Lentil Sloppy Joe’s

Stacy Sloan

| 2 min read

You’ve heard all about how adding a meatless entree or two into your recipe rotation can improve your overall health, but have you worried that making the switch is going to cause a riot at the dinner table? This recipe will put those worries to rest.
As a chef and natural foods advocate, it is really important to me that I limit my intake of processed foods. Simply put, if an ingredient is made (manufactured) in a factory, it isn’t something I really want to eat. I spent several years as a vegetarian and realized that eating meat substitutes meant I was eating a lot of processed food. Tofu, seitan, and other soy products finally just became ingredients I didn’t want to incorporate into my recipes any longer. It was then that I developed this recipe for Sloppy Joe’s.
Lentils are an excellent stand-in for meat in many different applications. Lentils are high in protein, fiber, and quick-cooking, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen on busy weeknights. I used green lentils, but you can use yellow or orange. Avoid using the “Beluga” (black) lentils in this recipe. Enjoy!

Lentil Sloppy Joe’s

Ingredients

2 cups lentils
8 cups water
2 red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrot, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1red pepper, diced
2 bay leaf

Directions

Simmer 20 minutes untill tender, drain, remove bay leaf.
Stir in:
12 oz. can tomato paste
16 oz. can tomato sauce
5 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons prepared mustard(can use yellow or spicy brown)
½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Maple Syrup to taste
Heat through and serve on whole wheat rolls.
Photo credit: Emily Barney

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