Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Slice of lentil shepherd's pie on a plate with a side of salad.

5 from 6 votes

Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie

This Lentil Shepherd's Pie is the ultimate comfort food. Savory and satisfying, it's the perfect meal to warm you up. Kid-approved!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Casserole, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings: people

Calories: 369kcal

Author: Jenn Sebestyen

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Filling:

1 ½ cups cubed butternut squash
1 ½ cups cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour gluten-free, if desired
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 can (15 oz) green or brown lentils drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked lentils)

For the Potatoes:

4 cups peeled and cubed Yukon Gold potatoes about 2 pounds of potatoes
water to cover
2-3 tablespoons vegan butter
¼-1/2 cup vegetable broth or unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

For the potatoes:

Place the potatoes in a pot of water (enough to submerge the potatoes). Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until soft and easily pierced with a fork or knife. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the butter, ¼ cup broth, and salt. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Or add more broth if you like a looser mashed potato.

For the filling:

Place butternut squash and cauliflower in a pot and add enough water to cover the vegetables. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer about 15 to 20 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Drain. (You can do this step at the same time you are cooking the potatoes.)
In a large, deep skillet on the stove, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomato paste, vegan worcestershire sauce, tamari, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
Add the flour and whisk to combine with the vegetables. Slowly add the vegetable broth while whisking continuously to prevent clumping.
Add the cooked lentils and squash/cauliflower mixture and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and bubbly.
Pour the lentil filling into a 2.5 quart casserole dish and spread evenly. Dollop the mashed potatoes (see below) over the top and gently spread until even. Be careful not to press down too hard or the potatoes will end up in the filling instead of on top of it. (Alternately, you could let the filling cool first before adding the potatoes to the top, but I'm never that patient.)
Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Then place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes until the top is browned and golden.

Notes

Use brown or green lentils, not red, so they maintain their shape and texture.

If using canned lentils, be sure to drain and rinse before adding them to the recipe.

Use frozen butternut squash and cauliflower to make this dish quick and easy.

Whisk the flour with the vegetables before slowly adding the broth to avoid any clumping of the flour.

Taste and adjust seasoning before baking. Don't be shy about adding more salt or pepper. The potatoes, especially, need to be salted well.

To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free flour, gluten-free worcestershire sauce, and gluten-free tamari.

To make this recipe oil-free, use water or broth to sauté and omit the butter in the mashed potatoes. Use extra broth of non-dairy milk in the potatoes instead.

Make ahead ~ You could make portions of this dish ahead of time, like cooking the lentils, cauliflower or squash, or making the mashed potatoes. You could even make the entire casserole a day or two ahead and then pop it in the oven when you're ready for dinner. You'll need to bake it longer than the recommended 20 minutes if you are starting from cold.

Nutrition