Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Classic shepherd's pie (or cottage pie, as it's known in the United Kingdom) is a warming, cozy dish, consisting of a meaty layer of gravy and vegetables, topped with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes. Originally, this dish was designed to stretch out and repurpose small amounts of leftover meat. Today, it's comfort food at its finest.

For a meatless version of this classic meal, we turn to lentils. Lentils are an excellent source of protein, making them a go-to for plant-based eaters and vegans all over the world. They're also packed with essential minerals like folate, iron, and potassium. Another benefit of lentils is that they don't require soaking before cooking, like most other dried beans do. This lentil shepherd's pie — brought to you by Alex Shytsman of the plant-based blog The New Baguette — is super hearty and filling, and uses common ingredients you can find in practically any supermarket.

To make this recipe, you'll need some cremini mushrooms, an onion, carrots, celery, garlic, dried thyme, smoked paprika, dried green lentils, potatoes, vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, and frozen peas. To speed things up, you can use canned lentils and add them at the end instead, along with the peas.

To start, heat the oil in a large sauté pan and add the mushrooms, onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are totally soft and lightly brown, up to 15 minutes. Then, add the spices and cook for another minute. We recommend adding them in the end, otherwise they could burn.

Next, place the lentils in a mesh strainer and sort through quickly to make sure there are no large bits of dirt. Then, rinse them under running water and add them to the saucepan, along with the broth and tomatoes. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the lentils are tender. Their cooking time will depend on how old they are (older lentils take longer to cook) — typically this takes from 30-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes. Put them in a pot, fill it with water, and add salt. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender. This takes about 15 minutes. We recommend white or Yukon Gold potatoes for their creamier texture, but regular russets work, too. When they're done, drain, and return them to the pot. Add milk and olive oil (or vegan butter), and mash until smooth.

When the filling is done, stir in the peas and turn the heat off. Be sure to taste the filling at this point, since you won't get a chance to adjust the seasonings later on. Transfer the filling to a baking dish — like a deep dish pie pan or 8x8-inch pan. Then, dollop the potatoes on top and gently spread them with a spoon, avoiding mixing up the two layers.

Bake the pie in a preheated oven to evaporate some of the moisture in the potatoes. We recommend putting the pie pan on a baking sheet before placing it in the oven for extra protection in case the filling bubbles over the sides. Lentil shepherd's pie is best served straight out of the oven, so if you're not planning to serve it right away, hold off on baking it until you're almost ready to eat.