These Vegan Sloppy Joes are made with lentils, onions, red pepper, and a perfect balance of seasonings. Using pantry ingredients and taking less than 30 minutes to prepare, they’re flavorful, easy, and perfect for a weeknight meal!
Were Sloppy Joes in your meal rotation as a kid? They were in my house! We had them often. They made an appearance at least once a month if not more.
As a busy working mom, I now understand why my mom made Sloppy Joes on the regular. They were fast and easy to pull together on a weeknight. All my mom needed were some buns, one of those classic Sloppy Joe cans, and some ground beef, and voilá dinner was done!
I hadn’t had a Sloppy Joe in years, until quite some time ago my husband and I went to this bar/burger restaurant in town. He promised me they had vegetarian and vegan options.
He was right! They had a Vegetarian Sloppy Joe! It was made with lentils, rice and beans, and served on a cornbread bun. It was really quite delicious.
As I was menu planning this week, I was reminded of both my mom’s classic Sloppy Joes, and the vegetarian version I had many years ago.
My boys have never had a Sloppy Joe, so I decided to remedy that tragedy, and create a simple vegan version at home.
I simplified the restaurant version opting for green lentils only, and filling up with extra veggies. I also subbed out the cornbread for whole wheat buns, but you can easily use a gluten-free bun or serve this over rice for a gluten-free version. This filling is a great vegan prep meal, because it can be used in so many different ways!
Why You’ll Love these Vegan Sloppy Joes…
- 30 Minute Meal
- Simple Pantry Ingredients
- Family Friendly
- Healthy and Hearty
- High in plant-based protein
- Chock full of veggies
- Flavorful and delicious
- Classic flavors
- Smoky, sweet, and tangy
- Omnivore and kid approved!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1 cup of green lentils
- 3 cups water
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 15 oz can of organic tomato sauce (plain)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
- 8 whole wheat or gluten-free buns
Tools and Equipment
You’ll need a saucepan to prepare the lentils, and a sauté pan to create the sauce. A cutting board and a good sharp knife to chop your veggies, as well as a non-stick or wooden spoon to stir it all together. I also like this over the sink colander to rinse and drain lentils, beans, pasta and more!
How to Make Vegan Sloppy Joes – Step by Step
Step 1: Prepare lentils- Thoroughly rinse lentils in colander. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add lentils. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 2: While lentils are cooking, dice onion, red pepper, and mince garlic. Add ¼ cup of water to sauté pan. Add onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add minced garlic. Sauté for an additional minute. Add red pepper and cook another minute.
Step 3: Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add tomato sauce. Stir in coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vegan Worcestershire sauce. When lentils are cooked drain any access liquid. Then add lentils to sauce. Stir to combine.
Step 5: Toast buns and top with lentil mixture. Add your favorite toppings and serve!
Tips for Making Vegan Sloppy Joes
- You can use pre-cooked lentils for this recipe. I find prepared lentils in the refrigerated section of Trader Joe’s.
- If preparing your own lentils, be sure to rinse before adding them to the water and broth.
- Check lentils at 15 minutes. Overcooked lentils become mushy.
- Use water or vegetable broth to prepare the lentils. Vegetable broth will add a bit more flavor to the lentils. Although in this recipe I don’t find it necessary as the sauce has a lot of flavor already!
- Use water or vegetable broth to sauté the onions and vegetables instead of oil.
Are Vegan Sloppy Joes healthy?
- Low in Fat and Calories-One serving is only 121 calories and less than 1 gram of fat. Depending on the size and type of bun you use you could add anywhere from 120-200 calories. That still gives you a hearty healthy meal in under 350 calories.
- High in Fiber-One serving has 9 grams of fiber! That’s 32% of your recommended daily fiber in one sandwich!
- High in Plant-Protein-Lentils are legumes that are high in protein. One serving, about ½ cup has 7 grams of protein.
- Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients-Lentils are an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
What are the best buns to use for Vegan Sloppy Joes?
Find a good 100% whole wheat bun. If you can find fresh baked buns from your local baker that’s the way to go!
For the first time this week our family tried a grocery delivery service. Overall, we really liked it! However, the whole wheat buns for this recipe were on my list and when they were delivered I was disappointed. They had gotten smushed in the delivery process. So I really wish my buns were a bit more fluffy, but hey, you work with what you got!
You can find great whole wheat and gluten-free buns from Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods if you have those retailers near you. I also love Dave’s Killer Bread, and I hear they have buns available in the Pacific Northwest and California, so fingers crossed they come to the Midwest soon!
What vegetables and toppings go well with Vegan Sloppy Joes?
There are so many delicious toppings you can add! Why not load up on the veggies while you’re at it! Here are some of my favorite toppings…
- Pickles or Cucumbers
- Avocado
- Green Peppers
- Onion
- Slaw
- Jalapeño peppers
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Lettuce
- Mustard
CHECK-OUT THESE OTHER EASY WEEKNIGHT MEALS!
- Southwest Vegan Lentil Tacos
- Vegan Nachos with Black Beans
- Vegan Stuffed Peppers Mexican Style
- Best Ever Meatless Meatloaf
- 5 Vegan Sandwich Ideas by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
If you’ve tried these Vegan Sloppy Joes, please rate the recipe and let me know how they turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!
Vegan Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 3 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 red pepper
- 1 sweet onion medium
- 2 cloves garlic
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce
- 8 whole wheat or gluten-free buns
Instructions
- Prepare lentils- Thoroughly rinse lentils in colander. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add lentils. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Dice onion, red pepper, and mince garlic. Add ¼ cup of water to sauté pan. Add onions. Sauté for 5 minutes of until translucent. Add minced garlic. Sauté for an additional minute. Add red pepper cook another minute.
- Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add tomato sauce. Stir in coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- When lentils are cooked drain any access liquid. Then add lentils to sauce. Stir to combine.
- Toast buns and top with lentils. Add your favorite toppings and serve!
Video
Notes
- You can use pre-cooked lentils for this recipe. I find prepared lentils in the refrigerated section of Trader Joes.
- If preparing your own lentils, be sure to rinse before adding them to the water and broth.
- Check lentils at 15 minutes. Overcooked lentils become mushy.
- Use water or vegetable broth to prepare the lentils. Vegetable broth will add a bit more flavor to the lentils. Although in this recipe I don’t find it necessary as the sauce has a lot of flavor already!
- Use water or vegetable broth to sauté the onions and vegetables instead of oil.
Whether you eat meat or not, these sloppy joes are amazing. I really enjoyed them and it gives me another way to use lentils.
I’m a meat eater, but I do love lentils and I try to find ways to up my vegetable intake. These look delicious!
So flavorful and satisfying! I used the prepared lentils from TJ’s and they came out perfectly!
I have quite a few family members that are vegan, so I’m going to give these a try for our next family dinner! Thanks for the recipe!
Delicious vegetarian combinations to making these delicious Sloppy Joes. I can enjoy it at any meal.
Oh wow these are delicious. They’re hearty and satisfying and the sauce is spot on. I love finding new and healthier versions of classic “comfort foods” and this one is definitely going into that rotation!
Thanks you! So glad you enjoyed them!!