Lentils and veggies smothered in a flavorful sauce and topped with mashed potatoes. Comforting. Healthy. Delicious.
This can be an easy weeknight meal by using up those leftover mashed potatoes. To make it even more simple, use a frozen veggie mix and dried herbs. I chopped fresh onions and carrots, but you can easily sub a frozen veggie medley.
Tips:
Easy vegan mashed potatoes: To 2 cups boiled and smashed potatoes, add a tablespoon of olive oil (or vegan butter), a few splashes of plant based milk, a shake of garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste and a couple tablespoons nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavor (traditional Shepherd’s Pie is topped with shredded cheese).
For another flavor twist, try subbing mashed sweet potatoes or smashed cauliflower!
Looking for a vegan and gluten free Worcestershire sauce? Try this one. https://amzn.to/31qKQKQ
Lentil Shepherd's Pie
Lentils and veggies topped with warm mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 8 oz dried lentils, rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 stem fresh rosemary leaves, chopped and removed from stem, or ½ tsp dried
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, removed from stem or ½ tsp dried
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 4 cups vegetable broth, plus 1/4 cup
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (For gluten sensitivity, be sure to find gluten free version as well as vegan to stay completely plant based)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup carrots, diced
- 1/3 cup onion, diced
- 1/3 cup frozen peas
- 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
Directions
- Step 1 In a medium saucepan, add dried lentils, 4 cups of veggie broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil then turn down to medium-low until lentils are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once cooked, mash lentils with potato masher.
- Step 2 While lentils are cooking, peel and chop potatoes and boil until tender. Once cooked, mash and season to liking (see cooking tip above). If using leftover mashed potatoes, remove from refrigerator to allow to soften up.
- Step 3 In a sauté pan, add olive oil or veggie broth, toss in minced garlic, onion and carrots, allow to cook until onions are translucent. Add in mashed lentils, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, frozen peas and corn. Mix all ingredients and allow to cook on medium for a few minutes. If needed, add ¼ cup vegetable broth.
- Step 4 Preheat oven to 350. In a prepared casserole dish, add lentil mixture and spread mashed potatoes over top of lentil layer. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve and Enjoy!
OMG I have all these things in my house and I’ve been craving some comfort food…. I think this is dinner tomorrow night for SURE. I’ve been waiting for a good lentil recipe since I’ve never cooked them before!
So glad you’re going to try it. Let me know what you think!