Perhaps more than a vegan shepherd’s pie I should have called it a vegetable pie since there is no meat. This is a very popular dish in England, and the name means pastor’s casserole: it consists of a base of minced meat and vegetables covered with a simple mashed potatoes that forms a crust in the oven. Very similar is the cottage pie, which instead is prepared with beef. I replaced the minced meat with a healthier and lighter ingredient: lentils, thus creating a vegan and gluten-free casserole. Alternatively, you can also use soy granules or ready-made vegetable mince. But with lentils, it comes out delicious and very digestible. Peas are usually added as well, but I forgot them: if you want, feel free to add them and consider the extra Weight Watchers points.
Usually, this casserole is prepared in a large baking dish, but I used single-serving baking dishes for various reasons. My oven does not work well at low temperatures, so I needed to use the air fryer, which is too small for a baking dish. So I chose to make single servings, making the WW points count easier. Not only that: we will also have more potato crust to enjoy! Let’s see how to prepare this vegan shepherd’s pie…
I also suggest some other recipes with lentils:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven, Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, New Year's Eve
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz dry lentils (or 10.6 oz of already cooked lentils)
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (2 measuring teaspoons)
- 1 leaf bay
- 7 oz mushrooms (any type is fine)
- 1 oz tomato paste
- to taste salt
- 1.1 lbs potatoes
- 0.35 oz nutritional yeast (1 measuring tablespoon)
- 0.4 cup soy milk (unsweetened or other plant milk)
- to taste nutmeg
- to taste salt
- Total points = 20 WW points
- Points per 1 dish = 5 WW points
Tools
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Pot
- Pan
- Potato Masher
- Wooden Spoon
- Baking Dishes
- Air Fryer
Steps
First, boil the lentils for about half an hour in plenty of water. The cooking time depends on the brand, so follow the instructions on the package. Drain them, reserving a cup of cooking water, and set them aside.
Clean and chop all the vegetables: mince the garlic and dice the onion, celery, carrot, and mushrooms.
In a large pan, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot with the bay leaf for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and a little salt. Mix well, and once the mushrooms have reduced, add the tomato paste and lentils. Simmer using a bit of the reserved lentil cooking water when necessary. After about 15 minutes, our vegan shepherd’s pie filling will be ready: make sure it is not too dry as it will continue to cook in the oven.
Now you need to make a simple mashed potatoes. To save time, peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Place them in a pot and cover with lightly salted cold water. Boil them for about twenty minutes, checking with a fork if they are cooked.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot, add a little more salt, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, and soy milk, and mash them into a smooth and creamy puree. If it is too dry, add a splash more milk. Adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary.
Divide the filling among the 4 baking dishes. Do the same for the mashed potatoes and then smooth the surface, sealing the mashed potatoes well around the edges of the dishes. Use a fork to scrape the surface of the mashed potatoes: this will create a nicer crust.
Place 2 baking dishes in the air fryer basket and cook at 320°F for 15 minutes and then at 390°F for another 8 minutes or so, until golden.
Let them cool for a few minutes, then serve, either directly in the baking dishes or by removing them with a spoon, being careful not to burn yourself.
And here are our vegan shepherd’s pies ready to be enjoyed, hot of course. Really good, and having eaten the originals when I lived in London, I am satisfied with this light and vegan version.
Here it is removed from the baking dish, for 5 Weight Watchers points it is really a lot to eat! But they are so good: they were very much appreciated here at home and will surely be on the table this Christmas or perhaps at New Year’s Eve to respect the tradition in a different way. Try them too and let me know if you like them!
Storage
You can prepare both the filling and mashed potatoes in advance and even pour everything into the baking dishes. In fact, I baked two and covered the other two with plastic wrap and stored them in the fridge. I then baked them 3 days later, and they were still perfect.
I didn’t freeze them, but I’m sure they can be put in the freezer and then slightly thawed and cooked for a bit longer.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is nutritional yeast?
This recipe also features nutritional yeast, which is deactivated yeast rich in vitamin B12. It is widely used in vegan cooking as it gives dishes a cheesy flavor. To learn more, read here: Nutritional Yeast: what it is, how to use it and why!
Can I also use the oven?
Absolutely! In fact, in the oven, you can use more baking dishes or directly a larger dish, doubling or even tripling the doses. As for cooking, I couldn’t try, but I think you’ll need to bake at 356°F for about 30 minutes and then broil to gratinate the surface.
