Plant Strong Sloppy Joes
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Minutes to Cook:
- Number of Servings: 5
Ingredients
For the lentils:1 cup dried green or brown lentils (not red or dePuy) - Sort through them and remove any stones or shriveled lentils then rinse and drain2 cups water (OK to use low sodium vegetable broth for more flavor)1 bay leafFor the vegetable and spice mixture:1-2 Tbsp water or broth for sautéing1 medium yellow onion, diced1 stalk celery, finely diced1 carrot, finely diced2 cloves garlic, minced1 medium green bell pepper, diced (other colors are OK)1 15-ounce can salt-free tomato sauce2 Tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (like Wizard or Annie's - or make your own)1-2 tsp chili powder1 tsp ground cumin1/2 tsp smoked or regular paprika (use the one you have)Baby spinach, lightly cooked Swiss chard or kale (optional)
1. (Be sure to sort through the lentils and discard any small stones or shriveled lentils before you rinse and drain them.) Add water (or broth), rinsed lentils, and bay leaf to a medium saucepan. Bring to a rapid simmer; then immediately reduce heat to low. You want to see a few bubbles in the water and gently moving lentils. Continue cooking, uncovered, for about 18 minutes or until tender. Taste for doneness. Older lentils will take longer to cook.
2. While the lentils are cooking, put a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, add water or broth . Add onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and bell pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender
3. Add tomato sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Stir to combine well with the vegetables.
4. Remove bay leaf from cooked lentils and discard. Add lentils to the vegetable mixture, and stir to combine.
5. Continue cooking the Sloppy Joe mixture over medium-low heat until completely warmed through and thick, stirring occasionally - about 5-10 minutes.
6. Taste and add more spices to suit your tastes. Be careful though; spices will become stronger as they marry with the ingredients.
7. Serve on whole grain buns (not included in nutrition stats) with extra onions sprinkled before topping with top half, if desired.
NUTRITION TIP: For a nutritional boost, top your Sloppy Joe with some greens before topping with the second half of the bun . Raw baby spinach, lightly cooked Swiss chard, or steamed kale are perfect! If you choose to stir them into the Sloppy Joe mixture instead of using them as a topping, you will probably need to add a bit more liquid. (You'll also end up with more servings and different nutritional stats.)
8. If you have leftovers, store in refrigerator up to 3 days. You may need to add a dash of water when reheating.
Note: If you don't want to use buns, the Sloppy Joe mixture is very good on your favorite whole grain. I like to serve it on brown rice or barley with a big handful of baby spinach on each serving, if you didn't add it as a nutrition bonus when you made the batch.
Serving Size: Makes 5 servings (not including bun)
2. While the lentils are cooking, put a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, add water or broth . Add onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and bell pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender
3. Add tomato sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Stir to combine well with the vegetables.
4. Remove bay leaf from cooked lentils and discard. Add lentils to the vegetable mixture, and stir to combine.
5. Continue cooking the Sloppy Joe mixture over medium-low heat until completely warmed through and thick, stirring occasionally - about 5-10 minutes.
6. Taste and add more spices to suit your tastes. Be careful though; spices will become stronger as they marry with the ingredients.
7. Serve on whole grain buns (not included in nutrition stats) with extra onions sprinkled before topping with top half, if desired.
NUTRITION TIP: For a nutritional boost, top your Sloppy Joe with some greens before topping with the second half of the bun . Raw baby spinach, lightly cooked Swiss chard, or steamed kale are perfect! If you choose to stir them into the Sloppy Joe mixture instead of using them as a topping, you will probably need to add a bit more liquid. (You'll also end up with more servings and different nutritional stats.)
8. If you have leftovers, store in refrigerator up to 3 days. You may need to add a dash of water when reheating.
Note: If you don't want to use buns, the Sloppy Joe mixture is very good on your favorite whole grain. I like to serve it on brown rice or barley with a big handful of baby spinach on each serving, if you didn't add it as a nutrition bonus when you made the batch.
Serving Size: Makes 5 servings (not including bun)
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 162.4
- Total Fat: 0.8 g
- Cholesterol: 4.0 mg
- Sodium: 220.9 mg
- Total Carbs: 30.5 g
- Dietary Fiber: 11.9 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
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