Vegetarian Shepherds Pie with Lentils
This Vegetarian Shepherds Pie with Lentils is the ultimate meat free comfort food with rich saucy filling slathered with soft, smooth and fluffy potato
Servings 6 people
Calories 458kcal
Ingredients
- 3 pounds / 1 ½ kilos potatoes
- 1 ½ cups dry lentils
- 4 cups vegetable stock or broth
- ⅓ cup tomato sauce
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Fresh thyme
Instructions
- Prepare mashed potato by cooking chopped potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain water and mash potato until soft. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, add two tablespoons of olive oil and stir to combine. Set aside.
- To make the lentil filling: Add olive oil to a large pot and heat on stovetop on medium to high heat. Add chopped carrots, minced garlic and chopped onion and sauté until onion is translucent. Add sliced mushrooms and stir until tender.
- Add ground cumin, smoked paprika, tomato sauce, fresh thyme, dry lentils and vegetable stock. Bring to simmer for 30 minutes, then add frozen peas and simmer for a further 10 minutes until lentils and peas are tender and liquid has reduced completely.
- Spread the lentils filling in a 9’’ x 13’’ (23cm x 33cm) baking tray and top with mashed potatoes, covering evenly.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C or until Shepherd’s Pie edges are golden.
Notes
- Tip For Making the Lentil Filling: Simmer the filling until the liquid is reduced completely, or the shepherds pie will be watery after baking. To get a thicker filling, you can add two tablespoons of corn flour (or cornstarch), mixed with two tablespoons of water to the lentil filling, which will result in more of a gravy consistency.
- Mashing: For a smoother potato topping, use a handmixer to mash potatoes. I’ve used a potato masher and the result was great too, but more rustic.
- Leftovers: Store left-overs covered in the fridge for up to five days.
- Oven Preheating: You can start pre-heating the oven when you add the peas to the lentils filling.
- Other Mix Ins: A tablespoon of curry powder added to the lentil mixture, a teaspoon or two of smoked paprika, or a teaspoon of dried red chilli flakes either in the lentil mixture, or sprinkled on top.
- Mash variations: a combination of potato and pumpkin, all sweet potato, all pumpkin.
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes or Yukon gold, or red skinned potatoes (if you’re in Australia) are all good for mash as they have a nice creamy texture. Make sure to cut them roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Lentils: My favourite are dry brown lentils when it comes to making vegetarian shepherds pie as they are slightly bigger than some of the other and hold a lot of the flavour from the broth. However feel free to experiment with other types of lentils.
- Vegetable Stock/Broth: you can use either pre bough liquid stock/broth, or make it from a bouillon cube by adding water.
- Tomato Sauce/Ketchup: Use low sugar, no added sugar ketchup if possible. There are many healthier brands available in the supermarket, and I also love to make my own healthy tomato ketchup
- Vegetables: I use onion, carrots, mushroom and peas. Onion adds a savoury note, carrot and peas add colour and fibre, and mushrooms add fibre and meatiness to the dish
- Garlic: helps to create a solid flavour base along with the stock/broth and onion
- Olive Oil: for creating an uber smooth and creamy mash
- Salt, Pepper and Spices: for flavour, savouriness and balance
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 4g
