 10-15 minutes.
We like to eat our sloppy joes on sourdough, whole grain buns. But you can eat it on whatever bun, bread or roll you have laying around or skip the bun and eat it by itself or over rice. If you need to be grain free, it’s yummy over cauliflower rice too or on this grain free pancake.
I prefer to just eat it open faced so I’m getting more lentils and less bread but it is good however you serve it. A little chilled watermelon on the side, makes this a perfect summer meal.
Red Lentil Sloppy Joes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
1 medium bell pepper, diced small
6 large garlic cloves, minced
6 oz tomato paste
2 cups red lentils
4 cups water
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce or coco aminos
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
14 oz can of tomato sauce
Directions
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and pepper. Cook and stir the pepper and onion for a couple minutes and then add the minced garlic.
Cook the garlic until fragrant, about one minute and then add the tomato paste. Stir the tomato paste into the cooked veggies and coat them well.
Add the rest of the ingredients – water, lentils, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar, worcestershire sauce or coco aminos, chili powder, salt and tomato sauce. Stir until everything is well incorporated.
Cover the mixture and reduce the heat to low. Stir every few minutes to ensure the mixture is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the lentils are soft, about 15 minutes. Don’t overcook the lentils or they can turn to mush.
