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The Best Vegan "Pulled Pork" Sandwich!

Hearty, 10-ingredient vegan "pulled pork" sandwich with lentils, tons of smoky + sweet flavor, and 17 G PROTEIN per serving!
Author Minimalist Baker
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Hamburger filled with cabbage, green onion, and our Vegan 'Pulled Pork' recipe
4.86 from 135 votes
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings 4 (sandwiches)
Course Entrée
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month (stored separately)
Does it keep? 3 Days (stored separately)

Ingredients

LENTILS

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup green lentils (well rinsed)

SEASONINGS / CARROTS

  • 2 Tbsp olive, avocado, or grape seed oil
  • 1/2 medium white or yellow onion (minced // plus more for serving)
  • 1 ½ cups packed finely shredded/grated carrots (I used my food processor attachment)
  • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar or organic brown sugar (plus more to taste)
  • 1 ½ tsp ground paprika (we prefer smoked)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 healthy pinch each sea salt + black pepper (plus more to taste)
  • 3/4 cup vegan BBQ sauce (plus more for serving // gluten-free as needed // I used Annie’s original BBQ sauce)
  • 2 Tbsp water

FOR SERVING

  • 4 medium gluten-free or whole-wheat hamburger buns*
  • Finely chopped purple cabbage, carrot, and green onion (optional)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • To a small saucepan, add water and rinsed lentils 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. The water should have a constant simmer (not boil). Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
  • When the lentils are almost finished cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and onion and season with a pinch each salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions are tender and slightly browned.
  • Next add cooked lentils, carrots, coconut sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, BBQ sauce (see photo), and 2 Tbsp water (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Stir to combine.
  • Continue cooking the mixture over medium-low heat until completely warmed through and thick, stirring occasionally - about 5-10 minutes.
  • Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more paprika for smokiness, salt for saltiness, coconut sugar for sweetness, or BBQ sauce for depth of flavor.
  • Optional: Scoop half of the mixture into a food processor and (using the "s" shaped blade) mix/pulse to mash some of the lentils and carrots together. This creates a more cohesive texture, which I prefer.
  • Serve the mixture on toasted buns of choice with toppings of choice. I went with shredded red cabbage, carrots, and sliced green onions. Serve with extra BBQ sauce for more flavor.
  • Best when fresh, though lentil mixture will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, adding water if the mixture has dried out.

Video

Notes

*Most hamburger buns are naturally vegan. Just check the package to make sure there aren’t any animal products. The only brand of Vegan/GF buns I’ve liked are by the brand Happy Camper. I also like Udi’s, but they do contain eggs.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with whole wheat hamburger buns.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 sandwich Calories: 473 Carbohydrates: 80.4 g Protein: 17 g Fat: 9.5 g Saturated Fat: 1.5 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 573 mg Fiber: 17.4 g Sugar: 25.7 g