Vegan shepherd’s pie with lentils is a great meat free family recipe for a dinner casserole. A great way to use up get loads of protein as well as being gluten, dairy, and Top 8 Free.
Jump to:
- Why We Like This Vegan Shepherd's Pie With Lentils Recipe
- Ingredients
- The Ingredient Low Down
- Instructions/ Directions and Tips To Make Vegan Shepherd's Pie With Lentils
- Substitutions
- Variations/ Adaptations
- Equipment
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Storage
- Top Tip
- What To Serve With
- Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- 📖 Recipe
- Food Safety
- Latest Posts
- 💬 Comments
Why We Like This Vegan Shepherd's Pie With Lentils Recipe
Ingredients
- Chickpeas
- Green Lentils
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Frozen Peas
- Large Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Gluten Free Flour
- Vegetable Stock
- Coconut Aminos
- Salt
- Pepper
- Russet Potatoes
- Plant Milk
- Plant Spread or Vegan Butter
See recipe card for quantities.
The Ingredient Low Down
Green Lentils
Dried green lentils are the best kind to use in this vegan shepherd's pie with lentils recipe as they hold their shape the best. Red lentils could be used but can tend to disintegrate when cooked in this way. The green lentils will give a more firm texture than the mushier one from red lentils. They also have an earthy taste than the mild red lentils. These do not need soaking prior to cooking in this recipe.
Chickpeas
Drain the canned chickpeas and keep the aquafaba to make egg free desserts like vegan meringues or Soft vegan chocolate cookies. If using dried chickpeas, let them soak for 8 hours before using in the recipe to rehydrate them.
Mushrooms
Fresh, canned, or rehydrated dried mushrooms can be used in this recipe. Cut them bite sized in slices or use sliced canned or dried mushrooms. If using dried mushrooms, save the liquid used to rehydrate them if you are not using coconut aminos. For canned use a 10 oz can of drained sliced mushrooms. To use dried mushrooms use ¼ cup before rehydrating. Rehydrated with hot water. Make sure that dried and canned mushrooms are allergen free with the manufacturer.
Gluten Free Flour
The flour can either contain xanthan gum or not, be all purpose, one to one, or straight rice four. It is used to thicken the gravy and sauce of the meat layer. Starches like cornstarch, tapioca, or arrowroot will work too use only 1 tablespoon of one of the starches. Before using the starch like corn, tapioca or arrowroot mix it with an equal part of water in a 1:1 ratio,
Vegetable Stock
Homemade or store bought works for this recipe. Use whichever is easiest and safest for you. Standard vegetable or mushroom stock can be used.
Coconut Aminos
These are made from coconut sap and fermented. Some are much lower salt than soy sauce and they are gluten and soy free but add a lot of flavour. In most grocery stores they can be found near the soy sauce or in the natural foods aisles.
Russet Potatoes
A starchy potato works best for this recipe. They are used to make mashed potatoes and used to top this dish.
Plant Milk
Use your favourite dairy-free, soy free, gluten free milk replacement that is unflavoured. We prefer not to heat our plant milk before adding it as some plant milks take on a stronger flavour when heated on the stove, we find. Adding it in cool is fine here.
Soy free/ Dairy free Plant Spread or Vegan Butter
Either one will work here. Use the one that you use most often as it is likely to be on hand. It doesn’t matter if a spread is used or butter-like blocks.
Instructions/ Directions and Tips To Make Vegan Shepherd's Pie With Lentils
To make the base layer:
Step 1
In a very deep frying pan over medium high heat heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil. The pan needs to be large as the lentils can expand while cooking up to 3 times the dried size.
Step 2
Add onions and garlic to the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring well.
Step 3
Mix in carrots, mushrooms, and peas to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Stirring so they don’t burn.
Step 4
Sprinkle gluten free flour on the vegetable mix and mix well to coat all the vegetables in flour. Cook for 1 minute.
Step 5
Pour in the vegetable stock to de-glaze the pan and stir, getting any flour off the bottom of the pan.
Step 6
Add in the coconut aminos and ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper while stirring.
Step 7
Add the chickpeas to the pan.
Step 8
Pour in the green lentils to the mix in the pan.
Step 9
Stir well to mix and ensure the liquid covers all the lentils, chickpeas, and vegetables. If not, add enough water to cover by 2 inches of liquid.
Step 10
Bring the liquid in the pan to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan. Really watch the lentils as they can burn on the bottom if the lid isn’t tight fitting and the liquid for simmering boils off.
