I am so happy to be back home and back in the kitchen!
Don’t get me wrong… I loved getting spoiled by my mom for almost two months, but I am really passionate about cooking and sharing recipes. Getting back into the kitchen and pouring my heart and soul into dishes I can share with the world has become an integral part of my life.
So, as you can imagine, I totally enjoyed creating this recipe. This dish is not your ordinary Shepard’s Pie. Nope! It is vegan and it came out fantastic! One thing I added was a thicker layer of mashed potatoes because it really meshed well and felt we needed MORE of it lol! I included that extra fluff in the recipe.
This is perfect for days you want to veer away from meat and enjoy a warm wholesome and healthy dish.
So what exactly is a Shepard’s pie anyway?
A Shepard’s pie, sometimes known as cottage pie, is of English origin. You usually make the pie using ground meat with a crusted topping of mashed potatoes. Over time, the pie has been altered in many ways. But that’s what makes this pie such a great meal to begin with, it’s versatility. It can be made in its original form using ground meat and onions cooked in a gravy base and then topped with mashed potatoes. Or, you can add vegetables to the meat base before topping it off. You can make it meatless, hence, my wonderful vegetarian recipe!! You can even turn it into a cheat meal and pile on some cheese and gratin it.
The dish originated as a way to use leftover meat in a resourceful way that became an instant hit. Shepard’s pie is now a worldwide dish and takes on many forms in different parts of the globe.
Pros for making this dish:
- it’s vegan
- perfect for “Meatless Mondays” or any other meatless kind of day for meat-eaters
- a wholesome satisfying family meal
- has many variations to accommodate any picky eaters
- an easy dish to take with you for potlucks
- you can always add your own personal touches without affecting the outcome negatively
- it’s packed with nutritious veggies and lentils
Vegetarian Lentil Shepard’s Pie
Ingredients
- 1 ½ brown lentils
- 4 cups water
- 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
- ½ cup onion or ¼ cup dried onion
- 4 carrots chopped
- 5 stalks celery chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar optional
- 2 teaspoons Worcesterchire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Combine lentils and 4 cups of water with chopped carrots, chopped celery, 2 vegetable bouillon cubes in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 20 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are cooked.
- Once lentils are cooked add red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and salt.
- In a large pot boil the peeled potatoes until soft then strain water. Mash the potatoes inside the pot until fluffy, using a masher. Add in the butter, milk or Almond milk and salt, then mix.
- Spoon lentil mixture into a deep baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes and bake 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are browned at 400F
Tina says
I made this today and my meat eating husband and he didn’t didn’t even notice it was meatless😅 I substituted the celery for peas and it came out great! I’ll be making this as frequently as I can.
Lama says
haha! Wow that is amazing 🙂