Description
This Sweet Potato Lentil Shepherd’s Pie is a hearty and nutritious vegan dish featuring a savory lentil and vegetable filling topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes. Perfectly seasoned with herbs and baked to a golden finish, this comforting pie offers a delicious plant-based alternative to the classic shepherd’s pie, ideal for family dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Mashed Sweet Potato Topping
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
Lentil Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for baking the shepherd’s pie later.
- Cook Sweet Potatoes: Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain well, then mash with vegan butter or olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast if using. Set aside the mash.
- Sauté Vegetables: While the sweet potatoes cook, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion, minced garlic, diced carrots, and celery. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and become fragrant.
- Cook Lentils: Add the rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, tomato paste, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaf to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook gently for 20–25 minutes or until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Finish Filling: Remove the bay leaf from the lentil mixture. Stir in the peas and season with salt and pepper to taste, mixing well to combine the flavors.
- Assemble Pie: Transfer the lentil and vegetable filling into a baking dish, spreading it evenly. Carefully spoon and spread the mashed sweet potatoes over the lentil layer, covering it completely.
- Bake: Place the assembled dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes until the mashed sweet potato topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the shepherd’s pie from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving to let the flavors settle.
Notes
- You can substitute green lentils for brown lentils depending on availability; just adjust cooking time if needed.
- For a richer mash, use vegan butter instead of olive oil.
- Adding nutritional yeast to the mashed sweet potatoes adds a cheesy depth without dairy.
- If you want a gluten-free meal, ensure the vegetable broth does not contain gluten additives.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and also freeze well for up to one month.
