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!
Sometimes we're in the mood for a comfort food classic but don't want anything too heavy. Well, I've got you covered with this recipe for vegetarian sloppy joes.
It's a flavorful meatless (and open-faced) version of that old school sandwich.
We use lentils and mushrooms to recreate a meaty texture (like in my portobello burgers with smoky ranch slaw), and utilize a combination of fresh and pantry-friendly ingredients to make a tangy, smoky, and hearty sauce. It's seasoned with garlic, chili powder, and smoky paprika, and garnished with pickled onions and fresh parsley.
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⭐️ 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! While your bread is toasting and your lentils are cooking, you make your lentil-mushroom filling in a skillet. 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!
- Versatile: Turn it into a full-fledged sandwich if you don't want to make it an open-faced one.
- Excellent for meal-prep so you can enjoy throughout the week and the mixture is freezer-friendly
🍄 Ingredient Notes
- French bread - Try and opt for bread that's sliced thick.
- Vegetable broth - Using vegetable broth adds much more flavor to this recipe, but you can also use water.
- 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).
- Pickled onions - This is an optional garnish, but I love the tangy crunch they provide here. Make your own quick pickled onions!
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Bread. Sourdough discard focaccia or chewy ciabatta rolls will work great if French bread isn't available.
- Smokiness. Use 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke if paprika isn't available.
- Canned lentils. Substitute (pre-cooked) canned lentils to make life even easier.
- Gluten-free version: Substitute gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (find a brand that doesn't contain barley malt vinegar) and gluten-free bread.
- Make it vegan: Substitute vegan Worcestershire sauce (without anchovies) for vegan sloppy joes.
- 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 substitutes!
🔪 How To Make Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
(*See printable instructions in the recipe card below)
Make toasts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and toast for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. (See "Tips" section for using a toaster oven or broiler.)
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: Serve mixture spooned on top of toast and garnished with pickled onions and parsley (if using).
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Vegetable broth will add more flavor, but you can use water to cook the lentils as well.
- You can also use a toaster oven or broiler to toast your bread. If using a broiler, place under broiler for 3-4 minutes, and watch closely.
- How to serve: Keep the meal lighter by pairing it with vegan roasted brussels sprouts, apple gorgonzola salad, or corn (see my post on how to cook frozen corn on the cob straight from the freezer!); or make it a heartier one by serving it with japanese sweet potato fries. Check out my post on 23 easy sloppy joe sides for more options!
- Make in advance: Make your sloppy joe filling the day before serving and let the flavors mingle in the refrigerator.
- Storage: If possible, store topping separately from bread to prevent sogginess. Store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- 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: Freeze the sloppy joe mixture separate from the toast. Cool completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
You can keep the meal lighter by pairing it with vegan roasted brussels sprouts or apple gorgonzola salad; or make it a heartier one by serving it with roasted japanese sweet potato fries. Check out my post on 23 Easy Sloppy Joe Sides for more options!
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
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Vegetarian Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 thick slices French bread
- 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 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)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and toast for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. (See "Tips" section for using a toaster oven or broiler.)
- Meanwhile, 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.
- Serve mixture spooned on top of toasted bread and garnished with pickled onions and parsley (if using).
Notes
- Vegetable broth will add more flavor, but you can use water to cook the lentils as well.
- You can also use a toaster oven or broiler to toast your bread. If using a broiler, place 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.
- Storage: If possible, store topping separately from bread to prevent sogginess. Store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- 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! 😊