Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie
Brown lentils, mushrooms, onion, carrot and celery simmered in a savoury gravy with tomato paste, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and thyme, topped with fluffy dairy-free mashed potato and baked until golden.
Ingredients
Lentil filling
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 large onion (about 200 g), finely chopped
- 2 carrots (about 150 g), finely diced
- 2 celery sticks (about 100 g), finely diced
- 250 g (9 oz) mushrooms, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
- 1 tbsp (8 g) plain flour (or cornflour for gluten-free)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 250 g (1 ¼ cups) dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock, plus more if needed
- 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
- salt and black pepper
Mashed potato topping
- 1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 cm (1 ½ in) chunks
- 2 tsp fine salt, for the cooking water
- 60 g (4 tbsp) vegan butter or 4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil
- 120–180 ml (½–¾ cup) unsweetened plant milk, warmed
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the onion, carrot and celery in the oil over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook 8–10 minutes until dry and browning.
- Add the garlic for 30 seconds, the tomato paste for 2 minutes, then the flour for 1 minute.
- Add the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, herbs, lentils and stock. Simmer partly covered for 30–35 minutes until the lentils are tender.
- Stir in the peas, remove the bay leaf and season well. Reduce until thick.
- Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–20 minutes until very tender. Drain, steam dry for 2 minutes, then mash with the vegan butter, warm milk, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F), or 180°C (350°F) fan. Spread the filling in the dish and cool for 10 minutes.
- Top with the mash, sealing the edges, and rough up the surface with a fork.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Canned lentils: use two 400 g (14 oz) cans, drained, and reduce the stock to 400 ml (1 ⅔ cups).
- Standard Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. Use a vegan one if adding it.
- Make ahead: refrigerate the assembled pie up to 2 days and bake from cold at 190°C (375°F) for 40–45 minutes.
- Freeze unbaked up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before baking.
- Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge.