Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

There’s nothing more comforting on a cool autumn day than a heaping scoopful of shepherd’s pie. This recipe is a blessing for those who want to recreate the decadent taste and texture of this classic dish without using any animal products. A layer of creamy mashed potatoes sits atop a rich filling of diced cremini or baby Portobello mushrooms, lentils, and vegetables.

This recipe comes from Anne Hernandez, co-founder of Urban Homestead, an online magazine that focuses on holistic remedies and healthy eating, and one of the finalists of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show Meatless Monday Rapid Fire Challenge.

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Serves 8

Ingredients:

• Mashed Potato Topping
• 5 Pounds Russet Potatoes peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 Tablespoon Salt
• 2-4 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper or to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt to taste

• Filling
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Onion diced
• 3 Cloves Garlic minced
• 1 Cup Baby Portobello/Crimini Mushrooms diced small
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 teaspoon Parsley dried
• 1 teaspoon Thyme dried
• 1/2 teaspoon Rosemary dried
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Cup Red Wine
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth or Stock
• 1 Pound Lentils cooked
• 28 Ounce Frozen Mixed Vegetables
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mashed Potato Topping

Cover the peeled & cubed potatoes with cold water in a large saucepan. Sprinkle with 1/2 Tablespoon of salt and turn the heat to high.

Once the water starts to boil, partially cover with the lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Put a colander over a heat-proof bowl and drain the potatoes, reserving the potato water. Return the potatoes to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the dry mustard, salt, pepper, and vegan butter. Add the potato water 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly with each addition, until the mashed potatoes have a slightly loose consistency (but not runny). Set aside.

Filling

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large oven-proof skillet, heat olive oil until shimmering over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Add the mushrooms, season all with salt & pepper, and cook for 2 more minutes.

Stir the flour, parsley, thyme, and rosemary into the mushroom mixture until evenly coated for at least a minute to cook the flour.

Add the wine and cooked lentils (I used Trader Joe’s). Cook until most of the wine is reduced and absorbed.

Whisk the tomato sauce into the vegetable broth and add with the frozen vegetables and bay leaf, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaf.

If you’re feeding a large crowd, leave the mixture in the skillet. If you’d rather split the recipe into 2 pie plates, now is the time to do it. Follow the recipe but only bake one of the pies and freeze the other for another day.

Top the filling with the mashed potatoes. You can spoon it on and spread carefully as to not mix in the filling or gravy, or use a piping bag to get fancy. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned.

Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.