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commemorate a very special St. Patrick’s Day
Party anniversary! I love playing with mashed
potatoes!
For those of your already familiar, I’ve revamped and updated my classic vegan Shepherd’s pie recipe in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. This has been my go-to party recipe for the past two years for several reasons. First of all, it’s an unfailing crowd-pleaser. Even the youngest and pickiest eaters in my family lick their plates clean and ask for more! It’s also just so easy. I can whip it up in about an hour and a half with simple, wholesome ingredients that are always on-hand in the pantry and refrigerator. Then, I can keep it in the fridge overnight and pop it in the oven an hour before party time.
There’s no wrong way to pie…
This recipe is also amazingly versatile. You can add or substitute veggies based on what you have on-hand in your fridge or freezer. You can make one big pie, or you can assemble little single-serving pies in ramekins for an elegant and unusual dinner-party presentation. You can even decorate the top of the mashed potatoes as a kind of savory birthday cake. The possibilities are boundless!
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 4-5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 2-3 cups vegan milk room temp
- 1/2 cup vegan butter melted or room temp (not cold!!)
Filling
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 10 oz bag frozen peas or veggie blend
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms or 1/2 cup dried and soaked in hot water
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp rosemary dried
- 3-4 cups water
- 4 tsp Better than Bouillon or bullion powder can substitute bullion & water for vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 16 oz bag of green lentils
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
- optional more vegetables, such as corn, broccoli
Shamrock
- Natural Green Food Dye I made mine with pureed spinach and water
Instructions
- If using dried mushrooms, begin soaking them in boiled water as early as possible. You may also pre-soak the lentils while prepping the potatoes. Cover and set aside. Drain before cooking and add only 3 cups of water to the pot before simmering.
Prep and Boil the Mashed Potatoes
- Take butter milk and (optional) sour cream out of the refrigerator and allow to come up to room temperature.
- Peel and chop the potatoes while bringing about 3 quarts of water to a boil.Add potatoes and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce flame to medium, and simmer for about 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Prepare the filling
- Rinse the lentils and pick out any misshapen, discolored, or floating beans.
- Dice the onions and carrots and water-sauté over medium heat 2-4 minutes until the onions become translucent. Meanwhile, mince the garlic and dice the mushrooms.
- Add mushrooms and water-sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add bouillon, soy sauce, herbs, garlic and salt and pepper and toss to coat the vegetables.
- Add water and lentils and bring to a boil (3 cups if pre-soaked, 4 cups if not pre-soaked). Cover and allow to simmer over medium-low heat for about half an hour, until the lentils become tender.
Mash the Potatoes
- When the potatoes become very tender and crumble when pierced with a fork, drain then return to pot. Place on low heat and allow some of the water to steam off as you mash the potatoes (about 2-3 minutes).
- Turn off heat. Add 1 cup of vegan milk + 1/2 cup melted vegan butter, and continue to mash.
- Slowly the remaining vegan milk to the mashed potatoes. Taste and add salt and pepper, and adjust seasonings as needed.
Assemble the Pie
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- when lentils are tender, add 4-5 large spoons of mashed potatoes to the lentils and stir mixture begins to thicken into a gravy.
- Mix in the frozen peas.
- Pour the filling mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly.
- Spread a thick layer of mashed potatoes over the filling mixture, and smooth out with a spoon.
Optional Step: Decorate
- I like to make a cross-hatch pattern on the surface of the mashed potatoes because it adds visual interest while improving the crispiness of the surface while baking.
- Add about a cup of the cooled mashed potatoes to a ziplock bag (or piping bag) and add some of the natural green food coloring, until the desired hue is achieved.
- Clip off a corner of your bag with a pair of scissors and begin piping the green mashed potatoes in the shape of a shamrock (or whatever) onto the surface of the pie.
Bake and Serve
- Bake the pie in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes.
- Broil for 1-2 minutes, keeping an eye on it constantly, until the edges and peaks of the mashed potatoes begin to turn golden-brown. Do not leave it alone! Trust me, it will burn and break your heart.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.