A fun, healthy twist on traditional sloppy joes, these easy lentil sloppy joes are a naturally gluten-free, meat-free meal everyone will enjoy!
Since moving from Montana to the South, I’ve really missed having a freezer stocked full of fresh venison and/or game meats. Ever since we had to *gasp* pay for our meat we’ve cut way back on our meat consumption. And less meat means more beans and lentils. My kids aren’t all the happiest about this, so I try my best to sneak them in when I can. I’ve made bean brownies, bean fudge, bean batter cake, and biscuits & bean gravy…
When I saw this recipe on Chocolate Covered Katie’s blog I knew I’d have to give it a try. The first tweak I had to make was sprouting the lentils. (If you want to know the why and how of that, check out this post.) The second tweak was coming way down on the chili powder. My kids would not eat my first – wonderfully spicy – version. This version is milder and more blended. After a few more tweaks and additions, I came up with a recipe my kids and hubby enjoyed and I was pleased with.
Lentil Sloppy Joes
Red lentils. I use organic red lentils from Azure Standard for these lentil sloppy joes. You could probably use brown lentils instead, if you want. Lentils contain a good amount of iron, potassium, and vitamins B1 & 3, as well as protein. However, they do need to be soaked in order for their enzyme inhibitors to get out of the way and let your body access all that goodness. So make sure you soak them for at least 24 hours! You can even sprout them, if you want.
Tomatoes. The tomatoes in these lentil sloppy joes really boost the sloppy joe-ness of them, so don’t leave this ingredient out. I always use organic canned tomatoes, but you can use fresh too, just make sure you have about 2 cups of them when they’re chopped.
Peppers. While this ingredient is optional, I think the addition of a red bell pepper really boosts the flavor in a delicious way! You could use a green pepper instead, if you want. Or both, if you love bell peppers!
Flavorings. There are a lot of flavorings in these lentil sloppy joes! And while it might seem like a strange list, please just trust me that they all make a delicious end product. The only change I would say you could make would be to add more chili powder, if you like your sloppy joes a little more spicy.
More delicious meat-free meals.
- easy vegetarian black bean burrito bowls
- vegetarian Russian cabbage soup
- cheesy lentil stew in the Instant Pot
- easy cheesy broccoli soup
- thin crust, grain-free skillet pizza
- quinoa black bean tacos
- quick & easy veggie lentil soup
- creamy, dairy-free mac ‘n cheese
In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!
Lentil Sloppy Joes
Free from grain, gluten, eggs, dairy, and refined sugar.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of soaked organic red lentils
- 1 – 14 ounce can organic tomatoes, pureed
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups water or broth
- 2 tablespoons liquid aminos (or coconut aminos)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
For the Instant Pot.
Place all the ingredients in an Instant Pot, cover, seal the vent, and cook on manual for 17 minutes.
(Optionally, you can saute the onion in a little coconut oil in the bottom of the pan before adding the remaining ingredients.)
Quick release the pressure and let mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
For stove-top.
Combine everything in a pot, and bring to boil.
(Optionally, you can saute the onion in a little coconut oil in the bottom of the pan before adding the remaining ingredients.)
Reduce heat to simmer and let cook for 20 minutes, or until lentils are cooked.
Serve in a bowl or on gluten-free sandwich buns.
