Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

A plant-based version of an old family favorite, this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie offers such a great combination of flavors and textures, you’ll probably end up preferring it to the original! A perfect dish to introduce vegan options to your regular rotation, that even the hardcore meat lovers will totally fall for.

Shepherd’s Pie, or Cottage Pie — I never know what to call it, really, but if it has no meat in it, then I guess both appellations would be correct, right? — has always been a favorite of mine, ever since I was a little kid. It should come as no surprise that, throughout the years and especially according to my ever changing lifestyles, I have come up with at least a dozen version of the dish… 

Of course, since I’ve recently decided to follow a plant-based diet, it was only a matter of time before I felt the need to create a Vegan Shepherd’s Pie. 

To be honest, this new version is more like a take on the Vegetarian Cottage Pie that I’d made last year; that version had been a real winner for me and I’d already made it countless times! But since I don’t eat animal products anymore, I needed to make a few adjustments here and there, and especially in the mashed potatoes department. I wasn’t certain that I’d even manage to make decent mashed potatoes without relying on dairy whatsoever, but it turned out to be much easier than I anticipated  — just like staying away from animal products seems to be, really! — thanks to my new best friend nutritional yeast! 

I then made a few more changes, like adding mushrooms to the lentil base to make it taste even meatier, for instance! And plus, I really love mushrooms, so… 

Bottom line is I totally created my new go-to Shepherd’s Pie recipe. And you know what? I think that I like this new version even better! 

Your first course of action should be to peel your potatoes and then preheat your oven to 375°F. Then, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water (start them in cold water though, and make sure that your water is “salted like the sea”) until they become really soft and practically fall apart when you poke them with a fork.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a splash of olive oil in a saute pan set over medium heat and then throw in your chopped onion, 2 minced cloves of garlic, a pint of sliced mushrooms, and a dash of salt and pepper; cook until fragrant and the mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the French lentils and kasha and stir well, then pour the water in, bring to a slow simmer…

Make sure to use French lentils, also known as Puy lentils, as they cook faster than their brown counterparts. Not only that, but they also have a very agreeable peppery flavor and retain a crunchy texture even after they’ve been cooked. They are much better suited than the brown ones for this purpose, trust me!

Likewise, be sure to use kasha as opposed to buckwheat groats, as the distinct flavor of kasha really adds a lot of depth and plays a major role in the overall flavor of the dish.

Cover your pan and simmer on low until the kasha and lentils are tender and practically all the water has been absorbed, which should take about 25 minutes.

If you find that your kasha and lentils are still not tender enough after all the water has gone, feel free to add a little more and to continue cooking for a few more minutes…

While your lentils and kasha are simmering away, rinse the frozen mixed vegetables under running water until they are completely thawed and then let them drain to rid them of excess water.

Next, when the lentils and kasha are cooked to your liking, add the roasted sunflower seeds, a few tablespoons of ketchup (you could totally use tomato paste if you prefer), a tablespoon of tamari sauce, some ground coriander, dried parsley and savory, sweet paprika, onion and garlic powder and stir well.

It’s preferable that you don’t use raw sunflower seeds, as they are pretty bland and won’t do much to the overall flavor of the dish. Definitely go for the roasted variety!

Transfer the lentil mixture to a large oven safe baking dish and then top it with the thawed mixed vegetables and set aside.

By now, your potatoes should be good and cooked and ready to be turned into a luscious and fluffy puree. To do that, you’ll want to first drain them really well and return them to the saucepan. To them, add the olive oil as well as about half of the warm vegetable stock.

You could also use non-dairy milk if you preferred, but I like the extra bit of flavor that the broth adds to the mash… 

Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the potatoes break down and the puree starts to come together, then increase the speed to medium. Add the rest of the vegetable broth (or non-dairy milk), a bit at a time, mixing well between each addition, until the puree becomes nice and fluffy.

Add the nutritional yeast as well as a little bit of salt and white pepper, to taste, then give the potatoes a final beating, until the nutritional yeast is fully dissolved and incorporated. 

Drop the mashed potatoes by large spoonfuls over the mixed veggies and then spread delicately all the way to the edge.

If you are feeling artistic, make all kinds of pretty little swirls in your mash, and then sprinkle the whole top with a little bit of sweet paprika for a bit of added color, if you feel like it!

Bake your Vegan Shepherd’s Pie for about 30 minutes or until the top becomes slightly golden (you can drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the potatoes to help them brown better).

Finally, remove your shepherd’s pie from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with a pinch of micro-greens, again, for a little bit of added color, if desired.