Name: Vegetarian Shepherds Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: Vegetable Mixture; 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 large purple or brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped; 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced; 1 large (250g) carrot, trimmed and finely chopped; 2 large stalks (280g) celery, trimmed and sliced; 400g canned brown lentils, drained and rinsed; 1 cup (150g) frozen peas; 2 Tbsp plain all purpose flour, or gluten free plain all purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups (350ml) vegetable stock; 2 Tbsp tomato paste; 1/2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce; 1 bay leaf; 1 Tbsp melted butter, for topping; Small handful fresh parsley, chopped, to serve; Mashed Potatoes; 3 large (approx. 250g each) white potatoes, peeled and chopped into large cubes; 50g unsalted butter, cubed; 1/2 cup (125ml) milk; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; Salt & pepper, to season

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Vegetarian Shepherds Pie! Homemade shepherds pie filled with classic vegetables and topped with creamy mashed potato is heartwarming and satisfying. A wonderful mid-week dinner to serve the family!

Shepherds Pie has been a household favourite for many generations and originates from the United Kingdom. It is traditionally created with ground meat in a gravy sauce and topped with mashed potato. However I’m switching it up slightly and have created a vegetarian version. It still includes the classic ingredients found in traditional shepherds pie but the ground mince has been replaced with lentils. I promise you it’s extremely tasty. I was making this recipe using a meat free mince I found at Woolworths and it was nice but the flavour of the mince was powerful. Switching it for lentils was a great decision. Plus if you use lentils, you avoid any unwanted preservatives and nasties that can be found in some meat mince.

To start, you boil your potatoes to make the mash. It’s a quick mash with simple ingredients, potatoes, butter, milk, garlic, salt and pepper. You then set it aside and get started on your vegetable filling. This way your mash will be ready after you make your filling.

The filling, oh so delicious and easy! Grab your large fry pan and first fry off the onion with the fragrant garlic. Then add your carrot and celery, cook for a few minutes until just tender. Now it’s time to add your lentils and peas. Frozen peas are fine to use straight from the freezer, no need to thaw, as you’ll be adding them straight to your hot pan. The lentils are the canned version, so they’re already soft. Mix these two through your fried veggies for a couple of minutes.

Now stir through the flour and allow it to cook out for 1 minute. Stir through your tomato paste, yum! Pour in your vegetable stock and add the bay leaf, give it a good mix. It’s time to turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, yes only 5 minutes. I’ve tested this and have found 5 minutes is just right with. The amount of veggie stock added. The mixture doesn’t dry out, it becomes a gravy like consistency which is what you’re looking for. Remember to remove the bay leaf! I have forgotten on a number of occasions lol. If you forget, you’ll certainly come across it when you’re enjoying your pie at dinner time.

After your veggie mixture is complete, have your roasting dish greased and ready. I have shared a photo above of what my roasting dish looks like, it’s an old family ceramic dish, I think my brother made it in school and it works great for this. I have greased the dish and sprinkled a light layer of flour, especially in the curves to ensure the pie doesn’t stick too much after it’s done cooking.

Pour your vegetable filling in your dish and dollop of the mash potato. Gently spread it out using a spatula or spoon. I like to then grab a fork and scrape it across the potato to create that classic shepherds pie look. It then bakes in your hot oven for 35-40 minutes!

You can serve your shepherds pie by itself because it contains veggies and potato. Sometimes I love to serve it along side a fresh garden salad, especially in the summer!

Enjoy friends, Sam x

Watch How To Make This Shepherds Pie

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

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Author: Wholesome Patisserie
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: Serves: 5-6

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Description

Homemade shepherds pie filled with classic vegetables and topped with creamy mashed potato is heartwarming and satisfying. A wonderful mid-week dinner to serve the family!

Ingredients

Scale

Vegetable Mixture
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large purple or brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large (250g) carrot, trimmed and finely chopped
2 large stalks (280g) celery, trimmed and sliced
400g canned brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1 cup (150g) frozen peas
2 Tbsp plain all purpose flour, or gluten free plain all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (350ml) vegetable stock
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp melted butter, for topping
Small handful fresh parsley, chopped, to serve
Mashed Potatoes
3 large (approx. 250g each) white potatoes, peeled and chopped into large cubes
50g unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper, to season

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Instructions

Vegetable Mixture
Pre-heat oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Liberally grease a large roasting/baking dish. I used a large oval dish, see photo above. Lightly flour the dish with plain flour if your pan tends to stick.
In a large fry pan, heat oil over a medium-high heat.
Once pan is hot, add onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until translucent. Stir through minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes or until carrots have softened/fork tender.
Add lentils and peas, cook for 30 seconds.
Add flour and cook on medium-high heat for 1 minute whilst mixing.
Pour in vegetable stock, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce and bay leaf, mix until well combined.
Bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook mixture, whilst occasionally mixing for 5 minutes until some of the liquid has soaked through the vegetables and mixture has thickened slightly. Remove bay leaf, turn off heat and set aside.
Mashed Potatoes
Bring a large pot 1/2 filled with water to a boil.
Once boiling, add potatoes and boil for 15 minutes or until very tender that you can mash them.
Turn off heat and drain the water. Add potatoes back into the pot or if easier to work with, into a large mixing bowl.
Mash potatoes with a potato masher.
Add cubed butter and stir through until completely melted through.
Pour in milk and mix until well combined.
Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. Mix well until smooth and creamy.
Assemble
Pour vegetable mixture into greased roasting dish and smooth out the top.
Spoon mashed potatoes over vegetable mixture. Gently spread out using a spatula or spoon.
Grab a fork and scrape it over the potatoes.
With a pastry brush, brush melted butter over potatoes.
Transfer to oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes have turn lightly golden and crispy.
Remove from oven and sprinkle over fresh chopped parsley.
Serve warm from the oven and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated, for 2-3 days.

Prep Time: 15min
Cook Time: 1 hour