Description
A hearty and cozy vegan shepherd’s pie featuring a savory lentil and vegetable filling topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes and a crispy herbed crust. Perfect for a nourishing, plant-based comfort meal.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (300g) cooked brown or green lentils
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds / 900g)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 250g)
- 2 medium carrots, diced (about 150g)
- 2 celery stalks, diced (about 100g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste
- 2 cups (480ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the herbed crust:
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- 6 tablespoons (85g) cold coconut oil or vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3–4 tablespoons (45-60ml) cold water
Instructions
- Cook the lentils: Rinse lentils and simmer in water for 20-25 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the sweet potatoes: Peel and chop sweet potatoes into chunks. Boil in salted water for 15-20 minutes until very soft. Drain and mash with a bit of salt. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the filling: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for 6-7 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring to avoid burning.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to deepen flavor.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook out raw taste, forming a thick paste.
- Slowly pour in vegetable broth while stirring to avoid lumps.
- Add Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Stir in cooked lentils and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Prepare the herbed crust: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, parsley, and oregano.
- Cut in cold coconut oil or vegan butter with fingers or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until dough just comes together.
- Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in fridge for at least 15 minutes.
- Assemble the pie: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread lentil filling evenly in baking dish.
- Spread mashed sweet potatoes evenly over filling, smoothing or creating peaks with a fork.
- Roll out herbed crust on floured surface to size of baking dish. Place crust over sweet potatoes, pressing edges to seal. Cut slits for steam to escape if desired.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until crust is golden and crispy and filling bubbles around edges. Tent with foil if crust browns too quickly.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
[‘Do not overcook lentils to avoid mushy filling; lentils should have some bite.’, ‘Season filling as you go to balance flavors.’, ‘Keep coconut oil or vegan butter cold for a flaky crust.’, ‘Prepare filling and crust a day ahead for convenience.’, ‘Use fresh herbs for best flavor; reduce dried herbs by half.’, ‘Add coconut milk or smoked paprika to mashed sweet potatoes for extra creaminess and flavor.’, ‘For gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free blend in filling and crust.’, ‘If crust browns too fast, tent with foil while baking.’, ‘Reheat leftovers in oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes or in skillet with splash of water or broth.’, ‘Avoid freezing due to sweet potato topping texture changes.’]
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Vegan, Plant-Based
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the pie
- Calories: 320
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 9
- Protein: 12
Keywords: vegan shepherd's pie, lentil shepherd's pie, sweet potato topping, herbed crust, plant-based comfort food, vegan dinner, healthy vegan recipe