Vegan shepherd's pie

Name: Vegan shepherd's pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1.2 kg floury potatoes such as maris piper or king edward; 50 ml vegetable oil; 30 g dried porcini mushrooms; 2 large leeks chopped; 2 small onions chopped; 4 medium carrots; 1 1 vegetable stock cube; 1 3 garlic cloves crushed; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 small butternut squash peeled and cut into small cubes; ½ small pack marjoram or oregano; ½ small pack thyme leaves picked; ½ small pack sage leaves picked and roughly chopped; 1 4 celery sticks chopped; 400 g can chickpeas; 300 g frozen peas; 300 g frozen spinach; 20 ml olive oil; 1 small pack flat-leaf parsley chopped; 1 tomato ketchup to serve

Prep: 30 minsCook: 1 hr 20 mins

Prep

30 mins

Cook

1 hr 20 mins

Servings

Difficulty

Hard

VegetarianNut-FreeEgg-Free

(0)

This is my go to comfort food that just happens to be completely plant based. It's hearty, satisfying, and honestly cheaper than the traditional version since mushrooms and chickpeas do all the heavy lifting instead of meat. The porcini mushrooms give this dish an incredibly rich, umami depth that makes it feel totally indulgent, plus they're packed with antioxidants. The whole thing comes together in about two and a half hours, making it perfect for a cozy weekend dinner when you've got a bit of time to let everything simmer and meld together beautifully.

Ella x

Ingredients

Servings:

1.2 kgfloury potatoes such as maris piper or king edward
50 mlvegetable oil
30 gdried porcini mushrooms(soaked in hot water for 15 mins, then drained (reserve the liquid)
2 largeleeks chopped
2 smallonions chopped
4 mediumcarrots(about 300g), cut into small cubes)
11 vegetable stock cube(make sure it's vegan)
13 garlic cloves crushed
2 tbsptomato purée
2 tspsmoked paprika
1 smallbutternut squash peeled and cut into small cubes
½ smallpack marjoram or oregano(leaves picked and roughly chopped)
½ smallpack thyme leaves picked
½ smallpack sage leaves picked and roughly chopped
14 celery sticks chopped
400 gcan chickpeas
300 gfrozen peas
300 gfrozen spinach
20 mlolive oil
1 smallpack flat-leaf parsley chopped
1tomato ketchup to serve(optional)

Detail level

Instructions

1
Put the unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 40 mins until the skins start to split. Drain and leave to cool a little.
2
Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-based sauté pan or flameproof casserole dish. Add the mushrooms, leeks , onions, carrots and the stock cube and cook gently for 5 mins , stirring every so often. If it starts to stick, reduce the heat and stir more frequently, scraping the bits from the bottom. The veg should be soft but not mushy.
3
Add the garlic, tomato purée, paprika, squash and herbs. Stir and turn the heat up a bit, cook for 3 mins, add the celery, then stir and cook for a few more mins.
4
Tip in the chickpeas along with the water in the can and reserved mushroom stock. Add the peas and spinach and stir well. Cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, then season, turn off and set aside. There should still be plenty of liquid and the veg should be bright and a little firm.
5
Peel the potatoes and discard the skin. Mash 200g with a fork and stir into the veg. Break the rest of the potatoes into chunks, mix with the olive oil and parsley and season.
6
Divide the filling into the pie dishes and top with the potatotes. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and bake the pies for 40-45 mins, until the top is golden and the filling is heated through. If making individual pies, check after 20 mins. Best served with tomato ketchup – as all great shepherd’s pies are.

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