• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Up Beet Kitchen

  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Workouts
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Workouts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Workouts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » All Recipes

    Lentil + Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie (Vegan)

    Published: Oct 24, 2020 Last Modified: Jan 19, 2022 by Allison

    54 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This lentil and sweet potato shepherd’s pie is flavourful and hearty- absolutely perfect for autumn and winter dinners! Serve with biscuits or bread and a side salad for the ultimate cozy feast. 

    overhead shot of two bowls of the shepherd's pie and the pie in a cast iron skillet

    close up overhead shot of a serving of the dish in a pale pink bowl

    Good morning and happy Saturday! I hope you are having a marvellous start to your weekend. I made my pumpkin spice oatmeal blender pancakes for breakfast this morning. (I had forgotten how much I like them!) I am going to head out for a run after this, and then later this afternoon we’re going to go for a walk downtown with my brother and sister in law. We’re going to make epic vegetarian burritos for dinner, stuffed with spicy pinto beans, cilantro lime rice, salsa, guacamole, cheese, pan-fried onions and peppers, and perhaps most exciting of all, these tofu taco crumbles from Sam of It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken! Her tofu recipes are always inventive and meaty-tasting, so I’m excited to try them. For dessert, we’re making my vegan oat fudge bars. So, all in all, I have a good feeling about the day. 🙂 

    overhead shot of the baked shepherd's pie set against a faux wood backdrop

    Anyhow… on to the recipe at hand, which is this awesome lentil and sweet potato shepherd’s pie. I realize that there are plenty of similar recipes out there, but I wanted to create a version of my own. This one has a ton of flavour in both the lentil base and the sweet potato topping, which we all found incredibly satisfying. While I can’t say that I have served it to a meat lover yet (we’re all vegetarian in my house), I have a feeling that this is one of those recipes that you could serve to a carnivore without having them put up too much of a fuss! 

    ingredients you’ll need

    • FOR THE LENTILS: Oil, onion, garlic, sea salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, a small beet, carrots, celery, cooked French green or brown lentils, vegetable broth, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, miso or tamari, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce or tomato paste, flour, and green peas.
    • FOR THE SWEET POTATO MASH TOPPING: Sweet potatoes, oil, non-dairy milk, sea salt, and garlic powder. 

    overhead shot of the shepherd's pie in a skillet with a serving taken out of it

    step by step instructions 

    1. Steam the sweet potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes in a steamer basket over a pot filled with a couple inches of water and steam for 15-20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Transfer into a bowl. 
    2. Prepare the shepherd’s pie: Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat- preferably one that is oven-proof. (I used my 11-inch Lodge cast iron skillet.) Once warm, add the onion and garlic. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme, followed by the finely chopped beet, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 more minutes before adding the cooked lentils. 
    3. Whisk together the broth, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, miso, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce or tomato paste, and flour in a bowl and pour into the skillet. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat and cook just until the mixture starts to thicken. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat. It may seem like the mixture is too liquid, but it thickens considerably once baked. 
    4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
    5. Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in the oil, non-dairy milk, salt, and garlic powder. 
    6. Spoon the sweet potato mash over top of the lentil mixture in the skillet and spread it in an even layer as close to the edges of the skillet as possible. 
    7. Transfer the skillet into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. 
    8. Allow the shepherd’s pie to cool for at least five minutes. Slice into 6 wedges and use a large spoon to serve. 

    overhead process shot with the sweet potato mash in a bowl and the lentil mixture in a skillet

    overhead shot of the shepherd's pie lentil mixture in a skillet

    horizontal straight on shot of the shepherd's pie in a light pink serving bowl

    I hope you love this sweet potato and lentil shepherd’s pie! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you post a photo to Instagram, tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen, too! 

    Enjoy! 

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    overhead shot of two bowls of the shepherd's pie and the pie in a cast iron skillet

    Lentil + Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie (Vegan)


    ★★★★★

    5 from 4 reviews

    • Author: Allison
    • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This lentil and sweet potato shepherd’s pie is flavourful and hearty- absolutely perfect for autumn and winter dinners! Serve with biscuits or bread and a side salad for the ultimate cozy feast.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    SWEET POTATO MASH

    • 6 heaping cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes (1-inch dice)
    • 1 tbsp oil (extra virgin olive, coconut, or ghee)
    • 4–6 tablespoon unsweetened non-dairy milk
    • ¾ tsp fine sea salt
    • 1 tsp garlic powder

    LENTIL FILLING

    • 2 tbsp oil (this can be extra virgin olive, avocado, coconut, or ghee- anything good quality with a relatively high smoke point)
    • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
    • ½ tsp fine sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • ¼ tsp-½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional but recommended for some heat)
    • 1 tsp dried rosemary
    • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • 1 small beet, peeled and very finely chopped
    • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
    • 2 celery ribs, diced
    • 3 cups cooked French green or black lentils (from 1 cup dry- see note)
    • 2 cups vegetable broth
    • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tbsp vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce (such as Wizard’s Organic or 365 Organic)
    • 1 tbsp dark miso or tamari
    • ¼ cup barbecue sauce or tomato paste (barbecue sauce will make it more flavourful!)
    • 2 ½ tbsp light spelt flour or all purpose flour (or arrowroot for gluten-free option)
    • 1 cup green peas (thawed if frozen)

