By: Natalie Wiser-Orozco
@ The Devil Wears Parsley
Serves 4-6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
¼ Cup Distilled White Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Salt, divided
2 Teaspoons Sugar
½ Cup Red Onion, sliced
1 Cup Dry Lentils, soaked overnight
½ Cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
2 Cups Heka Saucery Egyptian Tomato Sauce
½ Cup Water
½ Cup Pickle Chips
4-6 Large Hamburger Buns
The night before, or the morning of, make sure to soak your lentils in 3 cups of filtered water. This softens them up for the recipe, and cuts down on the time you have to have to cook them to make them soft. Soak for at least 2 - 3 hours, but if you can soak them even longer, that would be best. If you forget or don’t have time, you can still make the recipe, but add an additional half cup of water for a total of one cup, along with the sauce, lentils and walnuts before simmering.
In a small bowl, add vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and sugar, mixing until the salt and sugar are dissolved, then add in the sliced onion. Toss to coat and let sit while you make the Sloppy Joes. Toss regularly to ensure even pickling.
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the tomato sauce, lentils, walnuts, water, and remaining salt (¾ teaspoon). Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low and cover with a lid. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring often, replacing the lid between stirrings.
When the lentils are soft, remove from heat, and build your sloppy joes by toasting your buns until golden brown. Add ¼ - ½ cup of the filling on the heel of the bun (the bottom), then add pickles and onions, placing the crown of the bun on top. Serve immediately with extra tomato sauce if desired!
Notes
You can also use a meat substitute like Beyond Meat or similar for this recipe. Crumble and brown your choice of plant based meat first, then add the tomato sauce. Omit the water completely. Simmer meat and sauce for 7-10 minutes until thick, then continue the recipe as written.