This vegan shepherd's pie recipe with curry-like spices is the ultimate healthy comfort food! With lentils, chickpeas, carrots, mushrooms, and a sweet potato top, it's a hearty main that's perfect on the holiday table or as a family-friendly meal. It's simple to make and it's ready in just over an hour!
Ingredients
½cupdried brown lentils, or 1 cup cooked
1lbsweet potatoes, about 2 medium, peeled and chopped
1cupcoconut milk
½cupwater
A pinch of cayenne
1tablespooncoconut oil
1mediumonion, minced
4clovesgarlic, minced
1inchpiece of ginger, minced
3mediumcarrots, diced
2stalkscelery, diced
5crimini mushrooms, diced
1tablespoongaram masala
1teaspoonEACH: chili powder, cumin, and sea salt
5.5ouncecan tomato paste
19ouncecan chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1cupfrozen peas
Instructions
Add the lentils to a small pot and cover with a few inches of water. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Drain any remaining liquid.
½ cup dried brown lentils
Add the sweet potatoes, coconut milk, water, and a pinch of cayenne to a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the sweet potatoes are soft. Mash the sweet potatoes with the leftover cooking liquid and salt to taste.
1 lb sweet potatoes, 1 cup coconut milk, ½ cup water, A pinch of cayenne
While the lentils and sweet potatoes are cooking, heat the coconut oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until transparent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, carrots, celery, and mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 inch piece of ginger, 3 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery, 5 crimini mushrooms
Add the garam masala, chili powder, cumin, and sea salt to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and let it caramelize for about 3 minutes, or until it has darkened slightly and is sweet smelling. Remove from the heat and stir in the chickpeas, peas, and cooked lentils.
1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon EACH: chili powder, cumin, and sea salt, 5.5 ounce can tomato paste, 19 ounce can chickpeas, 1 cup frozen peas
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Transfer the lentils to a casserole dish and top with the mashed coconut sweet potatoes. Bake the Vegan Shepherd's Pie for 20-25 minutes, or until hot and bubbling at the edges.