Fourth and final recipe for the blog’s Vegan January Series!

Let’s get right to it, shall we? I knew that Vegan January would not be complete without a recipe starring lentils — they’re hearty, protein-packed, and one of my favorite ingredients lately (I’ve been making this soup on repeat). For the last installment of the blog’s vegan quest then, I considered a lentil pot-pie (challenge: butter-free pastry) and a lentil veggie burger (challenge: no egg as a binding ingredient) before eventually landing on what I envisioned to be a lentil-centric Shepherd’s Pie. If you’re not familiar, S.P is a UK staple, a sort of casserole consisting of a layer of ground beef or lamb, vegetables, and gravy, which is then topped with a second layer of mashed potatoes. It is pub-fare and comfort food and just what you want to eat on a cold, rainy day.

Coming up with a vegan version of the bottom layer of the Pie was a cinch — mushrooms and the aforementioned lentils could step in for the meat, and I’d further up the ante by increasing the amount of vegetables. The real challenge was in whipping up the top layer of the Pie sans dairy. After all, mashed potatoes are known for being creamy and luxurious, qualities achieved with the addition of milk or butter. If you’re me, your go-to recipe will be practically anti-vegan, and will include cream cheese and sour cream. In any case, a google search for “dairy-free mashed potatoes” turned up recipes calling for vegan butter (sigh), soy milk (no), or coconut milk (double no - this would surely lead to slightly coconut-y mashed potatoes). True to my promise to not use strange or difficult to find ingredients in my vegan recipes, I forged on, finally abandoning the key words “dairy-free” and switching over to “olive oil mashed potatoes.” As evidenced by this excellent chocolate cake, olive oil is a vegan-friendly source of fat and richness, and indeed, my search this time was far more successful, leading to mashed potatoes that relied on EVOO and broth to achieve perfect potatoes. Shepherd’s Pie topping, check.

Not to pat myself on the back too much but this recipe was a complete triumph, passing the vegan recipe test with flying colors. In other words, this isn’t “good for being a vegan recipe,” but rather an all-around, stupendous dish that would be happily devoured by omnivores and vegans alike. The mashed potato topping is more light and fluffy rather than rich and smooth, and all the better for it, the perfect foil to the hearty filling within, packed with wholesome lentils, meaty mushrooms, and sweet (and colorful) carrots and peas. A splash of wine, a few cloves of garlic, broth, and tomato give the pie depth and complexity, and a good dose of earthy rosemary, fennel, thyme, and sage make it sing. I’m sure purists would strongly disagree with the following statement, but: this more nutritious (but just as cozy, and delicious, promise) take on Shepherd’s Pie may just beat out the traditional one in my book. I was sincerely sorry when the last portion was gone, but have already gone shopping for more ingredients for the next one. It is a true delight to eat, promise.

And so concludes the blog’s Vegan January! Though admittedly tricky at times, I enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone, and would consider it a successful run. I’ve explored different cuisines, learned to cook with new ingredients, and overall feel a kind of contentment in the knowledge that I’m eating more vegetables, pulses, and legumes, among other things. While eating vegan 100% of the time would be nearly impossible for me — I couldn’t permanently deprive myself of Parmesan — I can see the benefit of eating plant-based dishes that rely on herbs, spices, and oil for flavor rather than butter or cheese. January may be over, but I expect I’ll still be experimenting with vegan-friendly recipes going forward — stay tuned.

A couple of notes: I used two cans of lentils that were each 380 grams, or 230 grams each when drained; I feel the need to specify this as I’m not sure how standard cans of lentils are in other countries. Feel free to use tomato paste instead of the crushed tomatoes (just a tablespoon should do). If you don’t have wine on hand and don’t want to open a bottle for this recipe, you can leave it out - no harm done! I meant to add a bulb of fennel into the filling but forgot. If you want to use fennel, remove the tougher outer layers and core of one medium bulb and chop it finely. Add it to the mix when you add the onions, carrots, and garlic. If you prefer, you can substitute fresh herbs for the dried. Sweet potatoes in place of the yellow potatoes in the topping would also be delicious. Finally, the lentil-vegetable layer would lend itself very well to a pot-pie. I found quite a few interesting canola/olive oil based pie crust recipes that I’ll be experimenting with even after January (this one here, for example).

Looking for other vegan recipes? Click here.

Lentil & Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe for filling adapted from A Couple of Cooks.
Recipe for potato topping adapted from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients for the filling:
1 medium yellow onion, peeled chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin half circles
8 ounces (224 grams) button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup (120mL) white wine
1/3 cup crushed tomatoes (passata, in Italy)
1 teaspoon salt (divided 1/2 + 1/2)
3.5 tablespoons (27 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried sage
2 cups (480mL) vegetable broth
2 cans (380 grams each) lentils, drained (see Notes)
1 cup (150 grams) frozen peas

Ingredients for mashed potato topping:
2 lbs (960 grams) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3/4 cup (180mL) vegetable broth
5 tablespoons (74mL) olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper

Directions for the filling:
1.) In large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and carrots, and cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Move the carrots and onions to the side of the pan to make some room, and then add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid they have released has cooked off, about 10 minutes (note that once the mushrooms start to soften, you can add the carrots and onion back to the mix).

2.) Pour the wine into the pan with the vegetables and let it cook off completely. Add the crushed tomatoes and let them cook down for a few minutes as well. Season all veggies with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.

3.) Reduce the heat on the pan to medium low. Stir in the flour, fennel seeds, rosemary, sage, and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth, peas, lentils, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until the broth is very thick and the vegetables are heated through.

Directions for mashed potatoes:
4.) While your filling is cooking, work on your mashed potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large sauce pan and fill the pot with just enough colde water to just cover. Bring to a boil and then lower to medium-high heat and cook until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander.

5.) Place the vegetable broth and olive oil in the same sauce pan where you cooked the potatoes, and heat until hot. Place the potatoes back in the sauce pan and mash with a potato masher until smooth, then switch over to electric beaters to beat until completely smooth and creamy. Add the salt and pepper beat again to combine. Taste the potatoes and then add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius).

Directions to assemble:
6.) Pour the filling into a lightly oiled 9x13 inch rectangular pan. Top with the mashed potatoes and spread over the filling to cover completely. Brush the top lightly with more olive oil, and bake in your preheated oven or until the topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling. Let cool and serve.