Vegetarian shepherds pie

[BornToFolk]

Anyone got a good recipe for veggie "shepherds" pie? I've made it before with Quorn mince but I'm trying to use less of that in my cooking.

It's really nice with lentils.

Chop an onion, one or 2 carrots (chop those small-ish) and a stick or 2 of celery. Fry for a while.

Add tomato puree and tinned tomatoes and let it simmer for a bit.

Add lentils (I often use tinned green ones but lentilles vertes or puy lentils are also nice - you will need to add extra water to cook these in).

If lentils are cooked, leave on a low heat for about 10 mins, if lentils are not cooked you will need to simmer for longer.

Add a bit of red wine, worcestershire sauce and marmite

make mashed potato for the top

Here's a recipe I found on Mydish for a Veggie Shepherds pie

Ingredients

1 Large Red Onion
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Carrots Peeled and Chopped
1 Green Pepper Sliced
2 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary Chopped
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 Tin Mixed Beans
900g Sweet Potatoes Peeled and Chopped
80g Mature Cheddar Cheese
200ml Red Wine (Vegetarian)

Method

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in the carrots and pepper, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

1. Pour in the red wine, add the rosemary and simmer for 2-3 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes and beans. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Transfer to a 2-litre shallow ovenproof dish.

1. Meanwhile, cook the sweet potatoes in boiling water for about 10 minutes until tender. Drain and mash with half of the cheese. Season to taste, then spoon it over the vegetable mixture. Scatter over the remaining cheese and place in the oven.

1. Cook for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with your Dad's favourite vegetables.

I find that substituting Aduki beans or brown lentils for Quorn mince works best - they stay quite firm and have a nice "nutty" texture. Adding mushrooms is good too - they add bulk without adding calories and soak up the spices and other flavours.

Thanks everyone! I think I have a tin of green lentils kicking around somewhere, so may make use of that. I like the idea of adding some red wine and marmite too.

Here's mine: Shepherdess pie

My mother used to make something called Red Dragon Pie, which was basically shepherd's pie made with aduki beans - I don't have the recipe she used (this was in the early 80s so it was probably from a Rose Elliott book or similar) but there are lots of versions knocking around on the internet. This one sounds very similar. Brings back memories - must try it out on my DCs...

hmmm...these recipes all look great and if anyone has seen my recent quorn thread, you'll know I'm a bit off mince at at the moment so will certainly be giving some of these a go!

I think lentil or bean based Shepherd's pie works really well with an interesting mash on top. Something a bit less starchy than plain potatoes is good. Carrot, swede and sweet potato mash is lovely.