Recipe: Lentil Sloppy Joes
Are there any other ‘80s kids out there whose families made sloppy joes for dinner? This was one of my favorite meals. Lentil sloppy joes are an improved, healthy version of 80s sloppy joes.
While visiting my parents in Oregon a few years ago, my mom and I came across this recipe online. It’s since become a dish we make every time I visit. It’s a hit with the whole family.
To make this dish, you can find PlantStrong’s full recipe here.
There are guidelines in the recipe creation world for how to share recipes, which means I will not be sharing the full recipe here. Get the detailed recipe by clicking the link above.
What’s in it?
Onion, fresh garlic, green pepper, mushrooms, green or brown lentils, tomato paste, canned diced tomatoes, barbeque sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, chili powder.
For serving: buns, fresh sliced tomato, lettuce.
Why is it delicious?
Cooked tomatoes, BBQ sauce, maple syrup, and chili powder. Sweet and spicy. Lentils are a nutrient powerhouse. Need I say more?
Cooking notes
The recipe yields 2 servings. Try the recipe as is if you are cooking for two. I think you will find that this is a great recipe for leftovers, so I recommend doubling it.
Once you’ve made the dish once following the recipe as is, feel free to experiment with the ingredients. You may want to add more mushrooms, add more bell pepper, replace the green bell pepper with a red bell pepper, etc.
I use my Instant Pot to cook the dried lentils.
I use my Always Pan (10.5”) to make this dish once the lentils are cooked. Any pan around this size should work well.
You’ll also need a good knife for chopping vegetables, measuring cups, and measuring spoons.
I recommend unsweetened BBQ sauce. Refined sugar is not our friend. I like Primal Kitchen’s BBQ sauce.
I like buying maple syrup from a local vendor at the farmer’s market. I like Grade A Very Dark, which is darker in color and has the highest ORAC value. ORAC value is a measure of antioxidants. I would avoid Aunt Jemima, Karo, and Mrs. Butterworth’s. They are not maple syrup, they are high fructose corn syrup and chemicals.
ORAC: Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity units, a unit of measurement for antioxidant content which was originally developed by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
How I serve it
Healthy-ish buns are hard to find. Therefore I usually serve on bread, such as Ezekiel. Try adding any whole food toppings you would normally add to a burger. It’s also delicious without any toppings.
Ideas for leftovers
Serve over quinoa (pictured).
Add wilted spinach, baby kale, or swiss chard to boost the dish’s nutrient content even more. This is very easy to do if you are reheating the dish on the stove — simply add the fresh, raw greens to the pot and stir to combine.
Serve over a baked sweet or white potato.
If you have leftover ingredients and want to make the dish again, I recommend using what you have. If your leftover tomato paste is less than the recipe measurement, if your leftover can of crushed tomatoes or cooked lentils are more than the recipe measurement, don’t sweat it. Your dish should still come out just fine. Use your judgment, and don’t be afraid to experiment.
Nutrition information
1 serving
Total fat 0.6g
Saturated fat 0.1g
Sodium 172mg
Carbohydrates 45g
Fiber 9.2g
Sugars 23g (added sugars: 0g)
Protein 9g
Calcium 121mg
Iron 4mg
Potassium 1075mg
Notes pt. 2
I don’t count carbs. I’m only including carbs here because they are a staple on nutrition labels, and can be interesting as a ratio of fat and protein.
1 slice of Ezekiel bread adds another 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. With the bread, 1 serving of this dish provides nearly 50% of the daily fiber allowance for women and 32% for men.
Enjoy!
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
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