To make the mashed potatoes:
Step 11
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat and add the potatoes to the water. Once boiling again reduce the heat slightly and let the potatoes boil for 20 minutes or until tender. Do this while the lentils are simmering to save time. Often the water will be put on to heat to a boil when we put the pan onto soften the vegetables.
Step 12
Once the potatoes are finished boiling. Turn off the element, remove the pot from the stove and drain them in the colander. When drained, place back in the large pot off the heat.
Step 13
Pour the plant milk and add 2 tablespoons of the plant butter to the pot. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher and add half of the salt and pepper. Set aside. This will become the top layer of the casserole.
To make the casserole:
Step 14
When the base mixture has finished simmering, pour it out in the oven safe 9 x 9 inch casserole dish. Use the back of a spoon of a spatula to smooth out bumps to form an even layer. You can also just gently shake the dish to level it out.
Step 15
Carefully spoon the potatoes on top of the base layer and slowly spread it out with the back of a spoon. Continue spreading until the whole dish has the base mixture covered by mashed potatoes. If pressing too hard the potatoes may sink under the base layer. The back of the spoon should help to avoid picking up parts of the base while smoothing the potatoes out.
Step 16
Melt 2 tablespoons of plant butter, either in a safe bowl in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove top.
Step 17
Brush the melted plant butter on the mashed potatoes, coating it all.
Step 18
The casserole can be cooled here and stored covered in the fridge to finish baking later or it can be baked straight away.
Step 19
To bake, preheat the oven to 400F. Once up to temperature place the casserole dish on an oven cooking sheet with sides, in case it bubbles over. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the base mixture is bubbling up around the sides of the mashed potatoes and the mashed potatoes start to get a golden top.
Step 20
Remove the casserole dish from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Hint: Make the base layer and potatoes before hand and chill. Pop in the oven when ready to bake for dinner 45 mins before, with 15 mins to take the chill off the dish so it doesn’t break in the oven.
Substitutions
- Coconut Aminos - If you cannot have coconut or soy instead use the same amount of mushroom water and ¼ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. This is the water used in rehydrating the dried mushrooms in. It has the mushroomy taste and adds a lot of flavours to broths.
- Potatoes - If potatoes are not your thing or you want to change it up, sweet potatoes or yams can be used in place of potatoes. You could also do a half turnip, half potato mash.
- Veggies - Other vegetables like grated zucchini for chopped cauliflower can be added to the base layer to increase the ingredients and stretch the dish to feed more people.
- Ground Vegan Meat Substitute - If lentils and chickpeas are not the flavours for you consider using a ground meat type of substitute. Cook the substitute first in the frying pan as per the package. Once cooked, remove from the pan and set aside. Cook the vegetables for the base layer, right before adding in the liquid add back the cooked ground meat substitute. Mix well and cook as per the rest of the recipe. If using an unflavoured packaged vegan ground it may need to have a bit of paprika and oregano added to the mix for more flavour. Make sure your substitute is allergen free by contacting the manufacturer and checking the label.
Variations/ Adaptations
- Spicy - add 1-2 Tbsps of Franks Red Hot if it is safe for you or an appropriate amount of your favourite safe hot sauce.
- Deluxe - add a sparingly small amount of dairy free cheese to the top 5 mins before the end of it baking. ⅓ C of dairy free Cream cheese like violife or kate’s farm can be used in the making of the potatoes to make them extra creamy.
- Creamy - add ½ C of coconut cream, GF oat milk, or your safe plant milk to the meat mixture with the before simmering on the stove top.
- Lower Carbs - In place of the potatoes steam a head of cauliflower. Puree with the plant milk and ½ of the plant butter.
- Leftover Casserole - If you have leftover mashed potatoes use them on the top so there is less work and it is a time saver.
Equipment
What you will need for this lentil shepherd's pie recipe are a very deep frying pan with a lid. The lid must fit really well for the simmering or the lentils could burn to the pan. We often use our wok as the sides are perfect for frying up the base mixture. The lentils will expand considerably so a large pan is really needed. A pot large enough to hold the potatoes plus 2 inches of water covering them. Both a colander and potato masher are super handy to make the mashed potatoes. The usual knife, cutting board, utensils for cooking and measuring implements will be needed. To bake the shepherd’s pie an oven safe casserole dish, usually 9 x 9 inches, and a basting brush to brush on the butter to the potatoes before baking.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
This vegan shepherd'e pie with lentils recipe is an excellent make ahead dinner or great for planning as leftovers. Sometimes we will use leftover mashed potatoes in the making of this dish.
