I made four individual shepherd's pies, but we only need three of them. Would you like one?

I often make shepherd's pie with soya mince, but this time I made it with lentils. Green lentils to be precise, but I've also made a shepherds pie with red lentils before and that was rather good too. This beauty is made with green lentils, mushrooms, onions and carrots in a rich tasty gravy and topped with a creamy mash and baked until golden and bubbling. YUM!

We love comfort food like this, especially on a cold day. It's the perfect dish to make ahead and freeze, but I have to admit I never do get around to freezing this. I don't have enough room in my new freezer, which is rather small and to be honest I'm rarely organised enough.

Busy weeknights

During the week when we get home late and tired after a busy day of work or school I'm looking for a quick recipe so I make simple meals like Spinach and Coconut Dal with toasted pitta bread, Spiced Carrot, Lentil and Spinach Soup, a simple Tomato and Basil Sauce for pasta or a toastie and salad.

Weekend slow cooked meals

At the weekend I make slow cooked meals like shepherd's pie. It's more of a treat because we don't eat like this all of the time and it's nice to make something special for your family when the end of the week comes and it's time to relax. So if you me visit on the right day, you'll be sitting down to a pie, a nut roast or a bake with lots of veg or some salad and garlic bread, depending on what what I've made as the main event.

Here are some of my weekend bakes

Cheesy Cauliflower and Potato Bake with Spinach

Rich Tomato & Roast Vegetable Pasta Bake 

Roast Vegetable, Veggie Sausage & Chickpea Bake  

Sticky Red Onion Sausage Bake with Gravy

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Chickpea Bake  

Tomato Gnocchi Bake with Cheesey Oat Crumble

Vegan Shepherd's Pie with Lentils and Creamy Mash

What is shepherds pie?

Shepherds pie and it's counterpart cottage pie are both traditional Scottish dishes. Cottage pie was originally made from beef and shepherd's pie from mutton or lamb. They are both frugal peasant dishes made with scraps of meat or lamb, teamed with onions and carrots (staple Scottish crops) in a rich gravy, topped with mashed potato. I say topped with mashed potato, but before potatoes arrived in bonnie Scotland, these pies were topped with pastry.

How do you make a vegan shepherd's pie?

To make a vegan shepherd's pie you just have to replace the meat with soya mince or lentils, You aren't trying to make a dish that tastes like meat, rather a twist on a traditional dish that is the ultimate comfort food, with lots of vegetables in a rich gravy with a mashed potato topping.

print recipe

Vegan Shepherd's Pie with Lentils and Creamy Mash

Written by Jacqueline Meldrum

April 06, 2016

An easy and comforting shepherd's pie made with mushrooms, onions, carrots and lentils in a rich gravy topped with a creamy dairy free mash.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
• 400g tin green lentils
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 vegetable stock pot
• 3 tbsp HP brown sauce (or a BBQ sauce)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp cornflour
• a good grinding of salt and pepper
• 1 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 50g dairy free spread (or butter)
• a splosh of unsweetened soya milk (or standard milk)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed pan and add the mustard seeds. Leave them for a couple of minutes until they start making popping sounds, then add the onion, celery and garlic. Saute until soft.2. Add the carrots, p the lid on and leave to cook gently for 5 minutes.3. Add the mushrooms, the lentils and the thyme. Cover again and allow to cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.4. Add the stock pot to a measuring jug and top up with boiling water to the 400ml mark. Stir well until dissolved and then add to the pan, along with the HP sauce, which gives the gravy a great flavour and the tomato puree.5. Add a little water to the cornflour, to make a runny paste. Add this to the pot and stir well. This will help to thicken the gravy.6. Cover the pot and leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the gravy is thick.7. While this is cooking, boil the potatoes until soft, then drain and mash with the dairy free spread, then season with salt and pepper.8. About 10 minutes before the end of cooking, pop the oven on to heat. 200c/180c fan/gas mark 6.9. Ladle the savoury lentil mixture into 1 large or 4 individual pie dishes. Top with the mashed potato and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.10. Enjoy!

Details

Total time: 90 mins
Yield: Serves 3-4 

If you liked this lentil dish, try my Veggie Sausage, Lentil and Red Pepper Bake.