Vegan Shepherds Pie

I had a dear friend who would bring Shepherds Pie to work for his lunch every night.

Sadly my friend has long passed away, but the memory of him and his big tub of Shepherds Pie remains.

Of course he made his with ground beef – which us Brand New Vegan’s no longer eat…..right?  Same goes for those soy based meat crumbles you now see  in the supermarket.  Not the healthiest option.  Just say no to processed!

No, THIS  Vegan Shepherds Pie uses lentils and mushrooms in the filling, and is every bit as good, and healthy!

It’s also an adaptation of this recipe from Minimalist Baker, so hats off to them for an awesome recipe!

Thanks to the invention of frozen veggies, this recipe is a snap.  Simply get one of those 10oz packages of peas, corn, and carrots from the frozen section and you’re good to go.

I used peas and carrots, but only because my wife hates corn.  She’s from the Northwest, I’m from the Midwest.  Go figure.

I also took the liberty of adding a single sweet potato in with the other gold potatoes.  Not only does it add a nice bit of color to the topping, it also adds a nice touch of sweetness, not to mention a ton of nutrients.

Did i mention the lentils?  If you’re new to the legume world, these are literally a vegan superfood.  Lentil’s are packed full of fiber, iron and protein.  (9 grams per 1/2 cup).

I personally loved this dish, even know my wife wasn’t too crazy about it.  (She hates peas too).  It uses so few ingredients, and literally takes less than an hour to cook.  No fancy, hard to pronounce ingredients.  Just whole, plant-based, grocery store type foods.

I hope you give it a try.  To an old Midwesterner like me, it’s the perfect comfort food.

Print Vegan Shepherds Pie

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  50 mins

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: 8

Comfort food! This Vegan Shepherds Pie uses lentils and mushrooms in the filling, and is is every bit as good, and healthy as the original. Ingredients

• POTATO TOPPING
• 4 medium yukon gold potatoes
• 1 medium sweet potato
• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• PIE FILLLING
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz package of mushrooms, chopped
• ⅓ cup low-sodium vegetable broth to sauté
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1½ cups lentils, brown or red
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp rubbed sage
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 10oz package of frozen vegetables (peas, corn, carrots)

Instructions

1. Peel all potatoes, cut in half, and add to pot
2. Add just enough water to cover and bring to boil
3. Boil potatoes 15-20 minutes or until soft
4. Drain, add back to pot, and add almond milk
5. Mash with potato smasher until smooth
6. Salt and pepper to taste
7. Set potatoes aside
8. Chop onion, garlic, and mushrooms
9. Saute in large stew pot until they just start to brown
10. Add remainder of veggie broth and lentils
11. Add remainder of seasonings and cook for 35-40 minutes
12. Add the frozen veggies during the last 10 min of cooking
13. Pour filling into a 9x13" casserole dish
14. Top with potatoes and smooth to completely cover
15. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until potatoes start to brown
16. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika

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