Meatless Shepherds Pie Recipe

Shepherd's pie served with a squirt of organic ketchup

Tasty shepherds pie made with beefless ground

I have to admit, shepherd's pie is a bit tacky, but it's definitely, most of the time, an ideal meal for picky eaters!

Why would my recipe be worth trying you ask? Because I season my vegan ground with, among other ingredients, miso and liquid smoke, which gives it a meaty, savoury flavour that surpasses the taste of the bland ground beef normally used in this dish.

According to the FAO, livestock currently represents 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions are mainly due to the breeding of ruminants. Do you want to do your part to save the planet? You could make this meatless shepherd's pie for dinner!

Shepherd's pie served with two sweet pickles

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients

Mashed potatoes

6 cups Russet or yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed

175 ml (3/4 cup) soy or almond milk

30 ml (2 tbsp) plus a little more for the final assembly, vegan butter or margarine, unsalted

1/8 to 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, to your taste

Beefless ground

1 1/2 cups (375ml) vegan ground meat (Yves or Gardein)

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil or vegan butter

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) brown lentils in a can, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable broth

3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon (15 ml) Miso paste

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon maple syrup or blackstrap molasses

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon clove powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Final assembly

1 can (398 ml) creamed corn

1 can (341 ml) corn kernels, drained

Paprika, to taste

Salt and pepper to season at each step

Meatless shepherd's pie, also prepared with fiber rich lentils

Instructions

Mashed potatoes

  1. In a large saucepan, add your potatoes and cover them with cold water and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.

  2. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Using a potato masher, mash with the plantbased milk and vegan butter. Add the nutritional yeast. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

  3. Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F).

Vegan ground meat

  1. Finely chop the onion and garlic.

  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the vegan butter or oil and lightly brown the onion. Add the garlic, the vegan ground, vegetable broth, and all the ingredients mentioned above for the beetles ground. Mix all the ingredients well and cook for 10 to 15 minutes over medium-low heat. Add pepper to taste.

Final assembly

  1. Add the vegan ground mixture to a 30 x 23 cm (12 x 9 in) baking dish, spread evenly. Cover with creamed corn and the corn kernels, and spread evenly over your vegan ground.

  2. Add and spread the mashed potatoes on top of your layers. Add a few squares of vegan butter on the top of your smoothed mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Finish cooking under the broiler to crisp the top lightly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

When serving, you can accompany this dish with traditional store-bought ketchup or homemade or store-bought fruit ketchup, as well as with a fresh green salad topped with an homemade Wafu sauce.