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Shepherds pie served
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5 from 8 votes

Vegan Shepherds Pie

My version of vegan shepherd's pie is filled with lentils, vegetables, in a savory sauce, topped with thin scalloped cheesy potatoes. Instead of mashed potatoes. This cottage pie is a savory sensation you must try!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Entrees
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 345kcal

Ingredients

Lentil and Vegetable pie filling

  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 1 leek diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 3 stalks celery chopped
  • 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
  • 2 ½ cups prepared brown lentils I used trader Joe's steamed brown lentils
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free version
  • 1 Tablespoon vegan Worchestershire sauce
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¼ cup red wine optional
  • ¼ cup flour gluten-free or flour of choice
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Potatoes and Cheese Mixture

  • 2 pounds yellow potatoes skins on, sliced into ⅛ inch slices
  • cup oat milk or milk of choice
  • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon flour gluten-free or flour of choice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Other ingredients

  • ¼ cup chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Blanch Potatoes

  • Cut potatoes into ⅛ inch slices (I used a mandoline or cut by hand).
  • Cover potatoes in ice-cold water until ready to blanch.
  • Fill a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt.
  • Bring water to a boil.
  • Drain cold potatoes and add the sliced potatoes to the boiling water.
  • Boil for 5-7 minutes and drain in a colander and allow to cool completely.
  • In the meantime, prepare the lentil vegetable pie filling.

Lentil Meat Pie Filling

  • In a large skillet, saute garlic, leek, and onions until the onions are translucent.
  • Add the carrots, celery, and mushrooms; saute for a few minutes until the mushrooms are brown.
  • Now add the prepared (cooked) lentils and garlic powder; combine.
  • Add a little vegetable broth if the vegetables and lentils begin to stick.
  • Add peas, red wine, vegan Worcestershire sauce, soy (or tamari), and tomato paste.
  • Combine vegetable broth and flour in a high-speed blender to prevent flour clumps.
  • Pour slowly into lentil/vegetable mixture and stir. As the mixture heats up, it will thicken. Stir until thick like stew,
  • Remove from heat.

Making the Vegan Cheese Sauce

  • In a high-speed blender, combine all the ingredients.
  • Transfer to a small saucepan and heat on low heat, stirring occasionally.
  • The sauce will thicken as it heats.
  • Remove from heat.

Making the Vegan Shepherds Pie

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
  • Pour the contents of the lentil vegetable pie filling into a 9X13 inch casserole dish.
  • Begin layering the potato slices, overlapping each potato slice to create a crust topping, using half the potatoes.
  • Pour half the cheese sauce over the top of the overlapping potatoes.
  • Now, create a second layer, using the rest of the potatoes, again crossing them slightly over each other.
  • Pour the remaining cheese sauce over the top.
  • Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese.
  • Cook, uncovered for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are brown on top.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes to settle.
  • Serve on a plate or bowl and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Notes

  • Allow the shepherd's pie to set for about 10 minutes before spooning up the creamy, cheesy lentil sensation.
  • Blanch the potatoes ahead of time and keep them refrigerated until ready to construct cottage pie.
  • For a crunchy crust on the bottom, sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven.
  • I used Trader Joe's brown lentils that are pre-cooked and steamed. This saves the step of cooking the lentils. You can also use canned, drained lentils.
  • If using frozen vegetables do not cook them before adding them to the filling.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 1477mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4404IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 6mg