Market Shepherd's Pie (Vegan)

For Potato Layer:

3 large potatoes (like Yukon Gold), peel on, roughly chopped

2 heaping C. cauliflower florets (or 2 additional potatoes to omit)

3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 tsp. white miso

1/4 C. unsweetened almond milk (or more, if needed)

1/4 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)

For Filling:

1 large onion, finely diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 medium sweet potato, peel on, chopped into 1/2-in. cubes

2 C. green beans, cut bite-sized (or 1 C. if also using green peas)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 3/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. ground sage

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)

5 oz. cremini mushrooms (or forest blend), finely diced

2 C. cooked black lentils, drained

2 tsp. white wine vinegar

1 C. frozen green peas (I omit these and double the green beans)

For Filling Sauce:

2 1/4 C. low-sodium veggie broth

4 Tbsp. well-stirred tahini

2 Tbsp. tamari

3 Tbsp. white miso

3 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp. arrowroot starch

3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

Preparation:

1) Make the potato layer. Add the potatoes and cauliflower to a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer until potatoes are very tender (10–15 minutes or so). Drain well and return to the pot. Add the nutritional yeast, miso, milk, and salt. Mash and add more milk as needed to get a creamy–but not wet!–consistency. Set aside.

2) Make the veggie filling. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large sauté pan, sauté the onion, carrots, celery, sweet potato, and green beans in about 1/4 C. water until the onion is translucent and veggies begin soften (10 minutes or so). Stir occasionally and add more water as needed, 1–2 Tbsp at a time, to prevent burning.

3) Next, add the garlic, spices, and mushrooms (finely diced!) and cover. Continue to cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms release their juices and begin to brown. Remove the cover and stir a couple of times throughout. Add water if needed to prevent sticking.

4) Add the cooked lentils and white wine vinegar and cook for another minute. Turn the heat off.

5) Make the filling sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

6) Add the sauce to the pan of veggies and lentils and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered on low to medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens (5 minutes or so). Stir in the frozen green peas (if using) and remove from heat.

7) Transfer the filling to a 13x9-inch (or similar) deep casserole dish. (I use my lasagna pan.) Be sure to get all the sauce out of the pan! Now, vigorously stir the reserved potatoes and then gently spread the potato layer over the filling by dropping spoonfuls along the top and spreading it together with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Sprinkle extra nutritional yeast, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper on the top.

8) Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and lay a sheet pan underneath the casserole dish (on a different oven rack) in case the filling bubbles over. Bake the shepherd's pie for 30 minutes uncovered. The potato layer should firm up and brown in the corners and you might be able to see the sauce bubbling in the corners as well. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

NOTE: This recipe is adapted from the original called "Market Shepherd's Pie" in the highly recommended The Plant-Based Cookbook: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Recipes for Lifelong Health by Ashley Madden. (It is by far my favorite whole food, plant-based cookbook, filled with lots of helpful information and delicious recipes.)