This Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie is fairly new in my recipe roster, but it’s quickly becoming one of my go to’s. Sometime last year, before the pandemic, I went out with friends for a trivia night at some local pub and they had Shepherd’s pie. I really wanted to order it, but it was a traditional Shepherd’s pie which comes with ground beef. And since I don’t eat red meat, I didn’t get it. I couldn’t get it out of my head and really wanted the taste of all those veggies and mashed potatoes on a cold day, so I decided to make a vegetarian version of it. It turned out amazing!
There are not a lot of things that I enjoy eating more than mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes on top of a delicious vegetable pie? Amazing. Adding mashed potatoes to any meal just makes me happy.
Equipment
It’s important to have a pot, skillet or dutch oven that can be put into the oven. You’ll want to bake the pie for a bit to give the mashed potatoes the golden color as you see from my recipe. I love this Dutch Oven pot I bought. It’s not a super fancy one, I wish to be able to afford Le Creuset one day (fingers crossed). For now, Lodge brand will do.
Lentils
I recommend green lentils for this. I’ve used red lentils before, they fall apart and don’t keep their shape. Substitutes: I haven’t tried any other grain, but I would think some beans such as black beans or chickpeas would work.
Vegetables
I used carrots, mushrooms, celery, onions, garlic, canned peas and canned tomatoes. These veggies are not very traditional to the original Shepherd’s pie.
Substitutes: There are many other veggies that can be added or taken out for this recipe. You can add corn, green beans, broccoli or any veggies you like. This is a nontraditional recipe so try some things you think might work!
Mashed Potatoes
I cheat and use pre-made mashed potatoes, specifically, Bob Evan’s original recipe. This is why this recipe is quick to make. I recommend doing that to save time, but you are welcome to try making your own mashed potatoes.
Serve this Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Equipment
- Knife
- Spatula
- Chopping board
- Large skillet or Dutch oven (or something that can be put in the oven)
Ingredients
- ½ Medium yellow onion
- 3 garlic gloves
- 3 medium carrots about 2 cups
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1-2 celery sticks
- 5-6 medium sized portobello mushrooms
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 can sweet peas no sodium
- 1 can diced tomatoes any type
- 3-4 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tsp dry parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Set the oven to 375º
- Cook the lentils. usually add 2 ½ cups of water to every 1 cup lentil and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Put the skillet on medium heat and add the olive oil once the skillet heats up a little.
- Chop the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms into bite sized pieces. You don’t want them to be too big, otherwise it will be too difficult to eat.
- Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Add the carrots and mushrooms. Cook about 5 minutes or until mushrooms start to shrink a bit.
- Mix the tomato paste with chicken broth until there are no clumps and everything is smooth.
- Add the mixture to the skillet and work it in until everything is well coated. Cook for additional 8-10 minutes.
- Add the cooked lentils, canned tomatoes, peas and celery and parsley. Mix everything together. I would suggest tasting some of the mixture to see if any more salt or pepper is needed. Let everything stew together while you’re getting the mashed potatoes ready.
- Pop the mashed potatoes in the microwave and cook according to the instructions.
- When the mashed potatoes are ready, spread them on top of the Shepherd’s Pie in an even layer. Make sure to cover the pie completely.
- Cook in the oven for about 15 min or until the top of the pie starts to get golden.
- Use fresh herbs to enhance the flavor and presentation.
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