Vegan Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd's Pie
With fall in full swing, it’s time for hearty and soothing one-dish meals like my Vegan Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie. Lentils and mushrooms take the place of meat, and a clever substitution means you won’t miss the butter in the mashed potato topping. Double the recipe to feed a crowd, or just make it for yourself so you won’t have to cook for a few days. Freezer-friendly, nutritious and oil-free, this is destined to become a cold weather whole food, plant-based staple in your house!
Whole Food Plant-Based, Vegan, Oil-Free, Refined Sugar Free, Gluten Free.
When I first started living on my own in my early 20s, Shepherd’s Pie was one of my favorite dishes to make. My then-boyfriend (and now-fiancé!) had a great, traditional recipe that always seemed to hit the spot.
I was pretty sure I was going to have to file it away when I transitioned to a plant-based diet, but I actually think I’m eating it more now than I did back then as I’ve discovered a plant-based way of making it that has all the taste and heartiness I love with about a tenth of the fat content and none of the animal products. Eating a bigger portion for the same calories and getting a lot more nutrition at the same time? Sign me up!
So what do I love so much about Shepherd’s Pie? Let me count the ways…. It’s a meal prepper’s dream because it’s so easy to double, triple, portion, and freeze, plus it keeps well in the fridge for 3 days. It’s a satisfying one-dish meal that everyone seems to love, and it’s super complete – it checks so many boxes from Dr Greger’s Daily Dozen. And it’s just the type of food I crave when the weather starts getting cooler.
If you looked closely at my photos, you might have noticed that green tinge to the mashed potatoes. No, that’s not some weird filter – it’s because of my secret ingredient: avocado. I wanted to keep this recipe whole food, plant-based, so I decided against using vegan butter. I found that mashing a fourth of an avocado into the potatoes gives it that nice creamy and buttery taste we’ve all come to expect from mashed potatoes. And don’t worry; it won’t brown the way it does when you make guacamole. See how pretty it is?
I also want to mention that the serving sizes are just a guideline; only you know what your body needs. For me, a fourth of this recipe isn’t quite enough, so I like to eat two servings. But it does keep me sated for hours and I can make it to the next meal without snacking, which is a big bonus!
Ingredients:
Serves 4
Filling:
-1 small onion (120 g), chopped
-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
-1 large can green lentils (about 235 g drained weight), drained and rinsed thoroughly
-2 small carrots (90 g), chopped into small pieces
-13 medium chestnut mushrooms (300 g), finely chopped
-2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
-2 teaspoons tomato paste
-2 tablespoons tamari sauce (gluten-free if necessary)
-1/2 cup (100 ml) red wine (gluten-free if necessary)
-1 ½ cup (300 ml) low-sodium vegetable stock (gluten-free if necessary)
Seasonings:
-1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
-1 teaspoon ground turmeric
-pinch of black pepper
-1 teaspoon thyme
-1 teaspoon rosemary
-3 bay leaves
Potato mash topping:
-2 ¾ cups potatoes (400 g), cubed
-1/4 avocado (30 g), diced
-1/4 cup (50 ml) plant milk (I use oat milk – don’t use sweetened milk)
-1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
-black pepper
-sea salt
Method:
1. In a straight-sided pan, add about 1 cup hot water, onions, garlic and all the seasonings for the filling. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
2. Add the tomato paste and tamari sauce, and mix well.
3. Add the mushrooms and mix until they’re coated in the seasoned onion and garlic mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the chopped carrots, red wine, vegetable stock, and the bay leaves. Partially cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat, or until about half of the liquid has evaporated.
5. While the mushroom mixture is cooking, prepare the potatoes. Add the cubed potatoes to a pot and add enough hot water to cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until they are very soft when poked with a fork.
6. Transfer the potatoes to a colander and rinse with warm water.
7. Return the potatoes to the pot or place in a separate large bowl. Mash thoroughly with a masher.
8. Add the rest of the ingredients under “Potato mash topping” and mash everything together. Make sure you don’t have lumps of avocado pieces in the mash; you want a smooth and creamy texture. Set aside.
9. Uncover the mushroom pan and add the rinsed green lentils and the chopped baby spinach. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the liquid has almost evaporated completely. Be careful not to dry the mixture out too much.
10. Preheat the oven to 190 C / 375 F.
11. Pour the lentil and mushroom mixture into an 11-inch round dish OR an 11x7-inch oval dish. Discard the bay leaves and smooth the filling out.
12. Top with the mashed potato mixture and spread it out over the dish. You can use a fork to make a pattern if you wish.
13. Bake for 35 minutes in the oven, or until the potato mash starts to brown.
14. Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley if you wish. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Note: You can also bake this pie in individual portion dishes and freeze for later.
Nutritional Facts per serving:
Calories: 223
Carbs: 38.5 g
Protein: 10.6 g
Fat: 3.6 g
Fiber: 9.4 g