Food & Cooking Recipes Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie 5.0 (3) 2 Reviews Comforting, hearty, and delicious, this plant-based dinner has a filling of lentils, mushrooms, and vegetables under a fluffy mashed potato topping. By Shira Bocar Shira Bocar Shira is food editor at large for Martha Stewart Living. Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 4, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 40 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Servings: 8 Our vegetarian shepherd's pie is a delicious take on the traditional British potato-topped shepherd's pie, and the ultimate cozy plant-based meal for winter. (It also happens to be gluten-free.) Lentils give the filling heft—we use French green lentils because unlike red or brown lentils, they keep their shape in cooking—and cremini mushrooms provide a nice umami flavor. There are also onions, carrots, and peas in the filling. The fluffy potato topping uses Yukon gold potatoes cooked with garlic for added flavor before making a creamy mash. As both the filling and topping are cooked when the pie is assembled, it doesn't take long in the oven to transform into a satisfying entrée that’s sure to become a cold-weather favorite. 30 Vegetarian Comfort Food Recipes for a Cozy, Plant-Based Dinner Kate Mathis Make this a vegan shepherd's pie by using plant-based butter and non-dairy milk. Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, finely diced 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, such as Annie's Naturals 1 dried bay leaf 1 cup French green lentils, picked over Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup frozen peas 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces 4 cloves garlic 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ cup whole milk, warmed Directions Cook vegetables: Heat oil in a medium pot over medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms, then tomato paste: Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add Worcestershire sauce, water, and lentils; bring to a boil then simmer: Add Worcestershire, bay leaf, 4 cups water, and lentils; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Add peas; remove from heat: Stir in peas; remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven; cook potatoes and garlic: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place potatoes and garlic in a medium saucepan; cover with 2 inches of cold water. Season generously with salt; bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until a knife pierces potatoes easily, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and mash potatoes: Drain; return potatoes and garlic to pot. Add butter and milk; mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Assemble pie: Transfer lentil mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Dollop with mashed potatoes; spread evenly to edges. Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake: Bake until golden and bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes; serve. Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, January/February 2019 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.