To start, rinse the lentils. Add them to a pressure cooker with water, and cook on high for 8-10 minutes. We usually cook ours ahead of time in our Instant Pot, but you can use canned if you're short on time or don't own a pressure cooker.

Once the lentils are almost done, heat olive oil in a large pot on medium. Add in diced onions, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Next, add in minced garlic and diced bell pepper, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Next, add in garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, fresh oregano, and brown sugar. Stir to combine.

Then, pour in both cans of tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, and Frank's Red Hot sauce (you can omit the hot sauce if you don't want as much spice).

When the lentils are done, drain any excess water off in a strainer. Mix them into the pot of sauce, put the lid on, and simmer on low-medium for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the buns by slicing them and lightly brushing each half with some vegan butter or oil. Crisp them up in a toaster oven or in a stovetop pan on medium.

Once buns are toasty brown, taste lentil sloppy joes and adjust seasoning as needed. Add apple cider vinegar or mustard for tang, brown sugar or ketchup for sweetness, and Frank's or cayenne for more heat.