Vegan Cheeseburger Lentil Joes (Print version)

Hearty lentils and vegan cheese atop toasted sourdough create a bold, comforting plant-based dish.

# 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 - 1.5 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 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
15 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Vegan Cheese Sauce

16 - 0.5 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 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
22 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
23 - 0.5 teaspoon turmeric
24 - 1 teaspoon salt
25 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder, optional

→ 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, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and bell pepper; sauté 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 thickened and flavors meld. Adjust seasoning to taste.
02 - Combine soaked cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, salt, and cornstarch in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Pour mixture into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and melty, 3 to 5 minutes. Add additional plant milk if 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 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, pickle slices, and fresh herbs if desired. Serve immediately.

# Tips from the pros:

01 -
  • It delivers that savory, umami-packed sloppy joe experience without pretending to be something it's not.
  • The vegan cheese sauce is silky and tangy, nothing like the plastic-y imitations that give plant-based cheese a bad reputation.
  • You can have this on the table in under an hour, making it perfect for weeknight dinners when you want something substantial.
02 -
  • The cheese sauce separates if you let it sit too long without stirring, so make it last and keep it warm on the lowest heat setting, stirring occasionally.
  • Don't skip soaking the cashews—raw cashews in a blender won't become creamy, they'll stay grainy and separated no matter how long you blend.
  • The lentil mixture tastes even better the next day after the flavors have truly melded, so leftovers are genuinely worth looking forward to.
03 -
  • Make the cheese sauce while the lentil mixture simmers so everything finishes at the same time—timing is the difference between components that come together and ones that feel rushed.
  • Toast your bread in the skillet rather than a toaster if you want maximum crispness and the ability to control the color; the flat contact with heat creates a shatteringly crisp surface.
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