I loved eating sloppy joe growing up, so as I transitioned to eating healthier, I thought why not try a vegan version of sloppy joe. This vegan homemade sloppy joe recipe makes a rich, sweet and savory lentil sloppy joe sandwich. This recipe is also made with the same basic ingredients as traditional sloppy joe except, I swapped out the ground beef for green lentils. You can use any type of lentils you want for this recipe, I prefer green lentils because they tend to keep their shape better whenever I cook them instead of getting mushy like red or black lentils, so I save those for soups.
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What you will need:
Ingredients
Olive oil – 1tbsp
Tomato sauce – 1 8oz can
Vegetable broth – 2 cups
Green lentils – 1 cup
Apple cider vinegar – 1 tbsp
Onion powder – 2 tsp
Minced garlic – 2 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Black pepper – ½ tsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp
Medium green bell pepper – 1/2, diced
Brown sugar – 2 tbsp
Yellow mustard – 1 tbsp
Vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce – 2 tbsp
How do I make this vegan sloppy joe recipe?
1. In medium pan, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add tomato sauce and let heat for about 1 minute.
3. Add 2 cups of broth, 1 cup of lentils and cook for about 20-25 minutes on medium heat until lentils are slightly softened. Stir frequently.
4. Add vinegar, dry seasonings, diced bell pepper, brown sugar, mustard and vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce and cook for about 10 more minutes.
5. Add 3-4 tablespoons to bun and enjoy!
How do I store this vegan sloppy joe?
Store in fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a month for best taste.
What does this vegan sloppy joe taste amazing with?
This vegan sloppy joe tastes amazing with anything you would eat as a side with a traditional sloppy joe sandwich. You can also add pickles or coleslaw on top of lentils on a bun if you prefer.
Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe:
Makes 4-6 sandwiches on bun
Ingredients
Olive oil – 1tbsp
Tomato sauce – 1 8oz can
Vegetable broth – 2 cups
Green lentils – 1 cup
Apple cider vinegar – 1 tbsp
Onion powder – 2 tsp
Minced garlic – 2 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Black pepper – ½ tsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp
Medium green bell pepper – 1/2, diced
Brown sugar – 2 tbsp
Yellow mustard – 1 tbsp
Vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce – 2 tbsp
Instructions
1. In medium pan, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add tomato sauce and let heat for about 1 minute.
3. Add 2 cups of broth and 1 cup of lentils and cook for about 20-25 minutes on medium heat until lentils are slightly softened. Stir frequently.
4. Add vinegar, dry seasoning, diced bell pepper, brown sugar, mustard and vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce and cook for about 10 more minutes.
5. Add 3-4 tablespoons to bun and enjoy!
Recipe Tips:
You can use canned lentils that are already cooked, which will knock off about 10-15 minutes of cooking time if you prefer, the recipe still turns out just as good.
How did this vegan sloppy joe recipe turn out for you? Let me know in the comments below 🙂
September 12, 2021 at 7:08 PMGrowing up, I always thought this was always a vegan meal, this does look very good.
And using lentils in this recipe makes it look super healthy too. my mom has used TVP in ours since I was a kid. I never thought of using lentils in place of TVP. I will have to make this recipe soon, it looks yummy!
September 12, 2021 at 7:40 PMThank you Rebekah! Enjoy 🙂
September 12, 2021 at 9:09 PMHey there, what a fantastic idea of trying it out with Vegan! It’s awesome and the recipe looks mouth watering- can’t wait. I think I can replace my burgers with this going forward as it’s so healthy and filling too! I’m gonna try this soon, thank you so much for sharing this!
September 14, 2021 at 1:19 AMThanks Augustine! You’re welcome.
September 12, 2021 at 9:10 PMHello, what a great article and recipe! I admire the ingredients that can be seen at a glance and the images of the directions of the recipe, making it an experience worth following and easy to follow!
Great tips and its certainly making me hungry, I have got to try this as soon as I can, many thanks for sharing:)
September 14, 2021 at 1:18 AMThanks Farah! You’re welcome.
December 14, 2021 at 6:04 PMI loved the post. I dribbled all over my desk as I was reading it, haha. I mean, this looks so good and tasty; and it, for sure, makes me want to eat one right this second. And the fact that it’s vegan, it only makes things even better.
I mean, I absolutely agree with the notion of vegan probably being healthier, just because any regular (non-grass-fed) beef is probably kept in tight spaces and fed corn or soy with antibiotics, and thus, doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value, as well as there are plenty of other burdens and concerns eating such animals.
Would you say that lentils are a must in this recipe? What about peas or beans instead? Would, in your opinion, they still make for a tasty burger in a sloppy joe recipe? I mean, I’ve never even had the regular sloppy joe; so, I’m a bit unsure what to expect.
December 16, 2021 at 1:32 AMHi Matiss!
Glad you enjoy this recipe posts! Lentils are not a must; you can definitely use any kind of legume that you prefer like peas or beans, and they should still come out just as tasty as long as you use the ingredient condiments in this recipe. Thanks for stopping by!
January 13, 2022 at 12:08 AMI would also like to try this vegan version of sloppy Joe. Did you know that the name “sloppy” actually comes from the fact that when eating this sandwich the meat often spills out? At home, prevent this from happening my mom usually served as a “toast” or one-sided open-faced sandwich. But now with the vegan version I can revive my childhood memories.
January 13, 2022 at 12:11 AMHi Ann!
Yes, I did. That’s a good idea to eat it with toast or one-sided sandwich if I don’t want to get messy, I will have to try that next time. Thanks for stopping by, enjoy!