    Instructions

    1. Steam the sweet potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes in a steamer basket over a pot filled with a couple inches of water and steam for 15-20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Transfer into a bowl.
    2. Prepare the shepherd’s pie: Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat- preferably one that is oven-proof. (I used my 11-inch Lodge cast iron skillet.) Once warm, add the onion and garlic. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme, followed by the finely chopped beet, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 more minutes before adding the cooked lentils.
    3. Whisk together the broth, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, miso, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce or tomato paste, and flour in a bowl and pour into the skillet. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat and cook just until the mixture starts to thicken. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat. It may seem like the mixture is too liquid-y, but it thickens considerably once baked.
    4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
    5. Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in the oil, non-dairy milk, salt, and garlic powder.
    6. Spoon the sweet potato mash over top of the lentil mixture in the skillet and spread it in an even layer as close to the edges of the skillet as possible.
    7. Transfer the skillet into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
    8. Allow the shepherd’s pie to cool for at least five minutes. Slice into 6 wedges and use a large spoon to serve.
    9. NOTE: If you do not have an oven-proof skillet, transfer the lentil mixture into a casserole dish with similar dimensions to a 10-12 inch skillet and bake the shepherd’s pie in that instead.

     

    Notes

    To cook lentils, rinse lentils through a fine mesh sieve to remove any dirt and debris. Transfer to a medium pot and cover with a few inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn town heat to medium-high and maintain a rolling simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender but not falling apart, 20-25 minutes. Add more water as needed. Once cooked, drain and proceed with the recipe.

    Variations: Use 3 cups of cooked chickpeas or white beans instead of the lentils. You can also try white potatoes in the topping.

    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 60 minutes
    • Category: Dinner, Lunch
    • Cuisine: North American, European

    Keywords: vegan lentil sweet potato shepherd's pie

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @upbeet.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #upbeetkitchen

     

    Related

    More All Recipes

    • overhead photo of a bowl of pasta with a glass of red wine and dishes of Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and pumpkin seeds
      Cilantro Lime Pesto Chicken Pasta with Squash
    • straight on shot of a serving of the beet and chickpea salad in a white bowl
      Raw Beet Chickpea Salad
    • featured image for the pasta recipe
      Lemon Pesto Zucchini Pasta with Whipped Ricotta
    • featured image for the post, an angled straight on shot of the finished recipe
      Loaded Chicken Shawarma Sweet Potato Fries

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Bernadette Hubbs

      October 25, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      This recipe is soooo yummy, flavorful and comforting! Perfect for a fall meal!

      Please make a cookbook!!!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Allison

        October 25, 2020 at 8:18 pm

        Thank you so much for letting me know how much you enjoyed it, Bernadette!! 🙂

        And I would love to write a cookbook someday!!! Hopefully I can make it a reality for you.

        Reply
    2. YtheWait

      October 27, 2020 at 5:12 am

      This recipe is soooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      ★★★

      Reply
      • Allison

        October 27, 2020 at 2:53 pm

        Aw, thank you so much!!! 🙂 You’re so kind. I have to say that it’s one of my favourites so far!!

        Reply
    3. John

      November 02, 2020 at 8:02 pm

      Comfort food at its greatest. Darn healthy too. Thanks for this one. Keep up your amazing recipes please!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Allison

        November 02, 2020 at 8:03 pm

        Thank you so much!! I’m very happy you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    4. Josh

      November 03, 2020 at 12:25 pm

      What a flavourful recipe!! I have tried other vegan shepherd’s pie recipes but this one has the most flavour by far.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Allison

        November 03, 2020 at 12:36 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
      • Allison

        November 03, 2020 at 10:07 pm

        Sweet! Thanks for letting me know, Josh.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    About image for Up Beet Kitchen

    Hi, I’m Allison! Welcome to Up Beet Kitchen, a food blog with wholesome, nutrient-dense recipes designed to unearth vibrant health and wellness.

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Chickpea Brown Rice Spinach Artichoke Casserole (Vegan)
      ★★★★★
    • straight on shot of a carrot cake breakfast bar piece on a fork on a white marble board
      Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (V + GF)
      ★★★★★
    • straight on shot of slice of raw vegan banana cream pie on blue plate with coconut whipped cream and caramel sauce on top
      Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie
      ★★★★★
    • a far out overhead shot of a serving of Moroccan carrot lentil salad in a pink bowl with some pita, hummus, and crackers on a plate beside it
      Moroccan Lentil Carrot Salad (Vegan)
      ★★★★★

    Follow Along on Social Media

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    Cozy Recipes

    • featured image for the post, 1200x1200 pixles, of a serving of the salmon pesto quinoa bake on a light blue plate
      Salmon Pesto Quinoa Bake
    • featured image for the post, an overhead shot of the mole chicken, rice, salsa, and cabbage topped with Greek yogurt in a bowl on a light pink backdrop
      Mole Chicken Bowls
    • featured image for the blog post, overhead photo of a barbecue meatball bowl with quinoa, sweet potato, broccoli, and avocado sauce
      Barbecue Meatball Bowls with Avocado Goddess Sauce
    • 1200x1200 pixel featured image for this recipe, an overhead close up photo of an egg and pesto breakfast burrito sliced in half
      Egg, Pesto, and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos

    Related

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Up Beet Kitchen

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Related

    Copyright © 2023 Upbeet Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme

     

    Loading Comments...