Lentil Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's pie is often thought of as a simple, unfussy, and delightfully hearty all-in-one meal that's perfect for pairing with a nice, sturdy ale while sitting at the bar at your favorite local pub. But where does the name come from, we couldn't help but wondering? According to Catherine Brookes, the food photographer and recipe developer at Blue Sky Eating who's behind this particular take on the classic, here's the deal: "Shepherd's pie is a British dish typically made with ground lamb — hence the name." Aha! Well that explains it! 

But just because the name "shepherd's pie" derives from its use of lamb as its protein, that doesn't mean that you must use lamb. Ground beef is quite commonly substituted for ground lamb, and, as a matter of fact, Brookes' modern and healthier take on shepherd's pie makes brilliant use of lentils in place of lamb, with wonderful results that will have you forgetting that your meal is actually vegetarian.

Lentil shepherd's pie is one of those recipes that might have you thinking it has a lot of ingredients. In fact, it does, but many are items you probably already have in your kitchen. Here's what you'll need: Three large baking potatoes (which will need to be peeled and roughly chopped since you'll be mashing them), one coarsely chopped yellow onion, three minced cloves of garlic, two large carrots, two sticks of celery, a handful of green beans, tomato paste, dried rosemary, dried parsley, a can of green or brown lentils (around 14 ounces), a can of chopped tomatoes (also around 14 ounces), a half cup of vegetable stock, and a quarter cup of red wine that's good enough for drinking but not so good that you'll be sad to use it for cooking. 

You'll also need oil for cooking the onions and garlic, and a handful of grated cheese for topping the whole thing before popping it into the oven. If you'd like, you can season the mashed potato topping with whatever you like, such as butter, milk, salt, and pepper. You can also top the finished dish with chopped fresh herbs of your choice.

To begin, place a large pot of water on the stove over high heat, and wait for it to boil. When it does, lower the heat, add the chopped potatoes, and allow them to simmer for 20 minutes. While the potatoes are simmering, you can move directly on to the next steps. And please note: If your potatoes are finished simmering before you finish the rest of your prep, you can always just turn off the flame. The potatoes will be waiting for you when you're ready. 

While the potatoes are boiling, splash a bit of oil into a large frying pan and let it heat to where it sizzles when you toss a drop of water onto the surface of the pan. At that point, add the onions, and cook them over medium heat until they start to look translucent and moist, as shown. This should take about five minutes. 

Then add the minced garlic, stirring frequently for one minute. Turn off the heat while you move on to the next step, because that will help keep the garlic from burning. 

It's now time for you to add the carrots, celery, and green beans. So let's go ahead and do that now, and then turn the heat back up to medium. Stir everything together, and allow it to cook for another two minutes. Then add the tomato paste, rosemary, and parsley. Stir it together again to thoroughly combine. 

You can keep the flame on medium as you move onto the next step.

At this point, all that's left for you to do to finish preparing your lentil shepherd's pie filling is to add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, and wine. Give everything a good stir, and then bring the mixture to the boil. 

When you see bubbles, turn the flame down to low, cover the pan, and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes. While it simmers, it's time to turn to the potatoes once again.

Assuming your potatoes have finished their 20 minutes of cooking (at which point they should be tender enough to poke a fork into), drain them in a sieve, and pop them into the empty saucepan for mashing. Use a potato masher (a metal tool with holes in it), and "completely squash them," as Brookes advised Mashed. "I just keep squashing until there's no lumps!" 

At this point, you can add butter, milk, salt, and pepper if that's how you like your mashed potatoes.

After the filling mixture has been simmering for 20 minutes, transfer it to an oven-proof dish. Brookes says that she uses an oval-shaped dish like the one pictured above, which measures approximately 11x7 inches. 

Gently, using a spatula or other spreader, place the mashed potato mixture on top of the mixture in an even layer. Then use a fork to roughly make a few lines across the surface, and if desired, sprinkle over some cheese and bake for 40 minutes. 

Serve the shepherd's pie with fresh herbs sprinkled on top, if desired.