Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd's Pie is one of the most warming and fulfilling comfort foods. Our vegan version is made with a filling of a thick lentil "gravy" and a topping of creamy mashed potatoes made with oat milk and nutritional yeast. You will NOT be missing the meat and dairy in this vegan lentil Shepherd's Pie.
The Fall and Winter seasons are the perfect time to start cooking up vegan lentil Shepherd's Pie. Potatoes are in season late summer to early winter, and the cooler weather begs for warming comfort food. To make it extra cozy, whip up a big batch and share it with family and/or friends. There’s nothing more comforting than sharing food with loved ones.
Shepherd’s Pie was traditionally eaten in England and Ireland as a frugal way to reuse the weekend’s leftover roast and avoid food waste. It’s called Shepherd’s Pie because it is made with lamb, and shepherds tend to sheep. If beef is used, it’s called Cottage Pie. But we aren’t using meat, of course – we’re opting for a plant-based protein.
This recipe is affordable, high in protein, and easy to make with only 7 ingredients. Perfect for family dinner, a Friendsgiving gathering, or just for yourself (it makes great leftovers). Let’s go through how to make vegan lentil Shepherd's Pie!
In this vegan recipe, we replace the traditional ground meat with French lentils in the form of Right Foods French lentil soup, a combination of lentils, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, herbs, and spices. No need to prepare an elaborate filling with stewed vegetables, this lentil soup has everything you need, ready to go!
Lentils are high in protein, fiber, and iron. The lentil filling of this vegan lentil Shepherd's Pie contains 32g of protein, 40g of fiber, and 11.2g of iron. Compared to ground beef, lentils have less protein, but 48% more iron and much more fiber (ground beef has no fiber). All in all, we think lentils are a great plant-based substitute for ground meat.
To kick off our vegan lentil Shepherd’s pie recipe, gather your ingredients: Yukon gold potatoes, 2 boxes of Dr. McDougall's Right Foods Organic French Lentil Soup, garlic, oat milk, nutritional yeast, corn starch, and fresh thyme or parsley.
First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Then boil potatoes in a medium pot for about 25 minutes until tender. Test with a fork and give the potatoes a few more minutes if too hard.
While the potatoes are cooking, add 2 Dr. McDougall's Right Foods Organic French Lentil Soups to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. And cornstarch as a thickening agent and stir occasionally until thick like gravy, about 15 minutes. Your vegan lentil Shepherd’s Pie filling is complete in just two steps thanks to Right Foods ready-to-serve lentil soup.
Now, it’s time for the mashed potato topping. Drain the potatoes and mash them to the texture of your liking. Then, mix in minced garlic, oat milk, nutritional yeast, salt & pepper. Spread the lentil "gravy" you made in the last step in an oven-safe dish, topping with a thick, even layer of mashed potatoes.
Bake your almost-ready vegan lentil Shepherd’s Pie for about 30 minutes until golden brown, then top with a garnish of chopped herbs.
And there you have a gorgeous vegan lentil Shepherd’s Pie! A savory lentil filling topped with creamy mashed potatoes, baked until golden brown. We’re drooling just thinking about it. This dish is filling, comforting, savory, creamy, and completely vegan.
Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods makes plant-based eating easy. Every Right Foods product is vegan, made with whole foods ingredients, certified Non-GMO, and made with paper packaging from certified sustainably-managed forests.
We started the Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods line nearly 20 years ago because we wanted to make the delicious foods from the McDougall Program accessible to everyone.
Dr. McDougall has helped thousands improve their health and their quality of life by teaching people about the benefits of a plant-based, heart-healthy diet rich in good starches like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, rice, pasta and legumes.
If you made this recipe, leave a few stars down below and tell us how we did. Or snap a picture and tag us on Instagram so we can see your masterpiece for ourselves!
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