Vegan LENTIL SHEPHERD’S PIE recipe

Classic shepherd’s pie is made with lamb or beef mince. This is an equally flavourful but vegan version of a well-known comforting meal.

INGREDIENTS:

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Cut potatoes into 1⁄2-inch chunks. Place in a medium saucepan, bring to boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, until you can easily smash a potato with a fork. Drain well.
3. In the same saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium-low heat and mix in the plant milk. Return the potatoes to the saucepan and mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Prepare the filling. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and carrots and cook until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for an additional 1 minute.
5. Add the cooked lentils, 1 tsp salt, 1⁄2 tsp pepper, the turmeric, and cumin and stir well. Add the flour, tomato paste, vegetable stock, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and thyme and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat, add the peas and stir to combine.
6. Spread the filling evenly into an 11×7-inch baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, spreading them evenly to the edges of the dish and forking across the top so you have some rough edges that will crisp up in the oven.
7. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes begin to brown. To crisp the top, turn the oven to grill and grill for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

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