Some call it Shepherd’s Pie, I call it Cottage Pie, either way, this vegan cottage pie rocks!
In my continued pursuit of finding new vegetarian recipes, last week I attempted a vegan cottage pie.
Vegan cottage pie
Original recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/1-hour-vegan-shepherds-pie/
Ingredients
Filling:
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown lentils, rinsed and drained
3 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
250g frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, corn, etc
Mashed potatoes:
Enough sweet potatoes to form a layer on top of the filling
3-4 Tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Peel and then cut the potatoes into chunks, place in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a low boil on medium high heat, then generously salt, cover and cook until soft.
- Once cooked, drain, and using a masher or large fork to mash until smooth. Add desired amount of butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tablespoon olive oil until lightly browned and caramelized.
- Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, stock, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (about 30 minutes).
- In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies, stir and cover.
- OPTIONAL: To thicken the mixture, scoop out 1/4 of the mixture and whisk in 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and whisk. Return to the pan and whisk to thicken. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius and lightly grease a baking dish.
- Transfer the lentils mixture to your prepared oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt.
- Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mashed potato is lightly browned on top.