Unbelievable 30 Minute Vegan Sloppy Joes with Lentils
These homemade quick and easy vegan sloppy joes are full of flavor thanks to the rich tomato sauce. With premade lentils, they are ready in 30 minutes!
These Sloppy Joes are a classic comfort food veganized into a rich tomato sauce, tons of flavor from all the spices, and all wrapped up in a toasty bun! They are a quick and easy dinner recipe that is perfect for a weeknight meal.
So fun fact: In my family we call these “Snobby Joes” instead of sloppy joes. Not because they are any less messy than sloppy joes. But this recipe was inspired by the Snobby Joe recipe from Isa Moskowitz’s book Veganomicon. Over the years, we’ve made and changed this recipe based on what I had in the fridge and what we personally liked. Now, it’s a recipe I made several times a month because we all love our snobby joes so much!!
For more quick weeknight lentil meals, check out my vegan lemon lentil salad or my homemade vegan lentil BBQ burgers!
Ingredients
Here is a quick rundown of what you’ll need to make these vegan sloppy joes. See the recipe card for the exact amounts and measurements.
- Lentils: Using premade lentils is the total time saver for this recipe. I love to use Trader Joe’s refrigerated lentils and always have a few boxes in my fridge. You can also prepare 1 cup of brown lentils according to package directions. You will need 2 cups of finished lentils to make these.
- Sauce: A combination of tomato sauce and tomato paste provides the base for this sauce. A bit of brown sugar, ketchup and mustard round out the flavors. You will also need some water to help everything come together. Add more water for a saucier sloppy joe or add less for a thicker texture. Up to you!
- Spices: Cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and oregano are all you need to make this.
- Veggies: Onions, bell peppers, and optional jalapeno peppers mix in with the spices to add some body to these sloppy joes and provide a depth of flavor. I use any color of bell pepper that happens to look good at the store; red, yellow, orange, or green all work and taste great! Use a sweet or yellow onion.
- Toppings: You’ll need buns to place these on. Some of my favorite toppings include cole slaw, pickles, pickled jalapeno peppers, and even
Tip! To make this refined sugar free, you can replace the brown sugar with an equal amount of maple syrup.
How to Make Vegan Sloppy Joes
Make sure to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient list.
Prep Step: Cooking the Lentils
If you are not using premade lentils, you need to make some brown lentils ahead of time.
Start by rinsing the lentils in a mesh strainer, making sure to remove anything like leaves, twigs, pebbles, or bad looking lentils.
After rinsing, place them in a large pot of water with 4 cups of water, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook the lentils over medium-high heat until most of the water has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
Step One: Saute the Vegetables
In a large pot, add a splash of water (or neutral flavored oil) along with the onions and peppers. Cook for about 7 minutes to get them soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.
Step Two: Mix the Sauce
While the vegetables are cooking, whisk the sauce together by combining the tomato sauce, tomato paste, all the spices, and the brown sugar (or maple syrup).
Step Three: Combine and Cook
Now it’s time to add everything all together! Add the lentils and the sauce to the pot with the vegetables. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat. You may way to add a half cup of water (approx) to make it a bit saucier.
After 10 minutes, add the ketchup and the mustard, stir this in, and remove the lentils from the heat. Let it rest for 10 minutes to let the mustard infuse into the sauce, and give this time to cool down from lava temperatures.
Serve and enjoy!
How to Serve
As Burgers: Serve over top of toasted buns with coleslaw, pickles, pickled jalapenos, french fries, potato chips, anything you can think of!
As Toppings: This sloppy joe mix is AMAZING when served over baked potatoes. You can still add the same toppings just use a baked potato in place of a bun.
As a Wrap: The perfect food on the go! Chill the sloppy joes and then wrap it up in your favorite wrap with lots of green leaf lettuce and some pickles. This is a great lunch.
How to Store
Fridge: Store any leftover sloppy joe mix in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Reheat as needed, or enjoy them chilled.
Freezer: Let the sloppy joes fully cool, then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow the sloppy joes to thaw in the fridge overnight and then gently heat over a low flame on the stove before serving.
Easy Lentil Recipes
This recipe started out from a recipe by Isa from her book Veganomicon. Over the years that I’ve made this recipe, it’s changed for what I had in my fridge, and what flavors I happened to like. It’s become a family favorite and I make this meal at least twice a month all year long. We love it so much and hope that you do, too.
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Equipment
- Large cooking pot
- Cooking spoon
- knife
- Cutting board
- measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked lentils
- 1 tablespoon olive oil optional
- ½ medium onion cut into small dice
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and cut into small dice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
Instructions
Make the Lentils (Optional)
- Wash the lentils, removing any leaves or debris.
- Cook the lentils. Add lentils and 4 cups of water to a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and most of the water is absorbed and evaporated. Set aside.
Make the Sloppy Joes
- Saute the vegetables. Cook the onions and bell peppers. In a medium size saucepan saute the onions and bell peppers over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more.
- Mix the Sauce. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper.
- Combine and Cook. Cook for about 10 minutes, adding a half cup of water if desired to make the sauce a bit saucier.
- Add the mustard and ketchup and rest. Add the mustard and ketchup and stir through. Turn off the heat and let the lentils rest for 10 minutes. Serve on toasted buns, on open faced sandwiches, or over top of baked sweet potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Fridge: Store any remaining lentil sloppy joes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat as needed, or enjoy them chilled.
- Freezer: Let the sloppy joes cool, then transfer to a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Allow the sloppy joes to thaw in the fridge overnight and then gently heat over a low heat in a saucepan on the stove before serving.
