Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

Whether you call this a lentil shepherd’s pie, a cottage pie, or a casserole, it’s an easy comforting dish that’s perfect for company. Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Vegetables. You’ll need fresh carrots, celery, leeks, garlic and potatoes. If you don’t have leeks, white or yellow onion will work instead. You can also add in finely chopped mushrooms or other root vegetables as desired. Frozen peas or fresh peas can be used. 
• Herbs. I prefer fresh rosemary and thyme for this recipe, but dried will also work. For servings, I like to garnish with fresh parsley. You’ll also need bay leaves for adding an extra depth of flavor. 
• Pantry staples.  Olive oil, brown or green lentils, vegetable broth (I usually opt for low-sodium, but regular broth works as well) and tomato paste. 
• Dairy-free butter and unsweetened soy milk, though any unsweetened milk will work in this recipe.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Lentils

Start by heating the olive oil in a large pot,  pan, or a Dutch oven, over medium heat. Next, add the onion, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper then sauté for 10 minutes until vegetables are soft and tender. 

For there, stir in the garlic, lentils, vegetable broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Cook the Stew

Reduce heat to a low, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes until lentils are tender. Stir every 5 minutes or so, making sure vegetables aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add in the tomato paste and the peas. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf and the stems from the thyme and rosemary!

Step 3: Make the Mashed Potatoes

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover by 1-inch with water. Stir in the salt and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer potatoes until they are fork tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain the water from the potatoes and pass them while they are still hot through a food mill or ricer.

Place the potatoes back in the medium saucepan and stir in the milk and melted butter, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 4: Assemble the Pie

Transfer the lentil mixture to a 9×13 baking dish or large oven-safe skillet and spoon the mashed potatoes over the lentils in an even layer. Place the baking dish under the preheated broiler and broil until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.

Expert Tips for Sucess

The key to these incredibly light and fluffy mashed potatoes is a ricer or food mill. I think it’s one of the easiest gadgets out there to produce the best mashed potatoes. Never again will you suffer from glue-like, lumpy mashers! After a quick run through the ricer, I literally just stir in milk and melted butter. This method is foolproof.

After your potatoes are cooked and peeled, but still warm, place them in the basket of your ricer. Hold the ricer over a large bowl and squeeze the handles of the rice together until the potato comes through the holes. Continue with the rest of your potatoes. 

Stir in the melted dairy-free butter, milk, salt, and pepper, then stir to combine. The milk and butter should melt into the potatoes, creating a creamy, fluffy batch of mashed potatoes without additional mixing. 

If you don’t have a ricer or a food mill, then use a potato masher instead to mash the potatoes, then stir in the melted butter, milk and salt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this lentil shepherd’s pie for Thanksgiving, and as such, I like to serve it alongside my roasted carrots, vegan stuffing, and creamed spinach for a full meal.

If you want to make this for a weeknight or weekend dinner, then I recommend serving it alongside a salad, like my kale and apple salad or my squash and kale salad.

How to store leftovers

If you have any leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. I don’t recommend freezing after making this vegan shepherd’s pie as the mashed potatoes will change consistency once frozen.

However, you can make the cooked lentil mixture ahead of time and freeze it until ready to use. Then, thaw the lentil mixture, warm it, top it with the mashed potatoes, and bake it as directed.