Hearty Lentil & Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

A comforting & classic dish perfect for the Fall to Winter transition

Prep & Cooking: 1 hour
Serves: 6-10
 
Main Ingredients
Potato Toppings:
5-6 medium potatoes, peel if desired
1-2 medium sweet potatoes peeled
*You can use only white or only sweet potatoes if you’d like, you want to have around 4 cups of mashed potato when you are finished cooking
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp plant-based butter or oil of your choice (optional)
1 clove minced or ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp fresh thyme (garnish)
 
Lentil and Vegetable Base:
1 (540ml/19fl.oz.) can of brown lentils or 2 cups cooked lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 cups total of additional bite diced vegetables – this is up to you, use what you like and what you have on hand. I used a bell pepper, celery, cremini mushrooms and green beans. If you want to keep things very simple, use 3 cups total of a frozen mixed vegetable medley
3-4 tbsp tomato paste, if you don’t have paste and you’re using tomato sauce add 4-6 tbsp
2-3 cloves of garlic or 1-1 ½  powdered garlic
2-3 tbsp liquid aminos (a soybean based sauce, usually found in a natural grocery department or health food store), tamari or soy sauce
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
 
Method:
Preheat your oven to 375°.
 
In a large, high sided pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil and sauté onions until translucent; around 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and additional 2 cups of diced vegetables to the pan and continue to sauté for an additional 10-15 minutes until carrots are softened. Remember, this dish will be baked after it is assembled and therefore the carrots do not need to be cooked through, just softened. Add lentils to the pan and stir to combine. Add tomato paste, liquid aminos, and optional balsamic vinegar and stir to incorporate. As you stir the mixture some of the lentils are likely to breakdown, this is ok and creates a smoother filling that stays together better.
 
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook potatoes for around 10 minutes until soft enough to mash. Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain the water. Mash the potatoes and add garlic and butter or oil (optional), and stir to combine.
 
In a 9x9 baking dish or equivalent, create a base layer for the pie using the lentil and vegetable mixture. Smooth the mixture out to meet the corners and make it as even as possible. Top the vegetable and lentil base with the mashed potato mixture and smooth into an even layer. You can use a fork or butter knife to create ridges in the top of the potato or leave it smooth, however, ridges will create a crispier topping. Top with fresh thyme and bake for 30-40 minutes, and allow to cool for around 10 minutes before serving.