Description
Hearty and satisfying, this vegan shepherd’s pie is one of my favorite cold-weather recipes. This lentil dish is packed with protein and will satisfy even the pickiest meat eater!
Ingredients
Scale
MASHED POTATOES
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, washed and partially peeled
- 3-4 Tbsp vegan butter
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk (I used cashew milk)
- Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
FILLING
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp quality tomato paste
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- Lemon juice from ½ lemon
- 1 T light brown sugar
- 1 T honey
- ¼ t mustard powder
- ¼ t onion powder
- ¼ t garlic powder
- ¼ t chili powder
- ¼ t Worcestershire sauce
- 1 healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils (rinsed and drained)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tsp fresh thyme (or sub 1 tsp dried thyme per 2 tsp fresh)
- 1 10-ounce bag of frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F (218° C)
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Dice the potatoes into quarters and place them in a Dutch oven or large stock pot. Fill the pot until the potatoes are just covered. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Generously salt, cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender.
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Once cooked, drain and transfer to a medium-size mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, mash until smooth. Add vegan butter and milk—season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.
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While the potatoes are cooking, lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
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Warm pan over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and sauté onions for 6-8 minutes until caramelized. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add tomato paste and cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomato sauce is a deeper, browner brick red. This will caramelize the sugars and intensify the flavors even more.
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Add tomato sauce, lemon juice, light brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Then add lentils, stock, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil.
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Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until lentils are tender (35-40 minutes). Once tender, remove the lid and continue simmering uncovered, stirring frequently, to evaporate any excess liquid.
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Add the frozen veggies and stir in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
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Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Transfer to your prepared oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes—fluff potatoes with a fork and season with another dash of pepper and sea salt.
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Place on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mashers are lightly browned on top.
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It will be hot! Let it cool before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge for up to a few days.
- Reheats well in the microwave. I re-heat at 70% power level for 4-5 minutes.