Classic Shepherd's Pie
Looking for a great vegan family meal idea? This is a family favourite veggie recipe and easy to make meat free and dairy free without reducing the flavour, depth and health benefits! In the BOSH! house, we make the BOSH! Classic shepherds pie a lot. We cook it for families and we make it for our buddies. If you're looking for a vegan meal to cook for a meat eater, this is a great choice and proves you just don't need to have animals in a dish to make it this tasty! It's hearty, it's flavourful, it's healthy, it's meaty. It's a great meat free shepherds pie and we can't wait for you to cook it. Out of all the dishes we've designed as BOSH!, we reckon this is in the top 5. If you make it, you'll love it.
Serves
Ingredients
For the filling
<item-todo-done>2 tbsp tomato purée<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp Marmite<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp balsamic vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 red onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 celery stick<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 sun-dried tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 sprigs of fresh rosemary<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 sprigs of thyme<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 carrot<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>500g mushrooms<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>250ml red wine<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100ml vegetable stock<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>400g puy lentils cooked<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
For the potato filling
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp Dijon mustard<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1.2kg Maris Piper potatoes - or other floury potatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>40g plant-based butter<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>150ml unsweetened plant-based milk<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Preheat oven to 180°C | Fine grater or Microplane | 2 large saucepans | Food processor | Potato masher | 20 x 30cm lasagne dish | Piping bag fitted with a wide star nozzle, optional
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
- 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 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
Add the liquids and simmer
- 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
Finish the potatoes
- Mash the potatoes
- Add the dairy-free butter, milk and mustard to the potatoes and mash until really smooth
- Taste and season
Assemble and cook
- 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
- Remove and serve