Growing up I usually brought my lunch to school, but occasionally I would buy lunch in the cafeteria. On most days the school meal just didn’t look very appealing to me, but I do remember liking the Sloppy Joes. Trying to get all of that oozy sweet and tangy sauce into your mouth without making a huge mess made eating those sandwiches extra fun.
A vegetarian version of Sloppy Joes is not the easiest thing to find, so I was thrilled when we attended a friend’s wedding a few years ago and they served vegetarian Sloppy Joes! Given my excitement over their entrée choice, I’m surprised I hadn’t made my own version of Sloppy Joes until just recently.
This time, my recipe inspiration came from Jaime Oliver, who is on a mission to improve school lunch in the US and make things on the lunch line, like Sloppy Joes, a lot healthier. Jamie’s Sloppy Joes are made with ground beef, veggies, and kidney beans, but I figured the Sloppy Joe sauce would be just as good over some French lentils. Graham and I were both quite pleased with the results and the sandwiches made us feel a little nostalgic for our school days!
Sloppy Lentil Joes
Adopted from JamieOliver.com
- 1 cup French lentils
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 1-2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- ¾ cup tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon spicy chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Whole wheat tortillas/wraps
- Lettuce or baby spinach for garnish
Place lentils into a medium-sized pot. Fill pot with water and stir in a good pinch of salt. Cook the lentils for about 15-20 minutes or until they are cooked through. Drain remaining water from the pot and set aside.
Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onions and cook until they just turn translucent. Add carrots cook until they are tender crisp. Add the cooked lentils to the skillet and then stir in the tomato puree, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, mustard, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook until the sauce has thickened up a bit.
Tasty Easy Healthy Green Recipe Ratings:
| Recipe Report Card | Notes About Recipe Ratings |
|
Tasty Rating Four Chefs (Delicious!) |
Much better than the Sloppy Joes we ate in elementary school! |
|
Easy Rating
Four Easy Chairs (“ABC, Easy as 123…”) |
This recipe came together very quickly and was definitely easy enough to be a weeknight dinner. |
|
Healthy Rating
Four Apples (Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise) |
Low in fat and high in fiber, I’d be happy to see these on school menus across the country. |
|
Green Rating
Four Leaves (Mother Earth Approved) |
The majority of the ingredients in these Sloppy Joes were organic. |
These don’t look sloppy at all! I look forward to making them soon. Thanks, Sally!
This recipe looks amazing and super delicious…One month ago I discovered smoked paprika and I’m so in love with it, it just adds such a deep flavor to my vegetarian recipes…I can’t wait to try this…
oooh I’ve made a similar version but it was a long time ago–thanks for the reminder!
This is bookmarked, I can’t wait to try it! I love lentils and all those gorgeous spices must make this dish so delicious.
This really sounds like something I might be able to get my gang to try. Your photo looks really wonderful. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
This is just a great way to make lentils appealing even to children! It looks very healthy and appetizing! Thank you very much for your sympathy!
I made this last night and it was sooooo good! Thanks, Sally!
This was great! Made it last night for dinner and really enjoyed it.
Your lentil Joe’s look great, especially stuffed into a wrap! I’m not a fan of the typical over-sized, floppy bun, so this is an excellent solution.
Wow, great idea, they sure are packed with protein…yummie! The picture are very inviting. Hope you have a wonderful week Sally
These look fantastic! About how many servings would you say this made?
We were eating these sloppy joes for a while, so I think the recipe makes enough filling for about 5-6 sandwiches. Enjoy!
I’m not certain I’ve ever tried a sloppy joe. I can’t imagine why. I think I’d love it especially with lentils. Thanks for the reinvention! xo
Just happened upon here from a google search! I’m excited to try some of these amazing looking recipes! By the way where do you find french lentils? I make a french lentil soup but I use just regular green/brown lentils in mine. Is there a difference?
[...] Tasty Healthy Green Yummy and easy! Made enough for at least [...]
I like the sound of lentil sloppy joes!
French lentils are also known as puy lentils and hold their shape better than brown lentils when they are cooked. I found some French lentils in the bulk bins at a grocery store near my house. If you can’t find them at your local store, I think you can probably order them online. They are definitely worth a try! Good luck!
Fantastic recipe. It would be perfect lunch