I never had sloppy joes as a kid; they just weren’t something my mom made. When I first became vegan a friend of mine gave me a tempeh sloppy joe recipe. I don’t mind tempeh, actually I like it, but it’s just one of those ingredients I don’t have regularly in my house so it always requires a special trip to the grocery store, which seems to defeat the purpose of sloppy joes. I was totally excited to find this recipe for lentil sloppy joes on VeganDad, lentils being a staple in my house, cheap and easy to store. I made a few minor adjustments to the recipe but nothing too drastic. The flavor is super yummy, and, being slightly anemic, any new way to eat lentils is always good.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 rib celery, chopped (I used two cause I LOVE cooked celery)
- 1/2 green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups water (more if needed)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional, but definitely delicious if you’ve got some)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- Tabasco sauce to taste (I used some jalapeno pepper)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over med-hi heat. Saute onion, celery, green pepper, and oregano for 5-7 mins, until onion is translucent and pepper has softened.
2. In a medium mixing bowl mix ketchup, 1 1/2 cups water, vinegar, Worcestershire (if using), sugar, salt and pepper, and Tabasco.
2. Add lentils to the sauteed veggies and mix well. Add ketchup mixture.
3. Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat, and cover. Cook for about 30 mins, stirring regularly, adding more water if needed until lentils are cooked but still hold their shape.
4. Serve on toasted rolls, open-faced if you want.
Notes: I found that thirty minutes really wasn’t enough time for the lentils to cook properly. I would suggest pre-cooking them in plain boiling water for about 20 mins before starting
Found on VeganDad
