Need a winning meal? Then you got to try these simple vegan sloppy joes, seriously! I was never a fan of sloppy joes growing up. I can’t tell you if it was the texture, the sloppiness, or the overall taste. The other day, my man was pouting for a ‘manwich.’ To be honest, I had no idea what a ‘manwich’ was, so after looking online, I learned that it’s basically a delicious sloppy joe. Since we don’t eat meat, I knew I had to figure out a plant-based alternative.
I first made the base of the sauce with lentils, which turned out great but lacked the ‘meaty’ texture of a real sloppy joe. Then I recalled that one of my former colleagues made sloppy joes with spelt berries and her kids had no idea it wasn’t meat! Back to the kitchen with a few more tweaks and taste testing, and I now have a winner! These sloppy joes are flavorful, tasty, and simple to make! I hope you enjoy these plant-based sloppy joes and they satisfy that ‘manwich’ crave!
Until next time friends, Namaste. ♥
If you try this recipe, share feedback on what you think! Leave a comment below and rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo and tag #eatlovenamaste on Instagram! 🙂
Spelt Berry & Lentil Sloppy Joes
Easy plant-based Sloppy Joes that are made with natural ingredients and packed with Spelt Berries for texture and Lentils for balance and protein!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup spelt berries cooked *
- 1/2 cup green lentils cooked *
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 red bell pepper diced (sub orange or yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp celery seeds
- 1/2 tsp black pepper + more to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
- 1, 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp turbinado sugar
To Prepare:
- Vegan-friendly hamburger buns
- Sprouts I used sunflower
Instructions
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Add olive oil to a medium-size pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the diced onions, bell peppers, and celery.
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Season with chili powder, sweet paprika, celery seed, and salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
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Add the tomato sauce, cooked lentils and spelt berries, and sugar, and mix. Reduce heat to low-medium, and let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken up, which is what you want.
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Scoop about 1/4 cup of the sloppy joe sauce on a bun, top with sprouts (optional) and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
To eliminate time: cook both the spelt berries and lentils in one pot with 2 and 1/2 cups of water over medium-high heat. Once it starts to simmer, reduce heat to warm and cover to cook for about 30 minutes, or until tender. If the lentils seem tough or dry, add additional water and continue cooking. Do not stir the lentils or spelt berries once you reduce the heat and cover.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The sauce will be more flavorful the next day!