Pumpkin & Lentil Shepherd's Pie
The bottom layer is a hearty mix of lentils, mushrooms, carrots, and sun-dried tomatoes, and the top layer is garlic mashed pumpkin with maple syrup This makes a perfect main dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas, or a great side.
The bottom layer is a hearty mix of lentils, mushrooms, carrots, and sun-dried tomatoes, and the top layer is garlic mashed pumpkin with maple syrup This makes a perfect main dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas, or a great side.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 8 oz button mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 19oz cans lentils (or 4 cups cooked) (drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (roughly chopped)
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 796ml canned pumpkin purã©e ((not pumpkin pie f
- 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds ((also called pepitas))
- Carbohydrate 11.5639606234813 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.5982448888647 g
- Fiber 1.2817431990459 g
- Protein 1.49338647977299 g
- Saturated Fat 0.093367430807174 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (99g)
- Sodium 84.8249773934481 mg
- Sugar 10.2822174244354 g
- Trans Fat 0.0739375908360342 g
- Calories 54 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 425F (220C).
- To make the Lentil Layer: in a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and sauté until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms decrease in size, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the lentils, vegetable broth, sun-dried tomatoes and all the spices.
- Heat through until everything is hot and bubbling, about another 5 minutes.
- To make the Pumpkin Layer: melt the vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic and sauté for a minute until soft and fragrant.
- Add the pumpkin, maple syrup and salt, stir to combine and health through.
- To assemble the Shepherd's Pie: Spread the lentil mixture on the bottom of an oven-safe casserole dish.
- Pour over the pumpkin mixture on top and spread evenly.
- Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the Shepherd's pie is heated through.
- Garnish with the toasted pumpkin seeds before serving.
Button mushrooms do the heavy lifting in this skillet by releasing excess moisture during the initial five-minute sautéing phase, which concentrates umami compounds before the vegetable broth joins the pan. Slicing mushrooms evenly ensures they shrink at the same rate as the diced carrots and yellow onion, preventing pockets of unwanted crunch in the savory base. Sun-dried tomatoes introduce a chewy contrast to the soft legumes, requiring a rough chop beforehand so they distribute evenly rather than clumping in a single bite. Lentils act as a dense, protein-rich structural foundation, absorbing the surrounding liquid without disintegrating under high heat. Over-processing the lentils destroys the integrity of the dish, turning a rustic mash into paste. Contrast this hearty bottom layer with the sweet pumpkin topping, where canned purée meets melted vegan butter and minced garlic over medium-high heat. Maple syrup provides sweetness while caramelizing slightly against the saucepan surfaces, requiring constant stirring to prevent scorching. Baking at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for fifteen to twenty minutes creates enough radiant heat to warm the interior without drying out the edges. Toasted pepitas sprinkled across the finished surface add a necessary brittle crunch that counters the soft consistency of both layers. Assembling the casserole a day in advance allows the flavors to meld thoroughly in the refrigerator, though frozen portions should thaw entirely overnight before reheating to maintain structural stability.
