1/2cupvegan buttermelted or room temp (not cold!!)
Filling
1large yellow oniondiced
6clovesgarlicminced
2carrotsdiced
110 oz bag frozen peas or veggie blend
1cupfresh mushrooms or 1/2 cup dried and soaked in hot water
1tspthymedried
1tsprosemarydried
3-4cupswater
4tspBetter than Bouillon or bullion powdercan substitute bullion & water for vegetable broth
3tbspsoy sauce
1 16ozbag of green lentils
1tspsaltor to taste
1/4tspblack pepperor to taste
optional more vegetables, such as corn, broccoli
Shamrock
Natural Green Food DyeI 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.
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.