Cuisine

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

While this dish may not be a looker, it is packed with delicious nutritious bites! Deeply satisfying with robustly spiced lentils and veggies alongside smokey sweet potatoes, this shepherd’s pie is completely vegan, naturally gluten-free, and a crowd-pleaser if ever I cooked one.

After you get all your veggie chopping done, this dish comes together fairly quickly before being tucked into the oven for 45 minutes to finish it off. The vegetables and spices are versatile – so use what you have (or like) and make it your own. I like to use brown or green lentils in this recipe as I find they hold up better than red lentils. Remember to rinse and inspect your lentils, removing any debris or small rocks as you go.

This receipe feeds a crowd, and this dish is also supremely freezer friendly if you can’t finish it all within a few days.

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook time: 30-45 mins

Ingredients for the Vegan Shepherd’s Pie:

  • 2 cups lentils, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 6-8 carrots, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups chopped leafy greens (spinach, kale, collards, etc.)
  • 3-4 sweet potatoes
  • Spices to taste:
  • 1-2 TB each: cumin, smoked paprika
  • 1-2 tsp each: chipotle powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, turmeric, mustard powder, salt and pepper
  • Dash of coconut aminos or soy sauce (or even BBQ sauce!)

To make the vegan shepherd’s pie:

  1. Bake the sweet potatoes. Pierce with a fork and bake at 350 F until tender (about 1 hour).
  2. Cook lentils according to package directions. The time will depend on what type of lentils you use, but generally use 3 c water for each c lentils. Bring to a boil and then turn down and simmer for 15-20 mins until the lentils are soft but not mushy and falling apart.
  3. Meanwhile dice your veggies and chop your greens.
  4. Saute the onion, bell pepper and carrots until they become soft and slightly caramelized. Add the garlic and greens and saute for 3-5 minutes more.
  5. Season the veggie mix with the spices and then add to lentils. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add a dash of aminos or soy sauce for more umami depth
  6. Spread the lentils and veggies in a large casserole dish.
  7. Remove potatoes from the oven and mash. You can add a dash of non-dairy milk or vegan butter to make them more creamy. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.
  8. Spread the potatoes over the lentil mix and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

What did you think?