The lentils bring fiber and protein to the meal, while the potatoes offer comfort and energy. Together, they create a balanced plate that’s nourishing without being heavy. This recipe uses simple ingredients like carrots, parsnips, and fine beans, all simmered with tomatoes, smoked paprika, and tamari for a deep, savory taste.

You can make it ahead of time and reheat it during the week, so it’s also great for meal prep. It keeps well and tastes just as good the next day. The recipe feeds four to six people, so it works well for gatherings or batch cooking.

Top it with fresh thyme or even a spoonful of vegan pesto before baking for extra flavor. However you serve it, this vegan shepherd’s pie is comfort food done right – wholesome, easy, and full of plant-based goodness.

Read more: Caramelized Shallot And Wild Mushroom Pizza

A wholesome vegan dinner

This popular dinner is easy to make and customize with your favorite vegan cheese.

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Servings6

Ingredients

Lentil and vegetable filling

• 2 onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 parsnip
• 10 fine beans
• 2 × 400g tins of lentils
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2× 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

Mashed potato topping

• 1½ kg potatoes
• 100 ml oat milk
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper

Garnish

• Few sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions

• Prep the veg: Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/425°F/gas 7. Peel the onions and garlic and finely dice. Chop the carrot, parsnip and fine beans into bite-sized pieces. Drain and rinse the lentils. Cut the potatoes into even, bite-sized pieces for even boiling, leaving the skins on.
• Cook the potatoes: Fill a large saucepan with boiling water. Add the chopped potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.
• Sauté the aromatics and veg: Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and sauté the onions for 5–6 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic, chopped vegetables and lentils with a pinch of salt. Cover and sweat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add 2 tablespoons of water to prevent sticking.
• Make the lentil-vegetable filling: Stir in the chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, . teaspoon of black pepper, the smoked paprika, bay leaves, maple syrup and tamari or soy sauce. Mix well, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 5–6 minutes. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning to taste.
• Mash the potatoes: To the boiled and drained potatoes, add the oat milk, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and . teaspoon of black pepper. Mash until smooth and adjust the seasoning to taste.
• Assemble the pie: In a casserole dish, add all the lentil filling, ⅔ of the way up the dish, then top with the mashed potato, spreading evenly.
• Texture the topping: Use a fork to create ridges on the mashed potato topping for a crispy finish.
• Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the potato topping is golden.
• Garnish and serve: Remove the thyme leaves from their stalks and sprinkle over the cooked pie. Serve hot with your favorite salads.

TIP: Top the potato with 100g of your favourite pesto before baking to take it to the next level!

The Happy Pear 20: Learnings and recipes from the first 20 years, is on sale now, priced £23.99. Published by Gill Books.

Read more: High-Protein ‘Pizza Night’ Salad

This article was written by David and Stephen Flynn on the PBN Website.

It’s worth noting you can use whatever mix of veggies you like for this recipe, so here’s your excuse to use up the ones left in your fridge

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Duration50 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Servings4

Ingredients

• 6 10 swiss brown mushrooms, diced
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 stick celery
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/2 medium eggplant 200g
• 2 garlic cloves crushed and chopped
• 1 small brown onion or leek finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or thyme
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup passata
• 1 tin of lentils drained
• 1 beef style or vegetable stock cube
• 600 g potatoes desiree or creme royale
• 50 g frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• Plant milk optional

Instructions

• Pre-heat your oven to 200°C. 
• Peel and cut potato into big chunks. Boil in salted water until tender all the way through.
• In a large pot or heavy based pan with sides, add a good glug olive oil followed by the mushrooms and cook on medium heat. Saute until they get some colour and soften slightly.
• Follow this with the garlic and onion, saute until softened.
• Throw in the rest of the vegetables and herbs, turn up to medium/high heat, and cook until they get a little colour.
• Add lentils, passata, tomato paste, beef stock cube. Add between ½ – 1 cups of water and let the mix simmer (covered) for 15-20minutes.
• All the vegetables should be cooked by this point. If they aren't or the mix seems dry, add a little more water and cook for longer. You should have tender veggies and a filling that's saucy and not wet, before it goes into the oven.
• Time to make the mashed potatoes. If you're adding frozen peas, throw them in the water for 1min then strain the lot. Add olive oil spread and mash that baby up. If it needs a little loosening to become smoother, you can add a little water or nut milk. Season if needed.
• In a 20x20x4cm baking dish, layer in the filling and spread the mash on top. You want peaks of potato which will get nice and crispy. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake until golden on top.

This recipe has been republished with permission from Sara Oteri. 

This article was written by Sara Oteri on the PBN Website.

This plant-based twist on a British classic is perfect if you have a table full of guests!

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Duration1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Servings6

Ingredients

• 2 onions – finely chopped
• 2 carrots – finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 stick of celery – finely chopped
• 350 g of chestnut mushrooms – cleaned and trimmed
• 550 g of cooked Puy or green lentils
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 spring of fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp of marmite yeast extract
• 100 ml of water or veggie stock
• A generous pinch of salt
• A glug of olive oil
• For the potato topping:
• About 1kg of potato – peeled and chopped into pieces
• 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
• 100 ml of unsweetened soy milk
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
• Add the chopped potatoes to large and cover them with cold water. Add a pinch of salt. Put the lid on and bring to a boil.
• Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes until they are soft. Drain them and put them back into the pan
• Add the oil to a large pan together with the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Cook on medium heat for around 8 minutes until the onion starts to caramelize. Add in the crushed garlic and cook for another few minutes. Remove the leaves from the rosemary and thyme stems and add them to the pan. Mix everything together.
• Add in the tinned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and marmite and mix again.
• Add all the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until you have a mince kind of texture.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan and mix everything together.
• Add the cooked lentils and water or veggie stock an cook on high heat for about 15 minutes. You want to make sure all the water from the mushrooms evaporates and you are left with a thick and rich ragu.
• Add the soy milk and mustard to the potties and mash them until you have a smooth puree.
• Spread the lentil ragu onto a baking dish. Add on top the mashed potatoes and press them down with a fork.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until slightly golden on top. Serve straight away and enjoy!

This recipe was republished with permission from Happy Skin Kitchen. Find the original recipe here.

This article was written by Elisa (Happy Skin Kitchen) on the PBN Website.