Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

VeggieYogi ♦ July 11, 2012 ♦ Leave a comment

This one’s a keeper!! I just found another easy and delicious recipe that’s sure to be a trusty favorite for years to come! My Mom recently found an amazing vegetarian cookbook called The Vegetarian Slow Cooker. It has tons of great recipes including this one for Lentil Shepherd’s Pie–definitely worth trying!

It could be made in the oven I’m sure, but I’m a sucker for crockpot recipes. To make cracked peppercorns, place peppercorns in a baggie and smash them with a rolling pin.

This recipe was adapted from Judith Finlayson’s Lentil Shepherd’s Pie recipe in The Vegetarian Slow Cooker. As always I added extra veggies–you can never have too many veggies, and I added parmesan cheese to the potato topping. I also added the Worchester sauce and paprika. Be sure to use vegetarian Worchestershire sauce as the regular stuff has anchovies in it.

I hope you like it!

Makes approximately 6 servings.

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 tbsp oil
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 2/3 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup peas
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1/4 tsp paprika
Shake of Vegetarian Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups brown or green lentils, rinsed
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (unsalted)
1 cup water

Topping
4 cups mashed potatoes (approx 6 medium)
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp butter (optional)
Splash of milk (optional)
Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)

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In a large pot cook onions, celery and carrots in oil from about 7 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

Add thyme, peppercorns, paprika and worchester sauce and cook for another minute.

Add lentils and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Transfer to crockpot and add vegetable broth, water, corn and peas. Stir together, cover, and cook for 3-6 hours or until lentils are tender. I cooked mine for 6 hours on high but I think my crockpot may not be typical of all crockpots. The original recipe called for 3 hours on low or 6 hours on high.

Boil the potatoes, then mash the potatoes and add bread crumbs, butter, milk and parmesan cheese. Mix together well. I like to leave the skins on my potatoes to maintain the nutrients.

Once lentils are soft, add the potato topping to the top of the mixture and cover and cook for another hour.