Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joes

 

Since my 16 year old stepdaughter decided at the end of the summer last year that she was going to go “full vegan” (she had toyed with it and been vegetarian for a little bit) I have been trying to figure out easy dishes she can make that that are of her favorite non-vegan comfort foods. She loved sloppy joes before taking the vegan plunge and I like to use TVP in place of lots of ground meats in vegan adapted recipes. Recently, we discovered she likes lentils, too, though, so I decided to add some to these Vegan Sloppy Joes to add bulk as well as extra protein and texture. This vegan Sloppy Joes recipe also only calls for 3 main ingredients in the sauce as well! You can add seasoning if you like.

For buns, we find that most grocery stores carry a vegan type or two. They are usually store brand, although often, major brands make a vegan bread. I like to refer to this kind of stuff as accidentally vegan. All you need to do is look through the rolls and buns at your local grocer and make sure the bread doesn’t have any milk, egg or honey product in it. If it doesn’t, it’s vegan. Brands are required to list these in bold at the end of the ingredient list so it’s pretty easy to spot.

This recipe is made in an Instant Pot [affiliate link](electric pressure cooker) for speed, but you could certainly cook your lentils on a stove top or in a rice cooker as well.

 

Instant Pot Vegan Sloppy Joes

You will need:

1 Cup white or red Lentils

1/2 Cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)

1 3/4 cup Water

3/4 Cup Ketchup

1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tsp Granulated Garlic

1 Tsp Granulated Onion (or a 1/4 onion diced)

Optional: 1/4 Cup cooked Green Bell Pepper

To Make Instant Pot Vegan Sloppy Joes:

Add lentils, TVP and Water to an Instant Pot. Set It to cook manually for 12 minutes.

Mix together ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and seasonings (+ bell pepper if desired) in a small pot on the stove and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve sugar.

When time is up, release pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions. NEVER force the lid open.

Add sauce to lentil/TVP mix. Add to a bun and enjoy!

Note: You can get TVP from the bulk section of most stores that have one near the beans or buy TVP online. (affiliate link) A little goes a long way with this stuff since it expands.