-Fridge
This dish works really well made ahead and chilled in the fridge. It can be made entirely then cooled and stored or after assembling in the casserole dish it can be put in the fridge for finishing to cook later. For either scenario or leftovers they can be stored up to 3 days in the fridge.
-Freezer
This recipe can also be frozen either in individual re-heatable foil pans like the ones from Betty Crocker or a glass dish for oven reheating. Use a plastic or glass dish with a lid for the microwave, provided they are microwave safe. The dish can be stored after assembling or after baking. They do best when not transferred to another container for freezing as they are hard to keep layered whilst moving dished. This shepherd’s pie will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Reheating
Thaw the vegetarian Shepherd’s pie in the fridge before reheating, for best results.
-Oven
At 400F in an oven safe dish, cover the lentil shepherd’s pie in a foil lid and cook for 20-30 mins or until bubbling. For the last 10 minutes remove the foil to crisp up the top of the potatoes a bit.
- Microwave
On a microwave safe plate or bowl, reheat one portion of the vegan shepherd’s pie with lentils at a time. Reheat for 1 minute 30 seconds and check that it has warmed through to the middle. If not, reheat further in 25 second bursts checking after each one.
Top Tip
What To Serve With
Vegan Shepherd’s pie with lentils is a stand alone all in one casserole dish with the protein, vegetables, and carb served all together, family style. To stretch this dish for more people, or to add more vegetables to your meal, serve this with a salad, like our Avocado Apple Pear Salad.
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📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Pot
- A Very Deep Frying Pan, with lid
- Potato Masher
- Colander
- Oven Safe Casserole Dish, 9 x 9 inches
- Basting Brush
- utensils for cooking
- Measuring cups and spoons for liquid and dry
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsps Neutral Oil
- 1 - 20 oz can of Chickpeas
- 1 C Green Lentils
- 12 Button Mushrooms halved and sliced
- 2 Carrots diced small
- 1 C Frozen Peas
- 1 Large Onion finely diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 Tbsps Gluten Free Flour
- 2 C Vegetable Stock
- 2 Tbsps Coconut Aminos
- ½ teaspoon Salt divided in 2
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper divided in 2
- 8 Large Russet Potatoes peeled and cut in 4-6 pieces
- ⅓ C Plant Milk
- 4 Tbsps Plant Spread or Vegan Butter divided in 2
Instructions
- To make the base layer:
- 1- In a very deep frying pan over medium high heat heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil.
- 2- Add onions and garlic to the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring well.
- 3- Mix in carrots, mushrooms, and peas to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Stirring so they don’t burn.
- 4- Sprinkle gluten free flour on the vegetable mix and mix well to coat all the vegetables in flour. Cook for 1 minute.
- 5- Pour in the vegetable stock to deglaze the pan and stir, getting any flour off the bottom of the pan.
- 6- Add in the coconut aminos and ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper while stirring.
- 7- Add the chickpeas to the pan.
- 8- Pour in the green lentils to the mix in the pan.
- 9- Stir well to mix and ensure the liquid covers all the lentils, chickpeas, and vegetables. If not, add enough water to cover by 2 inches of liquid.
- 10- Bring the liquid in the pan to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
- To make the mashed potatoes:
- 11- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat and add the potatoes to the water. Once boiling again reduce the heat slightly and let the potatoes boil for 20 minutes or until tender.
- 12- Once the potatoes are finished boiling. Turn off the element, remove the pot from the stove and drain them in the colander. When drained, place back in the large pot off the heat.
- 13- Pour the plant milk and add 2 tablespoons of the plant butter to the pot. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher and add half of the salt and pepper. Set aside.
- To make the casserole:
- 14- When the base mixture has finished simmering, pour it out in the oven safe 9 x 9 inch casserole dish. Use the back of a spoon of a spatula to smooth out bumps to form an even layer.
- 15- Carefully spoon the potatoes on top of the base layer and slowly spread it out with the back of a spoon. Continue spreading until the whole dish has the meat mixture covered by masked potatoes.
- 16- Melt 2 tablespoons of plant butter, either in a safe bowl in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove top.
- 17- Brush the melted plant butter on the mashed potatoes, coating it all.
- 18- The casserole can be cooled here and stored covered in the fridge to finish baking later or it can be baked straight away.
- 19- To bake, preheat the oven to 400F. Once up to temperature place the casserole dish on an oven cooking sheet with sides, in case it bubbles over. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the base mixture is bubbling up around the sides of the mashed potatoes and the mashed potatoes start to get a golden top.
- 20- Remove the casserole dish from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
- Always check ingredients for allergens
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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