Even though I didn’t grow up eating pies and casseroles, there’s something about warm, hearty dishes that remind me of family. When the days are short and it gets dark by 4pm, mom would always have a hot dinner ready for us when we got back from school or work. We’d gather around the dinner table and stuff our hungry bellies full of Chinese comfort food.
I didn’t even realize that I was taking hot meals for granted until I moved out for university. There are long school days of sitting through tedious lectures, standing in a lab for hours, brain cranking away all day, and by the time the public bus takes me back to my ‘school home’, I’m in no mood to make a decent meal. I lived off of sliced bread and nut butter for the majority of my first term. Both Chew and I went a good two weeks without eating something hot. When we finally couldn’t take it anymore, we bussed our lazy bums over to Whole Foods and indulged in a hot meal. Hot. Foooooood.
Even though I thoroughly enjoy the freedom and self-responsibility living on my own entails, returning home on a weekend is like a treat. I get to have mom’s cooking (hot food!), talk to human beings in person (well, I do talk with my roommate too…), prance around a spacious house, and ride a car. Since I no longer see my family seven days a week, I feel like the family time we do have are much more eventful than before. We a whole week’s worth of happenings to discuss over dinner, and I really treasure those conversation times. Perhaps that is why I associate hot food with family.
On special occasions, my mom would treat us to pasta, pot pie, or shepherd’s pie. Comfort foods from other countries. Since I have a soft spot for mashed potatoes (carbs in general), I’ve always really enjoyed shepherd’s pie. The name is also so fitting and so adorable! …Am I the only one that thinks it’s adorable?
As the name implies, a traditional shepherd’s pie contains meat. Our version keeps animals at the friend level and uses lots of nutritious vegetables and legumes instead! Technically this should be called a ‘farmer’s pie’ since this recipe is made entirely from plant-goodness! The filling contains chunky carrots and celery, ‘meaty’ mushrooms, sweet corn, and soft peas and lentils. The lentils melt down and thicken the deliciously simple herbed tomato sauce. The mashed ‘potato’ is actually made from cauliflower! We have a recipe to guide you through making Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower. My mouth is loving this veggie party!
Whether you’re looking to satisfy your craving for this British comfort food in a healthy way, or just looking for a hearty dinner, this Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie is the way to go!
- 1 recipe of Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, cut into medium cubes
- 1 rib of celery, diced
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup corn kernels
- 8 oz (about 2 cups) sliced crimini mushrooms
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp thyme
- ¾ + ¼ cup cooked lentils, divided*
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tsp coconut sugar
- 1 cup vegetable broth*
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- Salt* and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- In a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and fragrant.
- Add the carrots, celery, peas, corn, mushrooms, ¾ cup of lentils, oregano, thyme, and briefly mix. Stir in the tomato paste and coconut sugar until evenly incorporated.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Do not cover the pot with a lid; allow some of the liquid to evaporate to obtain a thick stew-like filling. Mix in the remaining ¼ cup of lentils at the end to retain texture.
- MAKE-AHEAD OPTION: Transfer hot filling to casserole dish and dollop prepared Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower over the surface. Use a spatula to spread the mashed cauliflower over the entire surface. Wrap with plastic cling film and refrigerating overnight. The next day, remove the plastic wrap and bake in an oven preheated to 375⁰F for 50 to 60 minutes, or until thoroughly heated through and top is browned. Remove bay leaf when serving and serve hot.
- IF SERVING THE DAY OF: Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Assemble pie as directed above, dolloping mashed cauliflower over the hot filling in a casserole dish. Bake assembled dish in the oven until top is browned, about 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf when serving and serve hot.
Recipe for Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower can be found here.
When does the 1/4 cup of lentils get used in the recipe?
Hi Julia, it should be mixed in right before transferring into a casserole dish. Sorry for the mistake; I’ve updated the recipe now.
How would the recipe be adapted if you are using dried lentils? Obviously I will soak them but do you have a cooking reccomendation, or can I use the raw lentils as a sub for the canned ones after soaking?
Hi Keshia! Cook 1/3 cup of dried lentils to yield about 1 cup of cooked lentils (approximate is good enough for this recipe). To do this, rinse the dried lentils (no need to soak) and boil with 1 cup of water for about 30 minutes. Time may vary depending on the type of lentils you use, so just check that they’re cooked through. I would recommend using cooked lentils in this recipe to ensure the filling is fully cooked before being put in the oven. Hope this information is helpful, let me know if you have any other questions and I’ll do my best to help out!
I hadn’t had shepard’s pie since I was a little kid, and I really enjoyed this grown-up, vegan version! The herbs are spot on – so flavorful and perfect for Autumn! I was pleasantly surprised to learn that steaming cauliflower until it’s mushy removes its flavor, so the mash simply takes on the delicious flavor of the garlic.
Yay! We’re so happy to hear you loved this vegan version. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment xoxo
This was yummy! Have made Shepherds Pie before but would never have thought to top it with anything but mashed potato. For the cauliflower mash I did roast the garlic a couple of days beforehand while baking something else so I didn’t have the oven on for an hour just for a few cloves of garlic. I only had pizza tomato paste so didn’t add the herbs. I also used the whole onion. I did top with grated cheese but I’m sure it would have been just as delicious without it.
Glad you loved the recipe! Your edits definitely help streamline the process, thanks for sharing!