I’ve wanted to try Sloppy Joes for a long time and I finally did it a few weeks ago. Oh my god! I think it’s one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever tried. I wish I had tried it before!
The flavor is amazing and although is a messy experience, they’re easier to eat if you cook the filling long enough to get a thick paste, that way the Sloppy Joes won’t fall apart.
To make a vegan version of this American dish, we used lentils and the texture is just perfect, besides, the recipe is healthier and lighter. We’ve used lentils instead of ground beef before to make awesome recipes like this lentil bolognese or this low fat vegan shepherd’s pie, you should try them!
Tips:
- Use water instead of the oil if you prefer a low-fat version.
- Add your favorite veggies and spices.
- If you don’t consume soy, add some salt instead of the tamari or soy sauce.
Vegan Sloppy Joes
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Vegan, American
These delicious sloppy joes are vegan, super easy to make and require less than 30 minutes. I think they are the best sandwiches I’ve ever tried!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 onion
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 15 oz canned or cooked lentils (400 g)
- 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce (250 g)
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp cane, coconut or brown sugar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 6 whole wheat hamburger buns (optional), use gluten-free if needed
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the veggies (chopped) and the cayenne powder. Cook over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add more oil or water if needed (we added 2 tbsp of water).
- Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and cook for about 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- We usually heat the buns in the oven, a frying pan or a toasted, but it’s up to you.
- Serve the filling over the buns, add your favorite veggies (we added some red cabbage, carrot, fresh chili peppers and avocado slices) and enjoy.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Laura in the Kitchen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe without a bun
- Calories: 316
- Sugar: 7.5 g
- Sodium: 674.5 mg
- Fat: 3.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.1 g
- Fiber: 9.6 g
- Protein: 19.7 g
Sandy says
May 25, 2019 at 06:02Can I make ahead of time and freeze for later when my niece visits?
Iosune says
May 25, 2019 at 08:01Hi Sandy! I’ve never tried it myself, but I think it should work 🙂
Kathy says
April 10, 2019 at 18:03I made this recipe for a family get together. It was fantastic. Even those who tried it and do not eat a vegan or vegetarian diet really liked it. Note: I used lentils I cooked rather than canned. I’m not fond of the “canned” taste.)
Iosune says
April 16, 2019 at 12:14Hi Kathy! So glad to hear that 😀
Hayley says
April 5, 2019 at 03:45Do you know about how many cups are in a can of lentils (if I want to cook my own from dry)?
Iosune says
April 16, 2019 at 11:34Hi Hayley! I know a 15-ounce can of legumes usually contains about 3 and 1/2 cups of legumes once it’s drained, but I don’t know the equivalence with dry legumes, sorry!
Kelly says
January 22, 2019 at 12:31I don’t have canned. How would you make this with dried lentils? This recipe looks amazing and I’d like to make it, but how would I substitute the dried beans for canned?
Iosune says
January 23, 2019 at 08:09Hi Kelly! Just cook the lentils according to package directions 🙂
Melba says
October 17, 2018 at 17:18Can you cook ahead and warm up right before serving?
Iosune says
October 18, 2018 at 09:47Hi Melba! Just, you can cook the filling in advance 🙂
Corinne says
April 10, 2018 at 14:53Delicious! Made for my daughter and it’s a new favorite of hers. I did cook much longer than 10 minutes so it was thick. She is also gluten free so I served on gluten free tortillas but it can also be scooped up with some corn chips. I tried this and I thought it was very yummy and I’m not a vegetarian.
Iosune says
April 11, 2018 at 03:39Hi Corinne! So glad you liked it 🙂 It’s a good idea to serve this with gf tortillas, I’ll try it!
Stormie Carlson says
April 8, 2018 at 05:59These were amazing. This is the first specifically vegan recipe we’ve tried and it really was a wonderful positive experience. We will add it to our go to list. Thank you so much for sharing. Loved it.
★★★★★
Iosune says
April 9, 2018 at 03:23Hi Stormie! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Penny says
March 29, 2018 at 13:04Loved it and so did my my family! Next time we are making a double batch so we can have left overs. Thank you!
Iosune says
March 30, 2018 at 04:05Hi Penny! So glad you liked it 😀 Have a nice day!
Marie says
January 7, 2018 at 22:28Thanks so much for posting this recipe! It sounds perfect
What type of lentils do you use. I’m only familiar with French lentils being firm enough to retain texture. Every other type I’ve had turn to mush when cooked and I’ve never seen canned lentils before.
Iosune says
January 9, 2018 at 11:24Hi Marie! I used canned brown lentils, but dry brown lentils are also great 🙂
jennifer says
August 31, 2017 at 15:04I just made this for my kids and it was a hit! I have tried to make vegan sloppy joes before with fake meat and my kids hated them…so they were a bit hesitant to try again but they really loved it! Although mine doesn’t look nearly as pretty as yours! 😉 Thanks!
Iosune says
September 18, 2017 at 12:48Hi Jennifer! I’m so glad you liked it 😀 Have a nice day!
Fred says
March 18, 2017 at 14:05I must say I was skeptical when I found this recipe, but the first bite charmed me! Awesome taste, better and healthier than it would taste with meat! Thanks for all your fantastic recipes guys! 😀
★★★★★
Iosune says
March 24, 2017 at 14:02Hi Fred! You’re so welcome 😀 I’m so glad you liked it!
Jen says
March 11, 2017 at 21:40Looks good. Experimenting with vegan recipes. Will post how this turns out.
Iosune says
March 15, 2017 at 10:07Hi Jen! Thanks a lot 😀 Hope you enjoy it!
Dairy Maid says
February 26, 2017 at 21:14If we’re using canned lentils, should they be drained before weighing?
Iosune says
February 28, 2017 at 13:06Hi Dairy! Yes, they should 🙂
Stefanie says
February 14, 2017 at 11:49this looks simply amazing, can’t wait to try it! unfortuntely i have to stick to my gluten free diet but this is great, because i can just use gluten free burger buns instead the wholemeal ones, without having to rework the recipe. thanks so much for sharing it! if you ever need more inspiration, i’d love you to stop by eatwholegreens.com for some vegan awesomeness! see you there 🙂
cheers, stäf | http://www.eatwholegreens.com
Iosune says
February 14, 2017 at 14:50Hi Stefanie! Thanks a lot 😀 Have a beautiful day!
Bea says
February 14, 2017 at 10:12Willing to try this one!
Where do you find this type of whole wheat hamburger buns or the whole grain bagels you posted recently?
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing recipes and knowledge, you are so generous guys!!
Best , Bea
★★★★
Iosune says
February 14, 2017 at 14:49Hi Bea! I live in Spain, so I buy the bread at a local store in my area. You’re so welcome 🙂 Have a nice day!
Kristina says
February 14, 2017 at 04:37Oh my word, I will so be making this very soon. It’s easy to tell this will be a winner & those chili peppers bring it all together!
I will write a review once I make it ?
Iosune says
February 14, 2017 at 14:46Hi Kristina! Thanks a lot. I really hope you enjoy it 😉
Ashleen Woods says
February 13, 2017 at 18:45I am so excited to try this out! We’ve got just about all the ingredients, so this is going on the list for later this week! :d Yum!
★★★★★
Iosune says
February 14, 2017 at 14:45Hi Ashleen! I hope you like it!!!