Apple Cider BBQ Lentil Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Apple Slaw
Smoky, tangy lentil sloppy joes simmered in a reduced apple cider BBQ sauce and piled onto toasted whole-wheat bread with a crisp apple-cabbage slaw.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
Apple Cider BBQ Lentil Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Apple Slaw is a vegan lunch recipe made with dried green lentils, water, olive oil. It takes 50 minutes of hands-on time, serves 4, and each serving has 537 calories, 24 g of protein and 16 g of fiber.
Green lentils keep their shape when cooked, so the filling stays hearty and doesn't turn to mush. Boiling apple cider down with tomato paste gives the sauce a sticky, fruity BBQ flavor without bottled sauce, and smoked paprika adds the smokiness. A quick apple-cabbage slaw goes on top for crunch and acidity, which balances the rich filling.
Ingredients
Lentils
- 1 cup192 gdried green lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 3 cups711 gwater
Sloppy joe filling
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil
- 1 medium110 gyellow onion, finely diced
- 1 large155 gred or green bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
- 3 tbsp48 gtomato paste
- 2 tsp4.6 gsmoked paprika
- 1 tsp2.7 gchili powder
- 1 tsp2.1 gground cumin
- 1 cup248 gunsweetened apple cider (not vinegar)
- 1 cup240 gcanned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp16 gsoy sauce
- 1 tbsp15 gapple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp15 gDijon mustard
- 1 tbsp20 gmaple syrup
- ½ tsp3 gsalt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp0.6 gblack pepper
Apple slaw
- 3 cups267 ggreen cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 medium182 gcrisp tart apple (such as Granny Smith), cut into matchsticks
- 2 30 ggreen onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp15 gapple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil
- 1 tsp5 gDijon mustard
- 1 tsp6.7 gmaple syrup
- ¼ tsp1.5 gsalt
To serve
- 8 slices256 gwhole-wheat bread slices (or 4 whole-wheat buns)
- 2 tbsp1.8 gfresh dill pickle slices or chopped dill (optional)
Kit: medium saucepan, large skillet, large mixing bowl, fine-mesh strainer
Tips
- Use sweet apple cider or unfiltered apple juice here, not apple cider vinegar. Reducing it first concentrates the flavor so the sauce doesn't taste watery.
- If the filling gets too thick while it sits, loosen it with a splash of water or cider.
- Dress the slaw no more than a few hours before serving so it stays crunchy.
Swap ideas
- Brown lentils instead of green
- They cook a few minutes faster and turn softer, so the filling is creamier and closer to a classic sloppy joe.
- 2 cans (15 oz each) drained lentils instead of dried
- Skip step 1 and cut about 20 minutes, though the lentils are a little softer.
- Red cabbage instead of green in the slaw
- The slaw is more colorful and a bit more peppery.
- Add 1/2 diced jalapeño with the bell pepper
- Adds gentle heat that works well with the sweet cider.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
537kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 1.6 g 8%
- Sugars
- 26.9 g
- Sodium
- 1130 mg 49%
- Potassium
- 1196 mg 25%
- Calcium
- 225 mg 17%
- Iron
- 7.1 mg 39%
- Vitamin C
- 93 mg 103%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Lentils, raw, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Oil, olive, salad or cooking, Onions, raw, Peppers, sweet, red, raw, Garlic, raw, Tomato products, canned, paste, without salt added (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Spices, paprika, Spices, chili powder, Spices, cumin seed, Apple cider, Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice, Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), Vinegar, cider, Mustard, prepared, yellow, Syrups, maple, Salt, table, Spices, pepper, black, Cabbage, raw, Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw, Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared
Method
Put the rinsed lentils and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape. Drain off any extra water.
While the lentils cook, make the slaw. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, maple syrup and salt. Add the cabbage, apple and green onions, toss well and refrigerate until serving.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and the onion is turning golden at the edges, 7–8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste, smoked paprika, chili powder and cumin. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes, until the paste turns a shade darker and starts to stick to the pan.
Pour in the apple cider and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer briskly until the liquid has reduced by about half and looks syrupy, 5–6 minutes.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, soy sauce, vinegar, Dijon, maple syrup, salt and pepper, then add the cooked lentils. Simmer, stirring often, until thick enough that a spoon dragged through leaves a trail that fills in slowly, 8–10 minutes. Mash about a quarter of the lentils against the side of the pan to help it hold together. Taste and add more salt or vinegar if needed.
Toast the bread or buns. Pile the hot lentil filling on top, add a heap of apple slaw and pickles if you like, and serve right away.
Storage: Store the lentil filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove with a splash of water. The slaw is best the day it's made but keeps for 1 day in the fridge. Store it separately and toast the bread just before serving.
Questions
- How much protein is in apple cider bbq lentil sloppy joes with crunchy apple slaw?
- Each of the 4 servings has 24 g of protein, 16 g of fiber and 537 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is apple cider bbq lentil sloppy joes with crunchy apple slaw vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does apple cider bbq lentil sloppy joes with crunchy apple slaw take to make?
- 15 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking, so 50 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make apple cider bbq lentil sloppy joes with crunchy apple slaw ahead?
- Store the lentil filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove with a splash of water. The slaw is best the day it's made but keeps for 1 day in the fridge. Store it separately and toast the bread just before serving.
- What can I substitute in apple cider bbq lentil sloppy joes with crunchy apple slaw?
- Brown lentils instead of green — they cook a few minutes faster and turn softer, so the filling is creamier and closer to a classic sloppy joe.. 2 cans (15 oz each) drained lentils instead of dried — skip step 1 and cut about 20 minutes, though the lentils are a little softer.. Red cabbage instead of green in the slaw — the slaw is more colorful and a bit more peppery.. Add 1/2 diced jalapeño with the bell pepper — adds gentle heat that works well with the sweet cider..
- Does apple cider bbq lentil sloppy joes with crunchy apple slaw contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 26, 2026 ·American