Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

Name: Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Cuisine: European, British
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 3 large yellow onions, diced; 8 cloves garlic minced (use less if you’re not a huge fan of garlic); 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped; 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 120 ml dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir or Malbec); 285g green lentils (or brown lentils); 900 mL vegetable broth; 2 bay leaves; 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet or hot paprika; 1/4 cup (56g) smooth tahini; 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce); 1 tablespoon good-quality balsamic vinegar; 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce, optional; Plenty of kosher salt or sea salt (I used 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons kosher salt); Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; 680g Russet potatoes; 454g cauliflower, cut into large florets; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 rosemary sprig (optional); 4 tablespoons vegan butter, softened at room temperature (or olive oil); 120 mL lite coconut milk; 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast; Freshly cracked black pepper to taste; Extra virgin oil for baking and finishing; Flaky sea salt; Fresh thyme leaves; Chopped flat-leaf parsley; black pepper

13 steps

Prep:15minCook:1h 30min

Tips: Once the cauliflower and potatoes are done boiling, drain them thoroughly in a colander. Let the potatoes sit in the colander to dry out while you work on the cauliflower. Transfer the cauliflower to a fine-mesh sieve, and place a bowl on top of the boiled cauliflower. Push down and squeeze out as much water as you can or wrap the cauliflower in a clean dish towel and tie it up. Then squeeze it into a ball and wring out all of the excess water. -If using golden potatoes instead of Russets, do NOT use an immersion blender – the potatoes will get gummy. Use a potato masher or ricer instead. -You can this recipe more indulgent. If you taste the mashed potato filling and think it needs a bit more buttery goodness, add some more a little more vegan butter! -If you do not consume alcohol, skip the step of deglazing the pan with red wine. Instead, just start deglazing the pan with the vegetable broth. It helps to use a vegetable broth that is quite flavorful and rich, but wine does add something special -you can Make the Lentil Filling in the largest skillet you have and then transfer it to a large (3 quart/3 liter) baking dish. Spread the topping on and bake as instructed. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, in the freezer, for up to 3 months. To reheat, transfer portioned out leftovers to an ovenproof dish and tent with foil. Heat at 163°C until lentils and potato-cauliflower topping are both warmed through. If frozen, I recommend allowing the shepherd’s pie to thaw before reheating (otherwise, the potato-cauliflower topping can be a bit icy and lend watery results). How to serve – A hunk of rustic multigrain bread or sourdough – A fall or winter salad like this Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad or Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad – Steamed or lightly sauteed broccoli or green beans If allergic to coconut, use full-fat unsweetened oat milk. To keep this dish soy-free, omit the tamari and just add a bit more salt to taste.

Updated at: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 17:32:11 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories389.4 kcal (19%)

Total Fat16.5 g (24%)

Carbs44.8 g (17%)

Sugars7.8 g (9%)

Protein14.8 g (30%)

Sodium1041.9 mg (52%)

Fiber15.1 g (54%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

8 servings

Instructions

Step 1

Make the Lentil Filling. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat until hot. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, you’ll need to transfer the cooked lentil filling to a baking dish when it’s time to bake.

Step 2

Add the onions with a couple pinches of salt and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until most of the onions are browned. Stir occasionally to prevent burning, but not too often so that they can brown. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Step 3

Push the onions to the edges of the pan so there’s an empty space in the middle of the pan. Add the tomato paste into the empty space and stir for 2-3 minutes, or until it darkens in color. Reduce the heat to medium, as needed.

Step 4

Pour in the red wine and deglaze the pan, stirring up any browned bits, until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the smell of alcohol has dissipated, about 3-4 minutes.

Step 5

Add the vegetable broth, along with the lentils, bay leaves, and paprika. Stir to combine and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a rapid simmer, and simmer until the lentils are just tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 25-30 minutes.

Step 6

Turn the heat to low. Add the tahini, tamari, balsamic vinegar, and vegan Worcestershire sauce (if using). Stir until well incorporated. Taste for seasonings, adding a generous amount of salt (I used about 1 teaspoon kosher salt) and black pepper. Set aside.

Step 7

Make the Mashed Potato Topping. Peel the Russet potatoes and then rinse them under cold water. Chop the potatoes into eighths.

Step 8

Place the potatoes and cauliflower florets in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and add just enough water to cover. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and stir to combine. Place the rosemary sprig on top. Bring to a boil and cook until both potatoes and cauliflower are fork-tender and are very soft when poked, about 15 minutes.

Step 9

Thoroughly drain the potatoes and cauliflower in a colander and discard the rosemary sprig. For the potatoes, pat them dry with paper towels or a clean dish towel. For the cauliflower, you’ll need to squeeze out the excess water or it’ll be very watery. NOTE: See the “tips” section in the post for details on how to squeeze out the excess water.

Step 10

Return the vegetables to the saucepan or transfer them to a large bowl. Add in the softened vegan butter, lite coconut milk, nutritional yeast, along with salt and black pepper to taste. You can mash everything together using a handheld potato masher, but I use an immersion blender. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt as needed (I used about 1 teaspoon kosher salt).

Step 11

Assemble the Shepherd’s Pie. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. If your skillet is ovenproof and has enough space, leave the Lentil Filling in there. If not, transfer it to a large (3 quart/3 liter) baking dish. Smooth the Lentil Filling out. Then, spoon and carefully spread out the Mashed Potato Topping on top, covering the whole surface. For more flavor, drizzle the top with extra virgin olive oil and some extra pinches of salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves.

Step 12

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the lentil filling starts to bubble up. Remove from the oven and turn on your oven’s broiler. Place the pan under the broiler for a few minutes until the crust is golden brown. To finish, drizzle with more olive oil and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Step 13

Note: if you want the pie to solidify more, allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes in the pan. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.