Vegan Shepherds Pie

5 from 8 votes

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 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Entrees

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 345kcal

Author: Kathy Carmichael

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
⅔ 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