A plant-based twist on a comfort food classic! Try these lentil sloppy joes and get a hearty fill of fiber and protein. Seasoned with chili powder and smoked paprika and made entirely in the instant pot. 

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Hi friends! Hope you’re having a good week so far. On Monday we had our 20 week anatomy scan of our baby and everything went perfectly! We will be revealing the gender sometime next week. :) Meanwhile, I wanted to share a delicious recipe for plant-based sloppy joes! 

Going meatless a couple times a week can have great benefits! Eating more whole grains, beans and lentils and vegetables on your meatless day offers many health benefits. Beans and lentils provide 16 grams of protein per cup cooked, beans and lentils are also a great source of fiber, folic acid, iron and potassium. These nutrient-rich foods are also good sources of manganese, magnesium, copper, riboflavin and vitamin B6. Going meatless one day a week, eating less meat and choosing organic or grass-fed meats all reduce greenhouse gasses. Beans and lentils are also great for your tummy and heart! 

Today’s recipe is made entirely in the Instant Pot. You simply sautee onion and garlic in a little oil, then add lentils and broth, and pressure cook for 15 minutes. The lentils come out perfectly soft. Then, you fold in the tomato sauce and seasonings right in the instant pot. Talk about a one pot wonder dish! 

What should you serve with these Instant Pot Sloppy Joes? 

• Sauteed Green Beans
• Smoky Polenta Fries

Here’s the recipe for Instant Pot Lentil Sloppy Joes: 

Instant Pot Lentil Sloppy Joes

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• Author: Emily Weeks, RDN, LD
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

A plant-based twist on a comfort food classic! Try these lentil sloppy joes and get a hearty fill of fiber and protein. Seasoned with chili powder and smoked paprika. 

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Ingredients

• 2 tsp. avocado oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion (diced)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 cup dried green lentils
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2–4 oz tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 6 whole-wheat hamburger buns
• Onion slices for garnish

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Instructions

1. Select the sauté setting on an electric pressure cooker. Heat the oil and add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, broth and salt. Cover with and lock down the lid. Pressure-cook for 15 minutes at HIGH pressure.
3. Once the cook time completes, allow the pressure cooker to release pressure naturally; this takes about 10 minutes. Once all the pressure has released, turn the steam valve to release any remaining pressure. Keep pressure cooker on the “keep warm” setting.
4. Next add 2oz of tomato sauce, brown sugar, vegan Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and smoked paprika to the pressure cooker pot. Stir to combine until heated through. If you’d like your sloppy joes more sauce-y, add the rest of the tomato sauce. 
5. Serve on whole wheat buns with a couple slices of onion.

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Notes

Stove-top (non instant pot version): 

Add the same amount of broth and lentils to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 18 minutes, or until tender. Then, you can add the cooked lentils to a large saucepan where you can add the tomato sauce and other ingredients. 

Adapted from Minimalist Baker.