At this time, I’m sharing a recipe from my childhood… with slightly twist. This meatless shepherd’s pie has all the heat, spice and heartiness of the standard recipe but it’s a vegetarian Shepherd’s pie with lentils. It would simply be essentially the most scrumptious factor in your menu this week.

My model makes use of cashew milk mashed potatoes, vegetable inventory and quite a lot of greens which are each filling and protein-packed. So no want to fret about not feeling full after a serving of this steamy dish!
Desk of Contents
Elements in Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
This recipe incorporates a number of elements but they make the right taste profile. Do-it-yourself all the best way with this unimaginable meat-free dish! Right here’s what I’m utilizing in my simple shepherd’s pie with lentils:

For the Filling:
- Olive oil: Since we aren’t frying or utilizing excessive warmth on this recipe, additional virgin olive oil works nice to assist sauté the greens.
- Yellow onion: I primarily use yellow onions in cooking as they aren’t too potent and are a bit buttery.
- Carrot: Such a straightforward means so as to add colour and earthy taste.
- Celery: When you love a crunch, then wait only a bit earlier than including within the celery. That means it will get delicate with out dropping it’s texture.
- Leek: Use leeks for his or her gentle onion-like taste.
- Garlic cloves: I’m undecided you possibly can ever have an excessive amount of garlic… but 3 cloves must be a lot to boost this dish.
- Mushrooms: Child bella mushrooms are the right texture and “meatiness” I’m going for on this meatless recipe.
- Contemporary herbs: rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley and a bay leaf are the herbs that create the fragrant, conventional odor and style on this vegetarian shepherd’s pie.
- Tomato paste: This nice paste provides heat to the filling in addition to helps all of it bind collectively.
- Tamari: This gluten-free sauce works like soy sauce with out the gluten.
- Dijon mustard: My fav means so as to add a deeper kick of taste.
- Brown lentils: The gentle, barely earthy taste of such a lentil is ideal in a savory shepherd’s pie.
- Vegetable Inventory: Search for a retailer purchased model with none components, or study the right way to make your personal vegetable inventory for one of the best taste!
- Frozen peas: Including a pop of inexperienced to this darkish dish.
- Sea salt and black pepper: Helps to carry out the flavour of all of the greens.

For the Mashed Potatoes:
- Golden potatoes: These buttery beauties make one of the best mashed potatoes.
- Grass-fed butter: I exploit this for the wealthy taste + creaminess.
- Cashew milk: This plant milk created the fluffiest end result.
- Sea Salt: Brightens the flavour on this yummy topping.
Straightforward Ingredient Swaps
If soy is one thing you attempt to keep away from then swap tamari with coconut aminos. Use the plant based mostly milk of your selection within the mashed potatoes. Vegan butter can change the grass-fed butter to make this recipe vegan.
When you aren’t capable of finding recent herbs then be at liberty to make use of dried herbs anyplace you have to. The brown lentils may be swapped out for pink lentils to maintain an identical taste.
How one can Make Meatless Shepherd’s Pie
Earlier than you dive into this recipe, learn by means of the elements to find out what must be rinsed, chopped and so forth. This “pre-prep” will allow you to transfer extra shortly by means of the recipe itself, because it does take just a few steps.
For the Filling:

Step 1: Utilizing a big skillet, warmth the olive oil on medium-high warmth for 30 seconds, or earlier than it begins to smoke. Sauté the onion, carrot, celery and leek for 3-5 minutes or till the greens simply start to melt.

