The ultimate hearty and flavourful vegan shepherd's pie

The ultimate hearty and flavourful vegan shepherd's pie. Photo / Lottie Hedley

Plant-based, gluten-free and refined sugar-free, the modern, family-friendly recipes from Sophie Steevens' cookbook Simple Wholefoods, all use ingredients as close to their natural state as possible. Sophie says of this vegan shepherd's pie: "Although the ingredients list is lengthy, it's really just a simple collection of wintry vegetables and hearty lentils combined with a handful of common pantry staples. The added touch of fresh rosemary and thyme imparts a wonderful herby essence."

Ingredients

Potato topping

6	large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 cup	rice milk (or other plant milk)
½ tsp	sea salt
⅛ tsp	ground white pepper

Shepherd's pie filling

1 Tbsp	olive or avocado oil (optional)
1 Tbsp	coriander seeds
1	brown onion, diced
3 cloves	garlic, finely chopped
2 cups	sliced mushrooms
1 cup	sliced celery
1	zucchini, grated
2 large	carrots, grated
1 Tbsp	fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp	fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp	ground cumin
2 x 400g cans	brown lentils, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked lentils)
⅓ cup	tomato paste
2 Tbsp	tamari soy sauce
2 Tbsp	nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp	balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp	Dijon mustard
⅔ cup	rice milk (or other plant milk)
1½ Tbsp	buckwheat flour (or other gluten-free flour)
To taste	sea salt and cracked pepper

Directions

1. For the potato topping: Bring a saucepan half-filled with water to a boil. Place the potato in a colander over the water, cover, and steam for 20 minutes, or until tender.
2. For the shepherd's pie filling: Heat the oil, if using, in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the coriander seeds and cook for 1–2 minutes, or until the seeds become fragrant and begin to pop. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the celery, zucchini, carrot, rosemary, thyme and cumin, and cook for a further 6–8 minutes, or until the veges are tender.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the lentils, tomato paste, tamari, nutritional yeast, vinegar, mustard, rice milk and flour, then season to taste. Mix until well combined. Transfer to a deep pie dish and spread out evenly.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-bake. Drain the potato. Transfer to a large bowl with the rice milk, salt and pepper, and mash until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over the lentil mixture. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the topping begins to brown.

Edited extract from Simple Wholefoods by Sophie Steevens published by Allen & Unwin NZ, RRP: $49.99. Photography by Lottie Hedley.