Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie

This vegan lentil shepherd's pie layers golden, buttery mashed potatoes over a hearty, savory lentil filling. It's a wholesome twist on a comforting classic!

Course Vegan Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 48

Total Time 58

Servings servings

Calories 355kcal

Author Louisa

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, cooked
1 cup peas
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Non-stick cooking spray

Mashed Potato Topping:

3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed clean and quartered
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup vegan butter
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 2-qt baking dish with non-stick spray.
Add the olive oil to the skillet over medium-high heat.
Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and carrot. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes.
Reduce to medium-low heat and stir in the flour, salt, black pepper, paprika, and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Pour in the broth and soy sauce. Add the lentils and peas and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Pour the lentil filling into the prepared casserole dish and spread it into an even layer. Set aside.
Add the potatoes to a large stock pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the stockpot. Place the pot onto the stove with the burner turned off. Allow the potatoes to dry out for 5 to 7 minutes.
Microwave almond milk for 30 seconds. Add half of the plant milk, vegan butter, garlic powder, and salt to the pot with the potatoes.
Mash with a potato masher. Add more almond milk if needed while mashing.
Spread the mashed potatoes over the lentil filling evenly.
Bake the vegan lentil's shepherd's pie for 20 to 25 minutes or until the mashed potato topping is lightly golden.

Notes

You can turn the broiler on for the last minute of baking to help brown the mashed potatoes. You can also brush a bit of vegan butter or olive oil on top of the mashed potatoes before baking!
Let the lentil filling cool slightly before adding the mashed potatoes in small dollops. Otherwise, the mashed potatoes will sink and mix with the filling.
You can add shredded vegan cheese on top of the mashed potatoes or swap mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower for the topping! You can also add plant-based ground beef to the filling of this vegan lentil shepherd's pie for extra meatiness.

Nutrition