Hearty comfort food without any of the guilt! After trying this delicious lentil shepherds pie packed full of vegetables and uber nutritious lentils, you wont ever make the original again! Vegan and gluten free.
To make the lentil filling, melt the coconut oil in a large pan over a gentle heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally until golden and soft. Increase the heat slightly, add the mushrooms and allow to cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the stock, lentils and thyme into the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes or until the lentils are very soft.
Once soft add the tomato puree, tamari / soy sauce and frozen peas. Stir and taste before seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and transfer into a oven proof dish / dishes.
While the lentils are simmering you can make the potato topping. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil over a medium heat, add the potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes until soft (you should be able to break them apart with a fork). Remove from the heat, drain, then return to the pan before roughly crushing them with the back of a fork (you do not want to completely mash the potatoes here, only break into smaller pieces). Add the coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix to coat all the potatoes.
Top the lentil filling with the crushed new potatoes and cook for 30-35 minutes in a 170°c fan/190°c/375°f preheated oven until the potatoes are golden and crispy. Serve immediately.
I like to serve this simply with some broccoli or salad leaves for an added kick of greens and freshness!
This recipe will make one large or two smaller shepherds pies.
This recipe is great to make ahead of time and keeps perfectly well in the fridge or the freezer.
A few ingredient notes:
Lentil Vertes can also be known as puy lentils or french lentils, but are not the same as green lentils. You should be able to find these easily at any supermarket.
Remember to check the ingredients on your vegetable stock cubes for any preservatives/added sugar. I use the Kallo Very Low Salt Organic Vegetable Stock Cubes if you are wondering.
If you have it, try to use tamari as it is better for you than soy sauce. Although if you can't find it, make sure you check the ingredients of the soy sauce for any added sugar or other funny things! Kikkoman is the cleanest brand that I have found.
Recipe courtesy of georgieeats.co.uk