Lentil Sloppy Joes

I’ve long been a messy eater. When out at a nice restaurant or eating with someone I’m trying to impress, I do my best to keep myself neat. But usually I manage to make a complete fool of myself by staining my white shirt (when will I learn to wear darker colors?) or somehow getting sauce on my nose. So it’s nice sometimes to eat something that’s supposed to be messy. With sloppy right in the name, these lentil sloppy joes give me the perfect excuse for getting food everywhere. I’m feeling strangely suspicious of ground beef these days (although I do still find it hard to resist hamburgers), so I opted to make a vegetarian (vegan even!) version using lentils instead. Economical, filling, and fun to eat, these sloppy joes taste surprisingly similar to the traditional ones and are a snap to throw together. Just don’t eat them while wearing a white shirt.

Lentil Sloppy Joes
Yield: 6 – 8 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup lentils*
• 3 – 4 cups stock**
• salt and pepper, to taste

*I used French lentils (which hold their shape), but you could also used red or yellow lentils (which fall apart when cooked), barley, bulgur wheat, or some combination.
**Adjust depending on how “sloppy” you want your sloppy joes to be.

Method:

1. In a large sautee pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat, then add 1 onion, diced and 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, diced, and sautee until the onions and translucent and the mushrooms release their juices.
2. Add 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped, 1 Tbsp chili powder, and 1 tsp dry mustard, and sautee until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in 1 large carrot, grated, 1/4 cup tomato paste, 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 cup lentils, and 3 – 4 cups stock. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, and let simmer until the lentils are cooked through, about 30 minutes, adding more stock, if needed.
4. Taste, and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve on a bun, in a wrap, or plain.