I don’t eat a lot of ground beef these days. Maybe the occasional hamburger, but that’s it. But sometimes I find myself missing those simple comfort foods from my youth. Like the good old sloppy joe. Not the most elegant of foods, but it really hits the spot sometimes.
I wanted to try making a vegetarian version of the sloppy joe. One of my favorite things about the classic is the chewy, saucy meat. So I added lentils and wheat berries to the mix. I love wheat berries! They are so flavorful and , well, chewy. Just what I needed in my sauce.
The lentils and wheat berries, along with onions and mushrooms, tomatoes, spices and seasonings make a great vegetarian option for those who want to add more vegetarian meals to their weekly dinner menu.
I served mine on homemade pretzel rolls(recipe coming at the end of the week!) topped with a little sliced avocado and melted Swiss cheese. You could use a different type of cheese if you like. The Swiss was great, but pepperjack, cheddar, or colbyjack would also go well.
I’m guest posting over at Just Between Friends today, so head over here to get instructions on how to cook the lentils and wheat berries!
- 1 T. Olive Oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 oz. Cremini or baby bella mushrooms, diced
- 1½ c. Lentils, cooked
- 1½ c. Wheat Berries, cooked
- 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes
- 8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
- ½ C. Ketchup(look for corn syrup free)
- ½ T. Worchestershire sauce
- ½ T. Soy Sauce
- ¾ t. Dijon Mustard
- ½ T. Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ C. Coconut Palm Sugar(or brown sugar)
- ¼ t. Chili Powder
- ¼ t. Paprika
- ½ T. Coarse Salt
- ⅛ t. White Pepper
- 1 Avocado, sliced
- 8 slices Swiss Cheese
- 8 Pretzel Rolls, cut into buns
- Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and heat to medium/high.
- Add the diced onion to the oil and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add the diced mushrooms and saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked lentils, wheat berries, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, mustard, vinegar, sugar, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to the saucepan.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the mixture for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened a little.
- Lay out the bottom halves of the pretzel rolls on a baking sheet.
- Scoop heaping spoonfuls of the sloppy joe mixture on top of the pretzel roll bottoms and then top each one with a slice of cheese.
- Place the cheese-topped sloppy joes under the broiler and remove as soon as the cheese has melted.
- Top each sandwich with a few slices of avocado and it's pretzel roll top.
- Serve immediately!
