Lentil Shepard’s Pie
With snow and winter approaching, who can resist a yummy comfort food! Today I’ll share on of my favourite meatless comfort foods, lentil Shepard’s pie. It’s super quick and easy to make, plus it makes for great meal prep! I like to use mashed sweet potatoes on mine, but regular mashed potatoes work well too. You can make this recipe vegan by using vegan butter and vegetable stock!
Ingredients
Mashed sweet potatoes
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
¼ cup butter
Sea salt and black pepper
1 garlic clove
Filling
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)
1 healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils
4 cups stock
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies
Instructions
1. Slice any large potatoes in half, place in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a low boil on medium high heat, then generously salt, cover and cook until they slide off a knife very easily, about 20 minutes.
2. Once cooked, drain, add back to the pot to evaporate any remaining water, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Use a masher, pastry cutter or large fork to mash until smooth. Add butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.
3. While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish (or comparable sized dish, such as 9×13 pan. An 8×8 won’t fit it all)
4. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned and caramelized – about 5 minutes.
5. Add tomato paste (optional) and a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, stock, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (35-40 minutes). Once tender, remove the lid and continue simmering uncovered, stirring frequently, to evaporate any excess liquid.
6. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then transfer to your prepared oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed sweet potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt.
8. Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mashed sweet potatoes are lightly browned on top.
9. Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheats well in the microwave.
Recipe and photo from: https://minimalistbaker.com/1-hour-vegan-shepherds-pie/
