Vegan Cheeseburger Lentil Sloppy Joes (Printable)

A hearty blend of lentils and creamy vegan cheese served over crisp toasted sourdough bread.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentil Sloppy Joe Base

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1½ cups cooked brown or green lentils
06 - 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
10 - 2 tablespoons ketchup
11 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
14 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
15 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Vegan Cheese Sauce

16 - ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and drained
17 - 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
18 - 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
19 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
20 - 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
21 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
22 - ½ teaspoon onion powder
23 - ½ teaspoon turmeric
24 - 1 teaspoon salt
25 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder

→ Assembly

26 - 4 large slices sourdough bread
27 - Vegan butter or olive oil for toasting
28 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
29 - 1 dill pickle, thinly sliced
30 - Chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and bell pepper, sautéing for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cooked lentils, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, vegan Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ketchup, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and flavors meld. Adjust seasoning as needed.
02 - In a blender, combine soaked cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, salt, and cornstarch. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and melty, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add additional plant milk if the sauce becomes too thick.
03 - Brush both sides of each sourdough slice with vegan butter or olive oil. Toast in a skillet over medium heat or under a broiler until golden and crisp on both sides.
04 - Place each toasted sourdough slice on a serving plate. Spoon a generous portion of the lentil sloppy joe mixture over each slice. Drizzle with warm vegan cheese sauce. Top with sliced red onion, dill pickle slices, and fresh herbs if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgently rich and savory without any of the guilt, thanks to that silky cashew cheese sauce that fooled even my skeptical uncle.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, which means you can feed people something genuinely impressive on a weeknight without losing your mind.
  • The lentils give you actual substance and protein, so this feels like real food, not a compromise dish pretending to be something it's not.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the cashews in hot water—I learned this the hard way when my cheese sauce turned grainy and chunky instead of silky; soaked cashews blend into actual velvet.
  • Taste the sloppy joe filling before it finishes simmering and adjust the spices then, not after; mushroom umami or a touch of apple cider vinegar can pull everything into focus if it tastes flat.
03 -
  • If your cheese sauce breaks or gets grainy, strain it through fine mesh into a fresh pot and whisk in a tablespoon of plant milk at a time until it's smooth again.
  • Cook your lentils slightly firmer than you think you need them—they'll soften more during the simmering step and you want them to hold their shape.
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