Date-Sweetened Vegan BBQ Sauce with Lentils

This date-sweetened vegan barbecue sauce has finally replaced Sweet Baby Ray’s as one of my husband’s favorites. He’s always been a big fan of Sweet Baby Ray’s but it was pretty much a guarantee he wouldn’t be feeling too good afterwards. We like the sauce mixed with cooked lentils for a tasty barbecue that can work as both a sandwich or paired with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or brown rice.

I started out with this super fast sauce this recipe and some cooked white beans in a quart-size ziploc freezer bag. I could easily make 5+ bags in a short amount of time. Then I just had to pull one out (preferably in advance so the thawing took care of itself!) and heat. But then I started wanting to experiment with a date-sweetened sauce. I liked this one but my husband preferred the old, so I had to merge the two! This is what I came up with, and everyone loves it.

I don’t know of anyone else who does this, but lately I’ve been soaking my lentils before I cook them.  I just put them in the pan and cover them with water an inch or so above the lentils and leave them on the counter until I’m ready to cook them.  Then I drain them, add new water and cook them on the stove with some salt and garlic.  They cook up faster that way and soaking makes them easier to digest and reduces the gas-causing effects.

I would use 3-4 cups cooked lentils (about 1 cup dry) to 1 recipe of barbecue sauce.

Thank you to vegkitchen.com and predominantlypaleo.com for the inspiration!

Print Recipe

Date-Sweetened Vegan BBQ Sauce with Lentils

Course

Main Dish

Prep Time

10 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 12 pitted deglet noor dates
• 1 TBSP Molasses
• 1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
• 3 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3/4 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Course Main Dish Prep Time 10 minutes Servings servings Ingredients 1 15 oz can tomato sauce 12 pitted deglet noor dates 1 TBSP Molasses 1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar 3 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp chili powder 3/4 tsp liquid smoke 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients on high in high speed blender until smooth. Sauce is very thick. If desired, run blender with 1/2 cup water to rinse out blender and thin sauce.

BBQ Lentils

1. Rinse and drain lentils. Cover with water 1-2 inches above lentils and boil until soft. About 10-12 minutes for well-soaked lentils, 20-25 for unsoaked. Alternatively, lentils can be cooked in the Instant Pot on high pressure for 15 minutes unsoaked or 8 minutes soaked.