Smoky, tangy, meaty, and messy - vegetarian sloppy joes are quick & easy, and packed with protein. Using meaty mushrooms and hearty lentils, this family-friendly recipe comes together in just 30 minutes, makes excellent leftovers, and is freezer-friendly. They're even better the next day!
Sometimes we're in the mood for a comfort food classic but don't want anything too heavy, like my healthy flatbread pizza or Impossible burger meatballs.
In this recipe for vegetarian sloppy joes, we use lentils and mushrooms to recreate a meaty texture, and utilize a combination of fresh and pantry-friendly ingredients to make a tangy, smoky, and hearty sauce.
You'll be amazed at how delicious meatless sloppy joes can be! It's everything you love about sloppy joes, but without the meat. So, if you have 30 minutes, let's get started!
Jump to:
⭐️ Why These Sloppy Joes are the Best
- Tasty comfort food: This lentil sloppy joe recipe is meaty, savory, tangy, smoky, zippy, and messy. Everything you love about sloppy joes but without the meat and canned sauce. It's so much more flavorful while still being no-fuss.
- Quick and easy: This family-friendly recipe comes together in just 30 minutes. We use pantry-friendly ingredients that you most likely already have on hand, and it makes for great leftovers.
- Healthy and nutritious: These veggie sloppy joes utilize lentils and mushrooms to recreate a meaty texture, so it's high in fiber, protein, and dairy-free. Additional nutrition is provided from the red pepper, onion, garlic, and spices. And we use maple syrup as a natural sweetener here, so you can dig in and know that you are being good to yourself!
- Excellent for meal-prep so you can enjoy throughout the week, and the mixture is freezer-friendly.
🍄 Ingredient Notes
- Hamburger buns - I am partial to sesame seed buns, but any standard hamburger buns will work well. Or try my ciabatta rolls for a chewier texture.
- Vegetable broth - Using vegetable broth adds much more flavor to this recipe, but you can also use water.
- Onion - Yellow, white, or red onion will work just fine, or you can also substitute 2-3 shallots for similar flavor.
- Green lentils - I call for green lentils in this recipe because they remain much more firm after cooking. However, you can also use red lentils here, but refer to the cooking instructions in the "Tips" section (or follow instructions on package).
- Tomato sauce - Adds a touch of sweet zippiness and is the foundation for classic sloppy joes. If you've got leftover spaghetti sauce on hand, substitute 2 cups for the tomato sauce for a similar flavor.
- Bell pepper - Adds a touch of sweetness and delicious crunch.
- Mushrooms - Adds a meaty texutre to our sloppy joe mixture. I love the deep umami flavor of baby bella mushrooms, but your favorite variety of mushrooms will work great.
- Smoked paprika - Adds a smoky flavor; use 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke if paprika isn't available.
- Pickled onions - This is an optional garnish, but I love the tangy crunch they provide here.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Canned lentils. Substitute (pre-cooked) canned lentils to make life even easier.
- Gluten-free sloppy joes: Substitute gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (find a brand that doesn't contain barley malt vinegar) and gluten-free bread.
- Vegan sloppy joes: Substitute vegan Worcestershire sauce (without anchovies) for a vegan version.
- Red lentils: Bring water/vegetable broth to a boil, add lentils, and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. (Red lentils cook faster than green lentils and are less firm when cooked).
- Maple syrup. Out of maple syrup? Don't fret - see my list of the best maple syrup alternatives!
🔪 How To Make Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
(*See printable instructions in the recipe card below)
Prepare lentils: Add liquid and lentils to a small saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook (covered) for around 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain any remaining liquid and set aside.
Make sloppy joe mixture: While your lentils are cooking, add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 5-6 minutes, until soft and translucent. Toss in diced pepper and mushrooms, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Next, add salt, pepper, tomato sauce, maple syrup, ketchup/tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and paprika, and stir until well combined.
Add cooked lentils to the skillet and mix well. Continue cooking the mixture over medium-low heat until heated throughout, about 5 minutes.
Assemble: Spoon mixture into hamburger buns and garnish with pickled onions and parsley (if using). Serve immediately.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Vegetable broth will add more flavor, but you can use water to cook the lentils as well.
- Toast your buns. For more texture and flavor, toast your hamburger buns. Slice and place (open-faced) under broiler for 3-4 minutes, and watch closely.
- Make in advance: Make your sloppy joe filling the day before serving and let the flavors mingle in the refrigerator. It's actually better on the second day!
- Storage: Transfer sloppy joe mixture to an airtight container and store up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- How to reheat: Place sloppy joe filling in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir occasionally until warm throughout, around 10 minutes.
- How to freeze: Cool completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
🍽 How to Serve Meatless Sloppy Joes
There are so many options for pairing sloppy joes with delicious side dishes! Here are a few suggestions:
- Keep the meal lighter by pairing them with a vegetable, like roasted Brussels sprouts or corn on the cob
- Pair with a tasty side salad, like purple coleslaw or cucumber salad
- For a heartier meal, serve them with Japanese sweet potato fries.
- Check out my sloppy joe sides post for more options!
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
It can be made a variety of ways! In our meatless sloppy joes, we use garlic, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder to give it that familiar smoky, tangy, and sweet taste. This recipe is quick and easy, and packed with protein. It comes together in just 30 minutes, makes excellent leftovers, and is freezer-friendly!
It is both vegetarian and vegan, but it contains quite a few unhealthy ingredients, including high fructose corn syrup. Making homemade sloppy joes is so much healthier and so easy!
🍅 Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.
Subscribe to my email newsletter to get my FREE Guide on Money Saving Tips on Buying Groceries, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox!
Vegetarian Sloppy Joes Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 small saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup green lentils, well rinsed (see "Tips" section for instructions on using red lentils)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
- 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
- 8 ounces baby bella (or button) mushrooms, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon ketchup or tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- pickled onions (optional garnish)
- fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish)
- 6 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Add liquid and lentils to a small saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook (covered) for around 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain any remaining liquid and set aside.
- While your lentils are cooking, add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 5-6 minutes, until soft and translucent. Toss in diced pepper and mushrooms, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Next, add salt, pepper, tomato sauce, maple syrup, ketchup/tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and paprika, and stir until well combined.
- Add cooked lentils to the skillet and mix well. Continue cooking the mixture over medium-low heat until heated throughout, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt if needed.
- Spoon mixture into hamburger buns and garnish with pickled onions and parsley (if using). Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
-
- Vegetable broth will add more flavor, but you can use water to cook the lentils as well.
-
- Toast your buns. For more texture and flavor, toast your hamburger buns. Slice and place (open-faced) under broiler for 3-4 minutes, and watch closely.
-
- Make in advance: Make your sloppy joe filling the day before serving and let the flavors mingle in the refrigerator. It's actually better on the second day!
-
- Storage: Transfer sloppy joe mixture to an airtight container and store up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
-
- How to reheat: Place sloppy joe filling in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir occasionally until warm throughout, around 10 minutes.
Kristina
As a vegetarian I miss eating sloppy joes, but the lentil and mushroom mixture worked really well! Even my kids commented on them! Can't wait to make this again!
Gastronotherapy
So happy to hear that you and your kids enjoyed them, Kristina! 😀
Sara
I loved the tangy flavor and hearty vegetarian mixture! Thanks for the recipe.
MaryAnne
So glad you enjoyed them, Sara! 😍
Barb Haner
I have been hungry for sloppy joes but since I don't eat much meat anymore I didn't know how to make them. This recipe sounds great!
MaryAnne
I hope you give them a try! 😊