One look at sloppy joes and your mouth will surely be flooded with saliva in a split second. However, this can be a really big problem if you are a vegetarian or you’re just told by your doctor to considerably limit your intake of foods packed with saturated fat and cholesterol. Well, you will surely be thrilled to know that it’s possible to make meatless sloppy joes, and the easy recipe can be found below!
The meatless sloppy joe recipe you will come across in a few is perfect for vegetarians as well as those who just want to limit their intake of red meat for health- and figure-related concerns. It’s also ideal for anyone who doesn’t have stellar culinary skills as it is really easy to follow — no lengthy experience in the kitchen needed!
Another wonderful thing about the said recipe for whipping up meatless sloppy joes is it serves 4 to 5 people, which means it’s good enough to surprise a couple of health-conscious family and friends who are paying you a visit. It’s for certain that they will be shocked to know that the hearty and flavorful treat in front of them is absolutely meat-free, making their quick visit something that they will remember for a really, really long time.
Let’s quit wasting any more time! Here’s the easy-to-follow meatless sloppy joe recipe:
Ingredients:
2 cups of water
1 cup of green lentils
1 can of tomato sauce (15 ounces)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of coconut sugar
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian)
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin (ground)
1 small-sized white onion (minced)
1 small-sized green bell pepper (diced)
Smoked paprika
Black pepper (ground)
Sea salt (ground)
Directions:
-Place green lentils in a colander and rinse very well under running water. Allow to drain.
-In a medium-sized saucepan, combine green lentils and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil using medium-high heat. If you want more flavorful sloppy joes, you may boil green lentils in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vegetable broth.
-Once green lentils are boiling, reduce heat and allow them to simmer for 18 to 20 minutes with the saucepan uncovered. Drain carefully afterwards and set aside.
-In the meantime, reach for a large skillet. Heat olive oil over medium heat. The moment that olive oil is hot, add garlic, onion and green bell pepper. Season with a little ground black pepper and sea salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until onion and green bell pepper are tender.
-Stir in tomato sauce, vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, coconut sugar, chili powder, cumin powder and smoked paprika. If you don’t want your vegetarian sloppy joes to be spicy, simply quit adding chili powder and smoked paprika.
-Add cooked green lentils to the skillet. Stir very well until all of the ingredients are combined thoroughly.
-Reduce heat to low and allow mixture to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Don’t forget to stir occasionally for even cooking of all the ingredients.
-Taste the mixture and add a little more of the ingredients if you are not that happy with the flavor. Do you want it to taste smokier? Add some more cumin powder. Do you want it really spicy? Feel free to sprinkle more chili powder and smoked paprika. Do you want it to have added sweetness? Stir in a little more coconut sugar.
-Once cooked, turn off the heat. Serve on toasted buns (gluten-free, if you are steering clear of gluten) and add slices of white onions.
Don’t forget to repost this really simple recipe for making meatless sloppy joes on your different social media sites to let your vegetarian or health-conscious family members and friends know how to whip them up!
