Vegetarian Sloppy Joe Sandwich recipe made with lentils in crushed tomato sauce! This is one of my most requested comfort food meals from kids at dinner time! Families will love how easy these homemade sloppy joes are to make and how delicious they are! It’s also great for leftover lunches!
The love of lentils is a recent phenomenon for me. It wasn’t until I stopped eating meat that I realized how amazing (not to mention delicious and filling) they are. I usually put dry lentils in the mind frame of dry beans. Dry beans are cheap and tasty, but I never want to wait to soak them (or should I say, I always forget to soak them).
Then I realized that dry lentils don’t have to be soaked overnight. Cook them for 30 minutes and they’re ready to go. Once I found that out, it was official: I was in love with lentils.
I’ve been enjoying these Lentils in Crushed Tomato Sauce for a bit now. They have slowly risen to my top 10 current favorite meals. It finally feels like winter here, so we curl up with these lentils on sandwich rolls (Vegetarian Sloppy Joes!), alongside some french-fries, and it’s the perfect quick dinner while we watch whatever basketball game is on that night. 
I made a bunch of tomato sauce with the tomatoes that I picked last week I made a bunch of tomato sauce, so I was out of fresh crushed tomatoes. But not to worry, I had some crushed tomatoes in the pantry!
And look at that rich red color of those crushed tomatoes! They are seed to shelf which makes a Brooklyn Farm Girl happy.
This is a easy meal to make. Just throw everything in the pot, give it a mix with a spoon and then set on the stove. I love meals where everything just goes into one pot.
Soon your kitchen will be smelling delicious! And in just a bit you’ll be enjoying these tomato sauce’d lentils! 
Don’t you just love how rich in color the dish is even after cooking? 
Serve on some sandwich rolls for a Vegetarian Sloppy Joe sandwich or serve on top of some rice!
Grab a spoon and dive in!
Hope you enjoy!
Recipe Q&A:
How can I serve these? These are perfect for a side dish or served over rice. We love them served on sandwich rolls as a “lentil sloppy joe”.
Can you freeze leftovers? Yes, you can. I do it all the time as this recipe makes a lot of lentils.
What else can I add in? Chopped onions are a great addition if you aren’t scared of onions (like me).
ETC: For more flavor use broth instead of water. For veggie friendly use vegetable broth, otherwise use beef broth.
Looking for more vegetarian recipes? Try my Vegetarian Lasagna and Lentil Kale Soup!
Pin for later:
Vegetarian Sloppy Joe Lentil Sandwich
PrintIngredients
- 16 oz package of dry lentils
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes I used Redpack Crushed Tomatoes in Puree
- 1 green pepper - diced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a pot over medium high heat. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium, cover the saucepan and cook for 30 minutes. If lentils still aren't soft, then cook for 5-10 additional minutes.
- Serve warm.
Notes
As a side dish
Over rice
On sandwich rolls
Paula says
Not only is this easy and quick, but versatile. I added different veggies, broth and it’s delicious. I freeze in portion size containers for lunch. This is a keeper.
Pamela says
I’m glad you enjoyed these lentils Paula. I love them for lunch too!
Asha says
I love that you cooked that in a sauce, so good. We make lentils dry with some spices, this is so yum my dear.
xx
[email protected] Friendly Homemaking says
This dip looks so good I might just have to make it this week!!
cheri says
Hi Pamela, lentils are my favorite thing to eat in the world, love your version here. Pinning!
Anna @ shenANNAgans says
So chuffed I get to make this today, I have all the ingredients. Yay! Since the doc suggested tweeking my diet, I have included more lentils, but as a replacement to bread and pasta, not in place of bread. I so look forward to munching on this. And I get to use the truck load of tomatoes coming from my garden too. Its a winning dish. Yarm!
Norma Chang says
I too love one-pot meals. Love lentils, this is such an easy and healthy dish, definitely saving recipe. Thanks for sharing.
grace says
lentils are SO good for you! plus, they’re quick and inexpensive and have a great texture and flavor. full of win, i’d say. 🙂
great dish!
Mary Frances says
Such an easy and delicious meal! I love lentils and I’m going to make this tonight. Thanks for sharing it 🙂
Suzanne says
Lentils are the best, filling, protein filled and delicious. This sounds great Pamela a delicious and healthful meal.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I have recently really gotten in to lentils too. I guess it is since I have been vegetarian again, so they are a good way to get some protein in, but also they are really cheap with is perfect for after all the Christmas spending.
Monica says
This is a great idea for me. Like you, I started eating more lentils and the like recently as I scaled back on meat in the last few years. I’m always looking for hearty, healthy recipes like this one!
Bam's Kitchen says
This is a bowl of comfort with earthy cumin and delicious lentils. I can’t believe you are harvesting tomatoes now (from and earlier post) as I know you are using canned ones for this recipe. Weather has been so mild. You have to love that. Take care
dixya @ food, pleasure, and health says
i usually make salad with lentils but cooking them in tomato sauce sounds fantastic!
Ashley says
I only really started to eat lentils a few years ago! And now I really enjoy them! This looks delicious – so simple too!