Mushroom Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
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Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 lbs/1350g russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1/3 cup/78ml soy or cashew milk
- 2 tsp/12g salt divided
- 1/2 tsp/1g ground black pepper
Filling
- 2 tbsp/30ml olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs/625g mushrooms sliced (button or crimini)
- 1 medium/150g yellow onion diced
- 1 large/115g carrot peeled and diced
- 1 rib/75g celery diced
- 2 cloves/10g garlic minced
- 1/2 cup/100g green or grey lentils
- 2 tbsp/30g tomato paste
- 1 tbsp/15ml tamari
- 2 tsp/10g dijon mustard
- 1 tsp/1g dried thyme
- 1 tsp/1g dried rosemary
- ½ tsp/1g ground black pepper
- 1 cup/235ml broth
- 2 cups/300g frozen peas
- To serve: fresh ground pepper nutritional yeast, fresh parsley
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tsp/6g salt.
- Peel and diced the potatoes. Smaller diced potatoes will cook faster but lose more starch into the water.
- Cook the potatoes until soft enough to be pierced with the fork.
- Reserve 1 cup/235ml of starchy water and drain the rest. Move the potatoes to a bowl.
- Add the milk, ½ cup/120ml reserved water, ½ tsp/3g salt and pepper. Mash until smooth. Add more of the reserved water as needed. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Dice onion and mince garlic.
- Wash, trim, and slice the mushrooms thinly.
- Peel the carrot and finely dice the celery and carrot.
- Preheat oven to 375°F/190 C. Use a large cast iron pan with an oven proof handle or have a large, deep baking dish ready.
- In the cast iron or in a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high.
- Add the diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes until translucent and beginning to brown.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring regularly, until mushrooms are soft and reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook stirring regularly for 3-5 minutes until beginning to soften.
- Remove from heat. Add lentils, tomato paste, mustard, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Stir to coat everything.
- Add broth and tamari. Stir until well distributed.
- Scatter the peas in a layer on top of the mushroom-lentil mixture.
- Spread a layer of mashed potatoes over the peas, sealing everything in.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until lightly browned on the top of the potatoes and bubbly at any spots where the filling is leaking out. For more browning, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately garnished with more chopped parsley or fresh ground black pepper.
- Can be frozen whole or in portions for easy meals.
Notes
Tamari: As a fermented product, tamari adds umami depth as well as salt to the filling.
Salt: Depending on broth and soy sauce used, you may need to add additional salt to the filling. Taste a mushroom or carrot piece after adding the broth to determine how much more salt is needed.
Milk: Soy or cashew will be the most neutral flavor with the right balance of fat.
For cheesy mashed potatoes: Add 4 tbsp/25g grated vegan/gluten free parmesan or 2-3 tbsp/16-24g nutritional yeast to mashed potatoes. For richer mashed potatoes add 2 tbsp/28g vegan/gluten free butter.