Step 2: Add the garlic and sauté 60 seconds, stirring always so it doesn’t burn. Add mushrooms and sauté for five minutes, stirring to maintain the mushrooms from burning.
Step 3: Add all of the herbs and tomato paste to the skillet and prepare dinner for 30 seconds, stirring regularly. Stir within the tamari, mustard and broth.
Step 4: Add the rinsed lentils and carry simply to a boil. Decrease warmth and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring often.
For the mashed potatoes:
Step 1: Whereas the skillet is simmering, begin on the potatoes. Add them to a big pot then cowl with simply sufficient water to maintain them submerged. Deliver to a boil then decrease warmth to a simmer. Cowl and prepare dinner for 10 minutes or till potatoes are fork tender.
Step 2: Drain the water from the potatoes and place them again within the pot. Add within the butter and mash effectively with a fork, potato masher or immersion blender till creamy. As you’re mashing, slowly stir in simply sufficient cashew milk to make the potatoes easy with out getting runny. I wish to the liquid just a few tablespoons at a time so I don’t get an excessive amount of.
To bake:
Step 1: To Assemble: Preheat oven to 400°F. Take away the bay leaf from the skillet then stir in the peas, salt and pepper. Bay leaves simply add taste to a dish, they aren’t meant to be eaten.
Step 2: Switch to a 4qt casserole dish and unfold out evenly. Spoon the mashed potatoes over prime and gently unfold to the perimeters of the dish. I generally depart a couple of 1/4 inch of house across the fringe of my dish so I can see the filling because it bakes to find out whether it is heating correctly, but you possibly can take the potatoes all the best way to the sting in order for you.
Step 3: Bake for 25 minutes or till the filling is effervescent across the edges and the mashed potatoes are golden on prime. Verify the topping to verify the potatoes don’t burn.
Step 4: Take away from oven and permit dish to chill for quarter-hour earlier than serving. This permits the entire pie to remain heat but not burn you when attempting to serve. Be happy to add just a few pats of butter over prime when you take away from the oven, in addition to recent parsley.
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie FAQs
This distinction actually has to do with the meat filling. shepherd’s pie historically incorporates lamb whereas cottage pie incorporates beef. But no want to fret about this with my vegetarian model!
My meatless shepherd’s pie recipe creates an entire meal in only one dish. Per serving there are: 627 energy, 92 carbs, 24 grams of protein and 20 grams of fats. It additionally incorporates 25 grams of fiber and solely 31 mg of ldl cholesterol. Meat-free and nonetheless filling!
I discover that by simmering the filling within the skillet till the lentils are effectively cooked (softened) and ensuring there isn’t an excessive amount of liquid earlier than transferring to a casserole dish to bake helps maintain the filling collectively. This fashion there are not any gaps for the mashed potatoes to sink by means of. Likewise, be certain your mashed potatoes are usually not tremendous liquid-y or runny earlier than including them to the highest of your baking dish so that they don’t simply run by means of.

Extra Vegetarian Consolation Meals Meals
When you’re prepared for some heat and comforting meals this season then try the delectable recipes under. I really like seasonal cooking because it brings a couple of large number of produce and lets me mess around with new taste combos. Winter doesn’t must be bland, boring or recent meals free, simply try this listing of wholesome winter recipes!
Don’t neglect to go away a ranking + overview for my Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Lentils; I’d like to examine how yours turned out!
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oven
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skillet
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massive pot
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4qt casserole dish
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In a big skillet, warmth olive oil over medium-high warmth for 30 seconds. Add onion, carrot, celery and leek. Sauté 3-5 minutes or till greens start to melt. Add garlic and sauté for 60 seconds. Add mushrooms and proceed to sauté for five minutes—watch so greens do not burn.
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Add herbs and tomato paste to skillet. Cook dinner 30 seconds, stirring regularly to forestall paste from burning. Stir in tamari, mustard and inventory.
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Add rinsed lentils to skillet and carry simply to a boil. Decrease warmth and simmer 25 minutes, stirring often.
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Whereas skillet is simmering, place potatoes in a big pot. Cowl with simply sufficient water to maintain potatoes submerged. Deliver to a boil then decrease warmth to a simmer. Cowl and prepare dinner 10 minutes or till potatoes are fork tender.
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Drain water from potatoes and place them again into the pot. Add butter and mash effectively. Slowly stir in simply sufficient cashew milk to make potatoes creamy and easy.
To Assemble:
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Take away the bay leaf from skillet and stir in peas. Add salt and pepper.
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Switch to a 4qt casserole dish and unfold evenly. Spoon the mashed potatoes on prime and gently unfold to the perimeters of the casserole dish.
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Bake for 25 minutes or till filling is effervescent across the edges and the mashed potatoes are golden on prime.
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Take away from oven and permit to chill quarter-hour earlier than serving.
- Swap vegan butter for grass-fed butter to make this dish vegan.
- Use lentils of your selection, simply word that totally different lentils prepare dinner otherwise, so regulate cooking time to make sure they’re softened within the skillet.
- Use dairy-free milk of your selection instead of cashew milk.
- Swap mushrooms with one other vegetable if desired.
- Bake time will fluctuate relying in your casserole dish, so simply watch that the potatoes don’t get burnt on prime.
Energy: 627kcal, Carbohydrates: 92g, Protein: 24g, Fats: 20g, Saturated Fats: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g, Monounsaturated Fats: 8g, Trans Fats: 0.5g, Ldl cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 1282mg, Potassium: 2305mg, Fiber: 25g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 4305IU, Vitamin C: 74mg, Calcium: 148mg, Iron: 8mg
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