After I posted last week about making Lentil Walnut Burgers, Kier mentioned Lentil Sloppy Joes. Um, brilliant! I love Sloppy Joes! In fact, I am a huge fan of most anything that is sweet but spicy and tomato-y and I have been craving tomatoes like crazy lately.
My mom has this theory that eating tomato-based foods makes you happy. Maybe that’s the case, then again, maybe it is just the breads, pastas, and cheeses that often go with them that make us happy? Either way, I decided that this was a go.
After sorting through dozens of real and fake Sloppy Joe recipes, I decided to base mine on Meatless Mama‘s version, it sounded wonderful; I can’t believe that I hadn’t thought to make these before!
These faux Sloppy Joes totally hit the spot. Upon tasting them, I immediately knew that they would be in permanent rotation on the Duke’s House menu. They were quick, easy, and even got meat-loving Chris’ seal of approval.* Huge win!
*Chris did note that I failed to include his favorite ingredient, Sriracha, and recommends adding a few squirts if you are so inclined.
Adapted from Meatless Mama.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup lentils
- 4 cups water
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minded
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.75 cups diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp mustard (yellow or spicy brown)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Directions:
- Combine lentils, water, onion, garlic, green pepper, and bay leaf in a large pot.
- Simmer for 20 minutes until lentils begin to soften, then drain water from pot and remove bay leaf.
- Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for approximately 10 minutes longer.
- Serve on hamburger buns or sandwich thins as a sandwich, as a burrito, or over rice or quinoa.
Servings ~ 6
Calories (for Sloppy Joe mixture) ~ 93, Fat ~ 0.3 g, Carbohydrates ~ 17.5 g, Protein ~ 5.6 g