Spicy Lentil Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
This spicy lentil shepherd’s pie topped with a mix of white and sweet potatoes is the perfect weekday warmer.
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Shepherd’s pie is a classic British dish that embodies comfort food for many meat-eaters. In this vegan-friendly version we replace the minced lamb with spicy lentils to create a delicious dish that has all of the classic great flavour, but none of the cruelty.
Why use lentils?
Lentils are a great pulse to use in winter vegan recipes because they hold their shape during slow cooking and really help to add bulk and thicken a vegetable-based stew. An added bonus is that they are very budget-friendly.
They’re also good for us because they’re high in both vegan protein and fibre.
Lentils can be bought dried, which means you’ll need to soak them at home before using them in this recipe, or you can buy tinned varieties, which are fine to add straight to the pan.
Is Worcestershire sauce vegan?
No, traditional Worcestershire sauce often contains anchovies.
But the good news is that you can buy vegan Worcestershire sauce, which is a variety of the condiment that does not contain meat or fish. Use in place of non-vegan Worcestershire sauce to enhance the flavour in dishes, to add depth and some colour.
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Total Time: 55 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Calories: 99
Servings: 5
Total Time: 55 mins
Calories: 99
Servings: 5
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 5)
- For the filling
- 0.4 0.4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 0.4 0.4 leeks, washed and sliced
- 0.2 0.2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 0.2 0.2 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 0.8 0.8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 80 80 g cooked, tinned green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed
- 80 80 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 20 20 g mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 20 20 g spinach leaves, well washed
- 0.4 0.4 tbsp vegan gravy granules
- 0.2 0.2 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 0.4 0.4 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 0.2 0.2 tsp sugar
- 0.4 0.4 stalks of fresh thyme
- 0.4 0.4 tbsp olive oil
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- For the potato topping
- 150 150 g white potatoes, peeled and diced
- 100 100 g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 0.6 0.6 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 0.6 0.6 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 0.4 0.4 tbsp non-dairy butter
- 0.2 0.2 tbsp non-dairy milk
- fresh thyme, to garnish
Method
- In a large casserole dish or pan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onions, leeks and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the pan along with 500ml water. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Place both types of potato in a large pan of salted, boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
- Drain, and leave to steam dry for a few minutes. Add all the other ingredients for the topping and mash well, until very smooth.
- Pour the filling ingredients into a dish, top with the mashed potato, then grill for a few minutes to give the potato a slightly crispy topping.
Each 100g serving provides:
2.2g Fat, 0.4g Saturates, 15g Carbohydrates, 2.5g Sugars, 3.8g Protein, 0.35g Salt.
In need of another helping? Try making one of these vegan sweet potato recipes!
