Sloppy Lentils

Not my original, but we love it!


2 cups dried lentils

1 large onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped finely

1 large carrot, chopped finely

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cups water

12 ounces tomato paste

16 ounces tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon parsley flakes

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon chili powder

Place all ingredients into slowcooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Leave lid cracked the last 1/2 hour of cooking time for thicker consistency.

Serve on whole grain buns, over whole grain toast, over brown rice or hot noodles.

This makes such a large amount you might want to half it, or freeze the leftovers and save time later!

Trish’s notes: We omit tomato sauce and use 4 6-ounce cans tomato paste and refill each can twice for the water. You can use dehydrated veggies that you have rehydrated before adding. When using fresh veggies, we usually put them all through the food processor until pureed and then dump it all into the slowcooker. My kids don’t like chunks. We really like this dish topped with cheddar cheese and served with tortilla chips.