vegan-lentil-shepherds-pie

Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

This warm and comforting vegan lentil shepherd’s pie is layered with a hearty and rich mushroom and lentil base topped with cauliflower mashed potatoes. It’s a healthy filling meal for the whole family!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

  • Vegan Prep Meal and Dairy-Free
  • High in Plant Protein
  • Authentic Taste
  • Healthy Comfort Food
  • Loaded with Veggies
  • Gluten-Free
  • Warm and hearty meal
  • Light and fluffy mashed potato topping
  • Thick and rich lentil base with meaty mushrooms

Equipment:

Mashed Potatoes

  • 1 russet potato peeled and cut into cubes
  • 4 cups cauliflower about 1 head cut into florets
  • ¼ cup unsweetened soy milk
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic

Filing:

  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 12 oz sliced mushrooms
  • 2 cups cooked green lentils
  • 1 ½ cups peas and carrots frozen
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ tsp ground sage
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Mashed Potato Topping:

  1. Peel the russet potato and chop into large chunks. Chop your head of cauliflower into florets, or use frozen cauliflower florets (that’s what I did!) Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes and cauliflower. Cook until potatoes are fork tender about 15 minutes.

  2. Drain the water from the potatoes, and return to pot. Add soy milk, vegan butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using your potato masher, mash the potatoes until the fluffy. Set aside.

Lentil Filling:

  1. Prepare the lentils, or use packed cooked lentils. To prepare dried lentils, rinse the lentils. Transfer to a medium size pot. Add two cups of water for every 1 cup of lentils. When water comes to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to a simmer, and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Check that lentils are cooked. Most of the water should be absorbed and lentils should be firm, yet soft to the bite.
  2. Add ¼ cup of vegetable stock to a large pot on medium-high heat. Add diced onions and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes of until onions become translucent.
  3. Add sliced mushrooms, and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
  4. Add the cooked lentils, the rest of the vegetable stock (about ¾ cup), tomato paste, spices, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add the frozen peas and carrots. Stir to combine and cook for another 2 minutes, or until peas and carrots have thawed.

Assemble and Bake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Pour the lentil filling into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  2. Top the lentil filling with the mashed potatoes. Gently spread the potatoes over the top.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes. Filling will bubble and mashed potatoes will brown a bit. Top with fresh chopped herbs, and serve!

Tips for Making Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie:

  • To save time, use prepared lentils. You can buy these canned, or packaged near the tofu section of your grocery store.
  • If you prefer not to use cauliflower in the mashed potatoes, use 3 russet potatoes instead.
  • I prefer to use frozen peas and carrots because it’s quicker than chopping carrots on my own but feel free to use fresh carrots. You will need to add some cooking time to soften the carrots if you do so.
  • It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 
  • You can also freeze this dish. Transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container. It will keep for 2-3 months in the freezer. When ready to reheat. Warm in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 F, or until lentils become warm and bubbly.