Here at Medshield Movement, we’re all about helping you live a healthier lifestyle and we know that following a balanced meal plan will help you achieve that. We’ve created a series of healthy cosy weeknight meals for winter that are packed with nutrients and easy to make! Try this white vegetarian version of a shepherd’s pie – it’s also great for meal planning for the week ahead!
This recipe includes healthy plant protein and fibre thanks to the lentils and veggies packed into the filling. You could also add two tomatoes instead of the pepper or add a finely chopped celery stick into the mix. Keep the veggies chopped to the same small size for a consistent texture.
What You Need:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 baby marrows, diced
- 1 cup chopped button mushrooms
- 1 x 400g tin brown lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp each: dried thyme, dried rosemary and paprika
- Pinch chilli flakes
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Topping:
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
1/ Preheat the oven to 200°C then start with the topping: place the diced potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, prep your filling
2/ Heat a dash of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
3/ Add the vegetables to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until tender.
4/ Stir in the lentils, tomato paste, herbs and spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together.
5/ Add stock and simmer for another 5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. (Note that all stocks have salt in them, so only add more salt as needed later on, after tasting your filling.)
6/ Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and return them to the pot. Add almond milk and olive oil and mash until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
7/ Transfer the lentil mix into a large baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Spoon the mashed potato mixture on top of the vegetable mixture, spreading it evenly to cover the filling. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the mashed potato topping is lightly golden and the filling is bubbly. Enjoy!
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