Vegan Shepard’s Pie

Vegan Shepard’s Pie

As Winter approaches you may notice you’re more drawn to warm, oven bakes, hearty meals, and batch cooking. This is a perfect option to suit all the requirements. This can be 100% Vegan or Vegetarian if you’d like to use butter in the potatoes. It packs 4 to 5 of your Vegetable intake for the day and tastes like a hug from the inside.

Ingredients:

(serves 2 – 3 portions, perfect for batch cooking)

150g soaked black lentils (ideally soaked overnight)

600g Potatoes

1 small red onion

150g Carrots

1 Veg stock cube (low salt is always best)

1 tablespoon of Cumin (more to taste if needed)

1 teaspoon of smoked Paprika

Olive oil

Optional:

Other vegetables grated like courgette or squash

Other vegetables diced like peppers, mushrooms or brocolli.

Fresh thyme

You can replace regular potatoes with sweet potato or butternut squash if you wish.

Method:

Soak the lentils over night in some warm water and rinse. If you’ve bought lentils in a tin there is no need to soak just give them a rinse.

Put the potatoes into a pan with boiling water on a medium heat to boil. I prefer to leave the skins on, extra fibre! If they are various sizes then chop them into roughly the same size to speed up cooking.

In a separate pan heat some olive oil gently on a medium heat.

Chop onions finely and add to the oil to soften.

Grate the carrot or any other veggies on the smallest grating setting.

Add the grated vegetables to the onions and simmer.

Measure out the cumin and smoked paprika and if using thyme chop into small pieces. Add the herbs and spices to the onion mix and stir well.

Crumble in the stock cube.

Add the lentils (discard the water they soaked in and rinse once or twice) and add about 200mls of warm water and mix.

Preheat the over to 180 degrees C/350 F/Gas Mark 4

Keep the lentil mix simmering, adding water as needed. You’re looking for a gravy like moist texture.

Once the potatoes are cooked through and soft mash them with a masher or a fork. I leave the skins on for extra fibre. Season with salt and pepper and add in Olive oil or butter if you want a creamier texture.

Once the lentil are soft (feel free to taste!) add them to a oven proof dish, top with the mash potato and smooth out the potato with a fork. Feel free to get creative with designs!

Bake in the over for 15-20 minutes until the potato top has gone crispy and it’s piping hot.

Serve with some greens for a wholesome meal.

Dietary Information:

Vegan

Gluten Free

Sugar free

Full of fibre and vegetables

Black Lentils are high in protein, calcium, iron, potassium, fibre and antioxidants.

Potatoes are full of flavonoids (antioxidants that target free radicals), can be locally sourced, keep you satiated and are full of nutrients.