Description
This ridiculously easy vegan lentil shepherd’s is full of saucy mushrooms, carrots, peas, and garlicky creamy mashed potatoes- and it’s all ready in under 1 hour and naturally gluten free as well! Winter dinners just got SO much more comforting!
Ingredients
Scale
Mashed Potatoes:
- 1 1/2-2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, rinsed and chopped
- 1/2 cup dairy free sour cream
- 1/2 cup- 3/4 cup dairy free milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Lentil Veggie Filling:
- 3/4 cup dried brown lentils
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6-8 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 16 ounces button or shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, use tamari for gluten free
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep: We’ll first start by cooking the lentils then the potatoes. We’ll simultaneously be making the veggie filling, then assemble. Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Cook the lentils: In a large pot, add in the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the dried lentils and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until soft and tender.
- While the lentils are cooking: Keep an eye on the timer for them, but while those are cooking, we’ll start making the veggie filling.
- Saute the onions & garlic: Make sure all veggies are chopped and prepped. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven on the stovetop on medium heat. Add in the onions, and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Then add in the garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Cook the veggies: Next, add in the chopped carrots and celery, stir and cover. At this point you’ll want to check on the lentils- once the lentils are done, drain them and set them aside in a separate bowl. Fill the pot again with water and add in the chopped potatoes. Add in 1/2 tsp of sea salt, cover, and bring the pot to a boil.
- Finish the veggie filling: The carrots should be soft by now. Remove the Dutch oven lid, and add in the mushrooms and frozen peas. Stir and cover again to cook for 5 minutes. While the mushrooms and peas are cooking, mix together the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, arrowroot starch, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Once the mushrooms are soft, pour in the tomato paste mixture, and stir to combine. Add in the ground cumin, nutmeg, and sea salt, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the liquid begins to thicken. Then add the bay leaf on top, submerge the bayleaf, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Finish the potatoes: While the veggie filling is finishing cooking, drain the cooked potatoes, which should be fork tender now, and mash them with a potato masher or hand mixer, either in the pot or in a separate large bowl. Add in the dairy free sour cream, 1/2 cup dairy free milk to start, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining 1/2 tsp sea salt and ground pepper. Mash or use a hand mixer on low speed to combine until fluffy. If your potatoes need a bit more of a creamy texture, add an additional 1/4 cup of dairy free milk and mix.
- Stir in the lentils: Back to the veggie mixture, uncover the Dutch oven lid, and remove the bay leaf. Add in the lentils, and stir to combine. Remove the Dutch oven from heat.
- Assemble: Top the lentil veggie filling with an even layer of mashed potatoes.
- Bake: Place the lentil shepherd’s pie into the oven UNCOVERED to bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes have started to brown.
- Serve and enjoy: Remove from the oven and serve warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Gluten free: This recipe is naturally gluten free if using Tamari soy-sauce instead of conventional soy sauce.