Vegetarian shepherd’s pie
Use lentil soup to add bulk and flavour to this delicious vegetarian shepherd’s pie – a tasty tinned soup hack that makes life easier and saves you time. It's a great recipe for batch cooking, too.
Each serving provides 518 kcal, 15g protein, 74g carbohydrates (of which 17g sugars), 15g fat (of which 6g saturates), 13g fibre and 1.7g salt.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into roughly 5cm/2in chunks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large brown onion, chopped
- 300˛µ/10½´Çłú chestnut mushrooms, quartered
- 2 x 400g tins lentil soup
- 50˛µ/1Âľ´Çłú tomato purĂ©e
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and roughly chopped
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 800g/1lb 12oz floury potatoes
- 40g/1½oz unsalted butter
- splash of milk
- salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Place the butternut squash on a large baking tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir together to coat. Roast for 30–40 minutes, until some of the edges are starting to caramelise. Remove from the oven and set aside, leaving the oven on.
While the squash is roasting, heat the remaining oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium–low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is starting to turn golden. Add the mushrooms and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the lentil soup, tomato purée, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, if using, rosemary and thyme and stir together. Leave to cook over a low heat so the mixture can thicken slightly.
To make the topping, peel the potatoes or leave the skins on, and cut into roughly 5cm/2in chunks. Place in a large saucepan with a good pinch of salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil over a high heat then simmer for 10–12 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender. Drain and return to the pan along with the butter and mash until smooth, loosening with a splash of milk if needed. Season with salt to taste.
Tip the roasted squash into a baking dish and pour over the mushroom mixture. Dot with spoonfuls of mashed potato then use a fork to spread it over the filling. Bake for 25–35 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling.
Recipe Tips
Instead of butternut squash you could use any roasted root vegetables, such as celeriac, carrots, or a mixture of vegetables.
To take it up a notch, add 100ml/3½fl oz red wine with the lentil soup.
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