Lentil and mushroom shepherd's pie
57 min · 21 g protein · 396 cals / serving
A vegetarian shepherd's pie that meat eaters ask for: lentils and plenty of browned mushrooms in a rich, thyme-scented gravy with carrots and peas, under a fluffy potato and cauliflower mash with a golden cheddar top. It is on the table in an hour and freezes in portions for later.
Ingredients
Mash
- 1 1/2 lb russet potatoes, floury (Maris Piper or russet), peeled, in chunks
- 14 oz frozen cauliflower, frozen florets
- 1/2 cup 1% milk, warm
- 1 tbsp butter
Filling
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced small
- 14 oz crimini mushroom, chestnut or cremini, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 3 cans (15 oz each) lentils, green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked)
- 1 cup cooked frozen green peas
- 3/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Topping
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, mature
Steps
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Put the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water, bring to a boil and simmer 7 minutes, then add the frozen cauliflower and simmer 8 minutes more, until both are soft.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the onion and carrot 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook 6–7 minutes, stirring now and then, until their liquid has evaporated and they are browning.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, thyme and rosemary for 1 minute. Whisk the cornstarch into the cold broth, pour it in with the tamari, then add the lentils, peas and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes, until thick and glossy, and spread it in a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13-inch) baking dish.
- Drain the potatoes and cauliflower very well, let them steam dry for a minute, then mash with the butter, half the salt and the warm milk, adding the milk gradually (the cauliflower makes it wetter, so you may not need it all), until smooth. Taste the filling and add the rest of the salt if it needs it.
- Spoon the mash over the filling, rough it up with a fork, scatter the cheese and bake 15 minutes, until golden and bubbling at the edges. Rest 3 minutes before serving. It keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months, whole or in portions; reheat covered until piping hot.
Good to know
Can I make it vegan?
Yes: mash the potatoes with unsweetened soy milk and a plant-based butter and top with a dairy-free cheese (or leave the cheese off), for about the same score.
Can I use dried lentils?
Yes: simmer 1 1/4 cups dried green or brown lentils in plenty of water for 20–25 minutes, until tender, then drain. Do it ahead, or the pie takes about 30 minutes longer.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 83
- Protein
- (23%)
- 5 g
- Fat
- (18%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (59%)
- 13 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 209 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2375 kcal goes into the pot and 3230 g of ingredients comes out as about 2850 g of food: 83 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.