Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

With St. Paddy's Day about to descend upon us, I thought I would post about a delicious vegetarian shepherd's pie recipe that I make.  It's slightly adapted from an Annabel Karmel recipe book.  I don't tend to care for her recipes in general, (too much cheese and pasta) but this one is a winner! This one has green lentils in place of the meat, which are a great source of protein and iron.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
3/4 cup lentils
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2/3 c. water
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas

2 lbs. golden yukon potatoes (peeled or unpeeled, your choice, cut into chunks)
1 1/2 tbsp. butter or vegan margarine, such as Earth Balance brand
1/2 c. milk or non-dairy milk of your choice

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the onions and carrots until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, broth, water, tomato paste, soy sauce, and sugar.  Bring to to a boil, then reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 1 hour.

2. While the lentil mixture is simmering, steam the potatoes until they are tender.  (You can also steam cauliflower to add to the potato topping.  I do this sometimes to add some more vegetables to the dish.  Reduce the amount of potatoes to 1 1/2 lbs. and add a small head of cauliflower.)  Mash the steamed potatoes with the milk and butter.

3.  Season the lentil mixture to taste with salt and pepper.  Then either place the mixture in a large ramekin or divide it equally among 6 ramekins.  Or you can do a little of both, like I did.  The little ramekins are great for older kids. 

Spread the potato mixture on top of the lentils.  You can brush the top of the pie with an egg white or butter, if you prefer to have a nice golden top to your shepherd's pie.  Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees.  Place the pies on a baking sheet and bake until golden and piping hot (about 30 minutes).


You can make this ahead and freeze it.  Place plastic wrap over the top and freeze.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.