Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
This lentil shepherd’s pie is a vegetarian take on an old classic. Shepherd’s pie is by no means a glamorous dish. It was never meant to be. It was a creation of the English state after the introduction of a cheap crop (potatoes). A way to feed poor people and farmers.
That being said– it is absolutely delicious.
I remember having one traditional shepherd’s pie as a young child before I stopped eating meat. It had all the wonderful qualities of a nice stew: hearty, flavorful, and salty. Yet, it somehow felt more like a full meal than a bowl of soup.
Really, the beauty of potatoes is that they will do that with any food. They bulk it up and make it feel more like a meal. Here I traded plain mashed potatoes for a creamy garlicky topping, and traded the lamb for a hearty lentil-based filling. The recipe inspiration for this lentil shepherd’s pie is from Budget Byte’s mushroom-based pie.
The result was completely vegetarian, relatively healthy, and immensely enjoyed by my carnivore husband, my picky two year old, and even my one year old (who only has two teeth).
One note: I did use my Instant Pot twice here (for the lentils and the potatoes). They speed up the passive cooking time a lot, but otherwise could be easily made on the stovetop.
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
For the lentils
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dry lentils, rinsed If using the instant pot, there is no need to soak them.
- 1 cup water
For the potatoes
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon, each thyme, oregano, salt, and paprika
- pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen carrots
- 2 large celery stalks, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
Make the lentils
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Sauté the olive oil, onion, and garlic in the Instant Pot or in a pan until the onion is translucent.
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Add in the salt, water, and lentils. Cook in the Instant Pot on high pressure for 10 minutes. [Check lentil bag for stovetop directions, which may require soaking overnight.]
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When lentils are done, put them in a small bowl to cool. Rinse out the Instant Pot for the mashed potatoes.
Prepare the mashed potatoes
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Add the potatoes, broth, garlic, and salt to the Instant Pot.
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Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
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Remove inner pot and whisk together with cream cheese, milk, and butter.
Prepare filling
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In a large saute pan over medium heat stir together the olive oil, onion, garlic, and spices. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes on medium heat, or until the onion is transclucent and fragrant.
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Add in the carrots and celery, cooking again for 5 minutes OR until the carrots are tender.
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Add in the tomato paste and flour. Stir thoroughly to coat the vegetables and brown for roughly 2 minutes.
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Add in the broth slowly and bring to a simmer. Stir until thickened to a gravy consistency.
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Add in the peas and the lentils, stirring on low heat for 5 minutes.
Assemble and bake
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Preheat the oven to 400F.
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Spread the filling into a casserole dish. [9×13 is the largest I would go.]
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Top with mashed potatoes and spread to an even layer.
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Cook for 15 minutes.
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Broil until potatoes are browned, watching closely.
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Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- The instructions I include do use the Instant Pot. However, they can easily be adapted to stovetop directions allowing for more cook time.
- This recipe is super easy to complete but I highly recommend doing mise en place prior to starting the cooking process.
