Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
A hearty and flavorful take on an Irish classic, this Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie is filled with lentils and other vegetables rather than beef or lamb.
Shepherd's Pie vs Cottage Pie
While there isn't anything particularly Irish about Corned Beef and Cabbage, Shepherd's pie is a staple of traditional Irish cooking.
Shepherd's Pie was originally known as Cottage Pie, with cottage referring to the modest dwelling of poor, rural workers during the late 1700's in Ireland and England, when the potato was a common, affordable crop for poor families.
The term Shepherd's Pie didn't appear until the late 1800's. But, it has become the commonly accepted name for the dish, even though the traditional idea was that a shepherd's version used mutton (lamb), while a cottage version used beef.
Our Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Recipe
We have seen vegetarian versions named Shepherd-less Pie or Farmer's Pie, but we're just going to stick with the traditional name for this vegetarian spin on the classic.
Shepherd's Pie is quite a hearty and sustaining dish, and this vegetarian twist is no exception.
Lentils give the base of this pie a consistency and texture that is surprisingly similar to ground meat, while at the same time boosting the iron and protein content in this all-veggie pie.
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
For the Lentils
- 1 c lentils,
- 2 c water
- 2 bay leaves
For the Potatoes
- 2 lb russet potatoes,
- ½ c milk
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ c sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Putting It All Together
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 c corn, thawed if frozen
- 1 c peas, thawed if frozen
- 1 (4oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce*
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, mix lentils with 2 c water and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered over low heat until lentils are tender and most of the water has been absorbed, 15-20 min.
- Peel potatoes and cut into ½ - 1 inch cubes. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat 10-15 minutes, until tender when pricked with a fork.
- When the potatoes are done, drain the liquid, reserving about one cup.
- Add milk, lemon juice, sour cream, garlic, salt, and nutmeg to the drained potatoes. Whip potatoes with an electric hand mixer until smooth, adding reserved liquid if necessary.
- In a large, non-stick skillet with high sides heat butter. Add onions and sauté until soft. Add carrots and sauté an additional 5 minutes, until carrots begin to soften. Add corn, peas, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Mix and heat through.
- When mixture is heated and carrots are soft, add cooked lentils and mix well.
- Preheat your oven's broiler to medium.
- Grease an 8x8 oven-safe baking dish. Spread lentil mixture into the baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes.
- Place dish into the oven and broil for 5-10 minutes, until the top is golden.
Notes
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Worchestershire sauce is not vegetarian, it has anchovies in it.
Good point Sf. Some vegetarians do eat fish, but if you don't, then you would probably want to find a substitute.
Someone that follows a vegetarian diet does not eat fish . They might refer to themselves as being vegetarian but really they are Pescetarian.
Worcestershire sauce as pointed out by Sf isn’t suitable for a vegetarian diet. It’s one of those things that often appear in recipes for vegetarians that isn’t suitable for a vegetarian recipe .
(Parmesan cheese is another thing that often appears in vegetarian recipes and isn’t suitable for vegetarian use )
Very interesting AMS. Thanks for sharing!
Just want to drop by and say that this is delicious! Made it tonight and will (happily) be eating it for the rest of the week!
Awesome! Thanks for stopping back by to let us know how it turned out! We're so glad you love it!
Yum, your shepherd's pie looks amazing! I love that you made this vegetarian version since I'm really trying to cut down on my meat intake. The lentils still make it hearty and filling.
We've started using lentils more and more. You're right, they are so filling and have great flavor.