Have you heard of a Vegan Shepherd’s Pie? Well, I’ve got a recipe for you and it’s fantastic and yes, it’s filled with nutrients PLUS it can be made ahead of time!
Eating healthy and making dinner doesn’t always go hand in hand – but I’ve got a solution for you. This vegan shepherd’s pie recipe with sweet potatoes is not only filled with plant-based protein and nutrients, but it is also SO delicious and can be made ahead of time – which is always a win in my book!
Why it’s healthy:
This recipe is filled with comforting vegetables like carrots, celery, zucchini, and sweet potatoes. It also has two different plant-based proteins in it.
Lentils:
Lentils are high in protein, fiber, Folate (the natural form of B9), Iron, other B Vitamins, Magnesium, Zinc, Potassium. They are shown to have antioxidants, be anti-inflammatory, and have may even protect your heart (1, 2, 3)!
Quinoa:
Quinoa is one of the few plant-based proteins that is considered a complete protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids. It is also rich in Magnesium, Manganese, Riboflavin, Lysine, Iron and contains almost twice a much fiber as most grains.
How to make this ahead of time:
Now that I’ve convinced you that this is a healthy meatless meal, let me show you how to make this ahead of time. Then when you get home from a long day, you just have to preheat your oven and pop it in – and voilá you have a very healthy, super comforting, delicious meal that your family will love!
When you get home from the grocery store go ahead and dice the vegetables – this will save time when you go to put the vegan shepherd’s pie together.
And when you have the time, go ahead and make the recipe. Sauté the vegetables and boil the sweet potatoes and put the full recipe together and place it in a dish. Put the completed recipe in the fridge, cover it until you are ready.
When you are ready for dinner, preheat the oven and pop it in. You will have a fantastic and healthy meal on the table in 30 minutes.
Pro Tip:
Use canned lentils – this will save you time from having to make them fresh and you will have one less dish to clean up :)!
Please let me know if you make this dish – leave a review or tag me (#sageandcelery) on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Pin it for later on Pinterest.
Delicious Vegan Shepherd’s Pie With Sweet Potato Topping
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch & Dinner
- Cuisine: Comfort Food
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Unlike traditional shepherd’s pie, this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is made with Lentils and topped with sweet potatoes. It’s the perfect healthy comfort food!
Ingredients
3 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
3 stalks of celery, diced (about 1 cup)
2 small zucchini, diced ( about 1 cup)
1 can of cooked lentils, rinsed and drained*
1 cup of cooked quinoa (perfect use for that leftover quinoa I always have in the fridge:)
1 Tablespoon balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar is fine too
1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional, omit if you are eating a low FODMAP diet)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
3 Tablespoon shallot infused olive oil (plain olive oil works too)
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon arrowroot (Non-GMO cornstarch will work as well)
Topping:
3 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons coconut oil (can use grass-fed butter or ghee if not vegan)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the vegetable mixture:
1.) Add shallot infused olive oil (or regular olive oil) to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add diced carrots and celery to the skillet and let them saute until they are almost softened. This will take about 6 minutes, stir often.
2.) Then add zucchini and let them saute and soften, stirring often.
3.) Once all the vegetables are softened, add the drained and rinsed lentils and the cooked quinoa. Add the balsamic and keep stirring.
4.) In a small bowl, add the vegetable broth and arrowroot – whisk together. Once the arrowroot has dissolved, pour over the vegetable and lentil mixture. Stir and keep the heat on. The vegetable broth and arrowroot mixture is there to add flavor and to thicken the mixture. Once it has thickened, remove it from the heat.
To make the sweet potato topping:
1.) To save prep time you can make this while the vegetables are cooking. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the peeled and diced potatoes. Boil for about 10 minutes and then test the potatoes to make sure they are soft by inserting a knife through a thick piece. If the knife runs through it easily, then the potatoes are done and you can remove them from heat and drain. If the knife struggles a bit to run through the cut piece of potato, it isn’t quite done yet so keep boiling it for another 2-5 minutes and test again.
2.) Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and add them to a large bowl. Add the coconut oil (or ghee or butter if not vegan) and mash the potatoes and fat together until there are not any chunks left. You can also use a hand-held mixer to mash the potatoes and whip them. Season them with salt and pepper – taste a bit to make sure you like the seasonings – if needed, add more coconut oil (ghee or butter), salt, and pepper.
To assemble the shepherd’s pie:
1.) Spray a glass or ceramic 9″ pie dish (or an 8″ inch square glass dish) with cooking spray. Add the vegetable mixture to the dish.
2.) Top with the sweet potatoes and smooth evenly over the entire dish.
3.) Optional: Sprinkle paprika over the top.
4.) Bake for @ 25 minutes or until the vegetable mixture is bubbling. Enjoy!
Notes
*You can use freshly cooked lentils – just make sure you cook 2 cups worth for this dish.
My all time favorite
Author
Mine too 🙂