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Hearty Lentil Shepherd's Pie Filling with Mashed Potatoes

A rich, savory, and thick lentil and vegetable filling perfect as a vegan shepherd's pie base or served as a 'gravy' over creamy mashed potatoes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, British, Vegetarian
Calories: 350
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Lentil Filling
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 large Yellow Onion finely diced
  • 2 large Carrots peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 stalks Celery diced (about 3/4 cup)
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 cup Brown or Green Lentils rinsed
  • 4 cups Vegetable Broth
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
  • 0.5 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 0.25 cup Dry Red Wine or Balsamic Vinegar optional, for depth
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce or Tamari
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas
  • Salt and Black Pepper to taste
For the Mashed Potatoes
  • 4 large Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and quartered
  • 0.5 cup Milk or Non-Dairy Milk
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter or Vegan Butter
  • 0.5 tsp Salt

Equipment

  • Large saucepan or Dutch oven
  • Pot for boiling potatoes
  • Potato masher

Method
 

  1. Sauté Aromatics: Heat oil in a large saucepan. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Build Flavor: Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add wine/vinegar if using, scraping the pan.
  3. Simmer Stew: Add rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, thyme, rosemary, paprika, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes until lentils are tender.
  4. Thicken Gravy: Remove lid and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, stirring, until sauce is reduced to a thick, heavy, viscous, and glossy consistency.
  5. Make Potatoes: Boil potatoes until tender (15-20 minutes). Drain, then mash with milk, butter, and salt until fluffy and smooth.
  6. Finish and Serve: Stir frozen peas into the lentil filling and cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve the thick lentil filling immediately over generous scoops of mashed potatoes.

Notes

This filling is perfect for freezer meal prep. To use as a Shepherd's Pie, top with mashed potatoes and bake at 400°F (200°C) until the potato topping is golden brown.