Description
A comforting and hearty vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie featuring a savory lentil and vegetable filling topped with creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes. Perfect as a wholesome main course for family dinners or meal prep, this recipe combines classic flavors with plant-based ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Potato Topping
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 3/4 cup unsweetened, unflavored cashew milk or other non-dairy milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- few shakes black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups vegan cheese shreds, cheddar preferred
Lentil Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups cooked lentils, drained and rinsed (about 2-15oz cans or cooked from dry)
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- few shakes black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups frozen pea and carrot mix
- 1 cup frozen corn
Instructions
- Prepare Potatoes: Peel and chop the russet potatoes into large chunks. Place them in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes until fork tender.
- Mash Potatoes: Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add vegan butter, cashew milk, salt, and black pepper to taste. Mash until smooth and creamy. Stir in 3/4 cup of vegan cheese shreds, reserving the rest for topping. Cover and set aside.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 400℉ to get ready for baking the shepherd’s pie.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Combine Lentil Mixture: Add cooked lentils, dried rosemary, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste to the skillet. Stir well and cook for 1 minute.
- Thicken Filling: Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour and stir until fully incorporated, ensuring no flour or tomato paste clumps remain.
- Add Vegetables and Broth: Pour in vegetable broth along with frozen peas and carrots and frozen corn. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Assemble Shepherd’s Pie: Pour the lentil mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish or cast iron pan and spread evenly. Carefully spoon the mashed potatoes over the lentil filling and spread them into an even layer.
- Add Cheese and Bake: Sprinkle the remaining vegan cheese shreds on top of the mashed potatoes. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pie is hot and the cheese is slightly melted and bubbly.
- Serve and Store: Serve immediately for the best flavor. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze once fully cooled for longer storage.
Notes
- If using dry lentils, cook 1 1/2 cups dry lentils with 4 cups water by boiling, then simmering covered for about 20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain excess water.
- You can omit vegan cheese or substitute with shreddable vegan mozzarella if preferred.
- For a non-lentil option, replace lentils with about 3 cups ground vegan beef substitute cooked with onions and garlic, then continue with the rest of the recipe.
- To make this gluten free, replace all-purpose flour with cornstarch or gluten-free flour for thickening.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
