March 16, 2020

St. Patty’s Day Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

One of my favorite meals as a kid was Shepherd’s Pie. In our house, it was how my mother would empty the refrigerator of the week’s leftovers. She would turn these leftovers into a warming comfort food, perfect for the cold Vermont evenings.

As I got older, it seemed like the only time I could enjoy a nice Shepherd’s Pie would be on St. Patrick’s Day at the local Irish Pub. Give me a pint of Guinness and Shepherd’s Pie…how better to celebrate St. Patrick?

Now, living a Whole Food, Plant-based lifestyle, memories of my mom’s and the local Irish Pub’s Shepherd’s Pie were just that, memories. But this year I was determined to enjoy some Shepherd’s Pie with my Guinness.

Mission #1 – How do I replicate the ground beef or lamb?

I wanted my filling to have some “meaty” chew, but I also wanted it to take on the flavor of the gravy. Solution? Mushrooms, walnuts, and green lentils. The mushrooms and lentils really soak up the flavors of the gravy while the walnuts add some fat to the equation.

Mission #2 – How do I make a nice dark and rich gravy?

Solution? Guinness! Dark and rich? Check! Irish? Check! Add complexity to the gravy? A big check YES! I was shocked how amazingly good the Guinness gravy was and how it completely made the dish.

There a several steps to this recipe, but honestly, they are all simple. Total time start to finish? Roughly 90 minutes, but the time flies, especially if you open a Guinness to sip as you are cooking.

Ingredients

24 ounces of baby gold potatoes
12 ounces of baby bella mushrooms
2 leeks
12 to 16 ounces of dry green lentils
1 bottle (12 ounces) of Guinness
3/4 cup of walnuts
4 cups of vegetable broth
1/3 to 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
12 to 16 ounce bag of frozen peas and carrots
1 garlic bulb
1 1/2 tablespoons of dehydrated onion
2 Bay Leaves
1 teaspoon of salt for lentils
3/4 teaspoon of salt for gravy
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place a whole garlic bulb in the oven to roast. Depending on the size of the bulb, it may take 30 minutes for the garlic to roast so that the cloves are of a consistency that it spreads like jam.

I used an instant pot to make the lentils and potatoes, but honestly, both cook so quickly that if you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, don’t worry.

Cook the lentils with the bay leaves, dehydrated onions, and salt. I used enough vegetable broth to cover the lentils plus about another 3/4 of an inch as the lentils absorb the liquid. I also used the steam tray to cook the potatoes. Set the Instant Pot for 10 minutes at high pressure and allow for the natural release.

Leeks require thorough cleaning, so please do not skip this step. Trim the leeks at the bottom by the roots. Then find where the green outer leafs start to get hard / rough and trim the top off just below that point. Discard the trimmed parts. Cut the leeks in half length-wise. Slice the leeks in 1/4 inch strips. Last, wash the leeks thoroughly. I use a salad spinner, but if you do not have one, just clean them in a bowl of water. The key is to separate the leeks and make sure any sign of dirt or sand is removed.

Slice the mushrooms and set aside. I prefer slices, but you could also give them a rough chop into 1/2 inch pieces. This would likely better resemble ground meat, but I like a bite or chew that the slices provide.

Chop the walnuts and open the Guinness. Go ahead and open a second Guinness to drink.

Add some vegetable broth to help sweat the leeks.

After the leeks become translucent, add the mushrooms. You will need to add some vegetable broth if none remains after sweating the leeks.

Sprinkle the whole wheat flour over the leeks and mushrooms. I typically split it up, using half the flour and mixing it thoroughly, then adding the rest of the flour.

Add the chopped walnuts.

Then add the bottle of Guinness and mix.

Cook the mushrooms and leeks down, adding vegetable broth as needed if the gravy gets too thick.

Add the lentils to the mushrooms and leeks. Again, add vegetable broth if the gravy is getting too thick. Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper (to taste).

Stir in the lentils and make sure everything is coated with the gravy.

Add the frozen peas and carrots and stir well.

Transfer the mixture to a deep casserole dish once the peas and carrots are cooked through.

Remove the garlic from the oven and spoon the cloves into a bowl.

Add the potatoes and mash the potatoes with the roasted garlic until smooth. If you need to, add a 1/4 cup of vegetable broth to help mash the potatoes to a smooth consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.