Recipe: Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potatoes and Shiitake Mushrooms

Photos by Phil Crozier
Recipes by Jayme MacFayden

This shepherd’s pie is a staple in our home once the days start getting shorter and you can feel winter creeping in. It fills the home with comforting smells and although it requires a bit of prep, you can easily make this a day ahead of time and bake it to serve. Prepare it a day in advance or in the morning and keep it in the fridge. When you are ready to bake it, take it out at least 30 minutes before it goes in the oven so it has a chance to come close to room temperature. If you like leftovers, it also keeps for days in the fridge and tastes just as good reheated on day five as on the first day you make it.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 3 lb sweet potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces (skins left on)
• Himalayan salt
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 medium leeks, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 8 large garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 450 g shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 450 g bag frozen peas
• 2 tbsp potato starch, cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• ¾ cup vegetable broth
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1½ cups cooked lentils (canned are okay, too)
• 3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ cup of unsweetened nut milk of choice (I use cashew)
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Paprika and fresh thyme leaves for garnish
• Maldon salt, to taste

TIP: Sweet potatoes are often a source of confusion: you want the ones where the skin is light brown and smooth and the flesh is white.

Method

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover by about 1 inch. Toss in a few pinches of Himalayan salt and bring the water to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the filling. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrots, and all but two teaspoons of garlic and a few pinches of Himalayan salt. Stir to combine and cook until soft (about 5 to 7 minutes). Add the mushrooms (you may need to increase the heat here) and sauté until all the moisture released by the mushrooms has cooked off (approximately 10 to 15 minutes). 

Add in the frozen peas, potato starch, vegetable broth and red wine. Stir until well combined and sauce starts to thicken (this happens fast!). Add the lentils, rosemary, thyme and more Himalayan salt to taste (at least 1 tsp). Stir to combine well and turn off the heat.

When potatoes are ready, drain the water and return potatoes to saucepan. Add in remaining 2 tsp of the minced garlic, garlic powder and 2 tbsp of the olive oil, then mash potatoes until smooth. Add in the cashew milk and nutritional yeast and season with Himalayan salt to taste (I use about 2 tsp). The potatoes should be nice and creamy. If they seem a bit dry, add in more cashew milk or olive oil or a bit of both. Set aside.

Spoon the vegetable filling into the casserole dish, spreading it out evenly. Next, spoon the mashed sweet potatoes on top of the filling, making sure to cover all the filling and that the potatoes are evenly distributed. Top with paprika and more fresh thyme. Bake for 25 minutes, then switch to broil and broil for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes, then sprinkle with Maldon salt and serve.

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