Lentil Shepherd's Pie

A comforting vegetarian twist on a classic, featuring a rich and savory lentil and vegetable filling topped with fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes and baked until golden.

• Prep: 30 min
• Cook: 45 min
• Total: 1 hr 15 min
• Servings: 5
• Cuisine: French
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $4.51/serving

Dietary

• Vegetarian
• Gluten-Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• Pescatarian
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• bake
• comfort food
• roast
• savory

Ingredients

• 2 pound russet potatoes (peeled and quartered)
• 0.25 cup unsalted butter
• 0.5 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 2 celery stalks (diced)
• 8 ounce cremini mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 cup green or brown lentils (rinsed)
• 4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian)
• 5 ounce spring mix lettuce
• 3 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions

1. Place peeled and quartered russet potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well.
2. While potatoes cook, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
3. In a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Add the sliced cremini mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
5. Stir in the rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
6. Return the drained potatoes to their pot. Add butter and milk, then mash until smooth. Season the mashed potatoes with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
7. Spoon the lentil and vegetable filling into a 9x13 inch baking dish (if not using an oven-safe skillet). Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If desired, you can broil for the last few minutes for extra browning.
9. While the pie bakes, toss the spring mix lettuce with balsamic vinaigrette for a simple side salad.
10. Let the Savory Lentil Shepherd's Pie rest for 5-10 minutes before serving with the side salad.

Notes

This dish freezes well. Cool completely, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat in the oven.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 520
• Protein: 22.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 75.3 g
• Fat: 16.5 g
• Fiber: 15.8 g
• Sodium: 820 mg
• Saturated Fat: 7.5 g
• Sugar: 8.7 g
• Cholesterol: 30 mg