Lentil Veggie Shepherd’s Pie

• 6 Servings

• Total time: 90 min

Adapted from Dishing up the Dirt

This is a cozy, plant-based twist on the classic comfort dish, featuring a savory lentil and vegetable filling topped with creamy mashed rutabaga and potatoes before baking until golden. It combines sautéed carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, and herbs with hearty brown lentils, making it rich and satisfying without meat.

Ingredients

• Filling

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 2 carrots, diced

  • 2 parsnips, diced

  • 1 cup mixed mushrooms, chopped

  • 3/4 teaspoons salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)

  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon flour (GF if desired)

  • 1 cup vegetable broth

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils

• Mashed Rutabaga/Potato Topping

  • 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

  • 1 pound rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled

  • salt to taste

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F.

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.

• Stir in the carrots and parsnips and continue to cook for about 5 minutes longer. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme and paprika and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

• Add the tomato paste and flour and stir until the vegetables are coated in the mixture and it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan.

• Add the vegetable broth and stir to dissolve the flour and tomato past mixture. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes or until the mixture thickens up a bit.

• Stir in the cooked lentils and remove from the heat. Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed.

• Prepare the topping by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes, rutabaga, garlic, and 2 teaspoons of salt and cook at a brisk simmer until the veggies are tender, about 12-15 minutes.

• Drain the potatoes, rutabaga and garlic, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Mash the potatoes and rutabaga with the garlic and beat in the olive oil. Thin to desired consistency with reserved cooking liquid (I used about 1/3 cup).

• Pour the lentil vegetable mixture into a casserole dish (or use your skillet if it’s oven proof). Spoon the mashed mixture evenly over the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes longer or until potatoes are golden brown.