Vegan Shepherd's Pie
by Bosh
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Serves 6
Ingredients
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2 medium red onions
1 celery stick
4 sun-dried tomatoes, plus 2 tbsp oil from the jar
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large carrot
500g mushrooms
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp yeast extract (e.g. Marmite)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
250ml red wine
100ml vegetable stock
400g pre-cooked puy lentils
salt and black pepper
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1.2kg Maris Piper or other floury potatoes
40g dairy-free butter
150ml unsweetened plant-based milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C
First make a start on the potato topping. Peel and chop the potatoes into large chunks. Put in a saucepan, cover with cold water and add a generous pinch of salt. Put over a high heat, bring to the boil and cook for 12–15 minutes. Drain into a colander and leave to dry. Tip back into the pan
Now to the filling. Peel and finely dice the red onions and celery. Peel and grate the garlic. Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Remove the leaves from the rosemary and thyme by running your thumb and forefinger from the top to the base of the stems (the leaves should easily come away), then finely chop. Peel and finely chop the carrot. Put the mushrooms in the food processor and blitz to mince.
Put the second saucepan over a medium heat. Pour in the sun-dried tomato oil. Add the onion and a small pinch of salt. Fry for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary and thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and stir for 4–5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, turn up the heat slightly and stir for 2–3 minutes, until the mushrooms start to sweat. Reduce the heat and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally
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Stir the tomato purée into the pan. Add the yeast extract and balsamic vinegar and stir for 1 minute. Add the red wine, stock and lentils, turn up the heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Taste, season and take off the heat.
Mash the potatoes. Add the dairy-free butter, milk and mustard to the potatoes and mash until really smooth. Taste and season
Spread the filling over the bottom of the lasagne dish. Spoon the potato into the piping bag, if using, and pipe tightly packed walnut-sized whips of potato all over, otherwise spoon over the potato and spread it out with the back of a spoon, then drag over a fork to make rows that will catch and brown in the oven
Put the pie in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, until starting to crisp and turn golden brown