Shepherd's Pie with Beans and Lentils

This shepherd’s pie is perfect as a holiday entree as well as for a special weekend dinner. The dish is packed with vegetables then topped with creamy and crispy mashed potatoes.

Photo and adapted from Jamie Oliver

| Yield: 8 servings | Time: 1 hour 25 minutes |

Ingredients

1 pound yellow potatoes

1 pound sweet potatoes

2 ounces dairy-free margarine

1 onion

2 carrots

3 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon coriander seeds or ground coriander

olive oil

½ a bunch of fresh thyme

12 ounces mushrooms

12 sun-dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Splash red wine

4 fluid ounces vegetable stock

1 can (15 ounces) of lentils

1 can (15 ounces) of chickpeas

5 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 lemon

2 ounces (or more!) breadcrumbs

1/3 to 1/2 cup oat milk (or other non-dairy milk)

Preparation

Cook’s Note: The lentils in this recipe can be replaced with soy mince for a meatier texture, just make sure that if you use the dehydrated type you hydrate it first. Fresh breadcrumbs can easily be made from hardened bread by putting the bread in a food processor to break it up, and then toasting the crumbs in the oven on 200º until golden. Pay attention because they toast fast!

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Peel and chop all the potatoes into rough 1-inch chunks. Place the yellow potatoes into a large pan of cold salted water over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, adding the sweet potatoes after 5 minutes.

Drain and leave to dry, then return to the pan with the margarine and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Add the oat milk and mash until smooth, then set aside.

Peel and finely slice the onion, carrots and 2 garlic cloves.

Bash the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar until fine (or skip this if using ground), then add it along with the onion, carrot and garlic cloves to a medium pan over a medium heat with a splash of oil. Add in the thyme leaves, then cook for around 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. If using soy mince, add it to the pan and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend the mushrooms in a food processor and chop the sun-dried tomatoes, then add to the pan along with the vinegar and 2 more tablespoons of oil.

Cook for a further 10 minutes, then add a splash of wine, turn up the heat, and allow it to bubble away. Stir in the stock, lentils (or no lentils if using soy mince) and chickpeas (juice and all), then leave it to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened and reduced.

Pick and roughly chop the parsley leaves, then stir into the pan. Season to taste, then transfer to a baking dish (roughly 9in x 13in).

Spread the mash over the top, scuffing it up with the back of a spoon. The more uneven it is, the crispier it will get.

Finely slice the remaining garlic clove, then place into a bowl with the rosemary leaves, lemon zest, breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix well, sprinkle over the mash, then place in the hot oven for around 10 minutes, or until piping hot through.

Place under the grill for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden, then serve with seasonal greens.