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5 from 27 votes

Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joes

Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joes! 1 Pot, 30 min, freezer friendly tangy flavorful sloppy lentils. Serve in sandwiches with slaw or over tater tots or baked potato. Vegan Glutenfree Soyfree Nutfree Recipe
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Gluten-free, Vegan
Keyword: instant pot lentil sloppy joes
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup broth or use 1 tsp oil to saute
  • 3/4 cup onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/2 bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrots
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp chili powder blend or taco seasoning or bbq seasoning
  • 1 1/4 cup finely chopped tomato or tomato sauce/puree or a mix
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1-2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce optional, (or use soy sauce/tamari, or coconut aminos for soyfree),
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup dried green lentils picked over for stones and washed if needed
  • 1 1/4 cup water or broth
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add 2 tablespoons broth in the Instant Pot on sauté. Add the onion, garlic, pepper, celery, carrots and a good pinch of salt. Cook for 3 mins. Deglaze with more broth mid-way. 
  • Add the spices, tomato, tomato paste, vegan Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and mix in. Add salt, sugar, lentils, broth, and mix in. Mix well to pick up any stuck bits 
  • Close the lid and pressure cook at bean/chili setting for 22 mins or at manual/pressure cook for 16 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Taste and adjust salt, flavor. (The sauce keeps thickening on cooling even if it looks slightly liquidy when opened. If you used extra broth, wait for a few mins to see if its thickening enough and then you might have to saute for a few mins to reduce. )
  • Serve in buns or bread with coleslaw or onion or crunchy greens.  or in wraps or over baked potato. 

Video

Notes

These sloppy lentils are freezer friendly and meal prep friendly. Refrigerate for up to 4 days and freeze for up to a month.
Serve these in various formats with various accompaniments such as onion, jalapeno, coleslaw, creamy toppings. In sandwiches or wraps, or over baked potatoes or fries!
If using brown lentils, pressure cook for 10 mins
Burn Errors: Some Instant Pots can tend to give you burn errors for thick and tomato based dishes. Try the following for a successful result.
  • Make sure to mix everything really well to pick up any stuck bits before closing the lid.
  • Some tomato sauces can be too thick. Use a mix of fresh or diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
  • Add a bit more broth, if you generally do run into burn errors in your pot.
  • Let the veggie/tomato mixture cool for 5 mins before closing the lid. Some pots heat a bit more sauté, and that tends to increase the chances of ingredients scorching at the bottom under pressure.
Saucepan: Rinse the lentils and combine with 2 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat slightly to medium low, partially cover, and cook for 20 to 25 mins or until al dente. Drain any excess liquid.
Follow steps 1 and 2 over medium heat in a saucepan.  7-10 mins. Add only a 1/4 cup broth. Add the cooked lentils and mix well. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 6 to 7 mins to thicken and develop flavor. Taste and adjust. 
Flavor Variations
  • Add 1/2 tsp mustard
  • Add smoked paprika
  • Add 1/4 cup bbq sauce
Nutrition is for 1 Serve of lentils. Bread not included

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 505mg | Potassium: 849mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4566IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 4mg