Yield: 6
Lentil Shepherd's Pie
This is comfort food at its best! Lentils replace the beef in a traditional shepherd's pie to make this vegan without lacking a bit of flavor. Lentils are excellent for added protein and extra fiber. Shortcut available in the notes 😉
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
55 minutes
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes (can sub vegan instant potatoes to save time)
- 6 yukon gold potatoes, medium
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp butter, plant based
Shepherd’s Pie Filling
- 1 cup lentils, dry
- 3 cups water, (or low sodium vegetable broth)
- 1 yellow onion, medium size, chopped
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, (peas, carrots, green beans, and corn)
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 cup ketchup, (organic)
- 2 tbsp tamari, (or low sodium soy sauce)
- 2 tsp worchestire sauce, or A1 steak sauce
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 tbsp corn starch, (or arrowroot starch)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh chives, optional
Instructions
Mashed Potatoes Instructions
- For creamier mashed potatoes, peel your potatoes at this time. Otherwise, just halve your potatoes and place in a large saucepan or pot and cover with water by about 1 inch.
- Bring to a light boil over high heat and add 1 tsp of sea salt and cook for 25-30 minutes or until very tender. They should effortlessly slide off a knife when pierced with a knife.
- Once tender, drain your potatoes and place them back in the hot pot off the heat for 1 minute to evaporate any additional water.
- Mash your potatoes using a potato masher until fluffy.
- Add in vegan butter, garlic, salt, and black pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Shepherd's Pie Filling Instructions
- Combine the lentils and water or broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes until they’re soft. Then, add the frozen vegetables and cook for 5 minutes giving them time to defrost and cook a bit.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked lentils to the onion and veggie mixture. Gently mix until it’s well combined. Add the garlic powder, smoked paprika, ketchup, tamari, steak sauce, liquid smoke, and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the cornstarch or arrowroot powder evenly over the mixture and stir until it’s incorporated into the filling. Continue stirring until it has thickened up just a bit. Usually about 1-2 minutes. It won’t be super thick but will have more of a gravy-consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Assemble
- Preheat your oven to 375˚F. Transfer the lentil filling into an oven-safe baking dish and smooth it out. Spoon and carefully spread the mashed potatoes over the top. Place the vegan shepherd’s pie in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn on the broiler, and place the baking dish back in the oven for a few minutes so the top of the potatoes will get brown and crispy.
- Garnish with fresh chives or thyme.
- Store leftovers in fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for longer. Freezes well and makes excellent leftover dinners!
Notes
Use instant mashed potatoes to cut cooking time in half, just look for some that are non dairy such as Bob's Redmill Potato Flakes or Idaho Potatoes Traditional.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 350Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 632mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 17gSugar: 11gProtein: 15g
