As the weather gets cooler, our bellies are responding by craving nourishing meals. Moni’s Healthy Choice serves up the recipe for this quick-to-make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie, which combines green lentils, sweet potatoes, paprika, cumin and coriander for the ultimate comfort food.
Serves 8 | Prep time: 5 minutes | Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 200g dried green lentil rinsed and drained
- 3 medium size sweet potato
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic clove crushed
- 1 large red onion finely chopped
- 1 piece of ginger grated
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 celery sticks cut in cubes
- 4 large tomatoes skinless chopped
- 4 Tbsp of tomato puree
- 2x400g tin of tomato sauce
- 1tbsp bouillon vegetable stock dissolved in 50ml of water
- Salt & pepper
- Handful coriander chopped
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté until soft and brown but not burned, then add the garlic, ginger and cook for 1 minute. Combine the spices and add the celery, tomatoes, tomato puree, tin of tomato, lentils, stock and leave it to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir once or twice to ensure the lentils don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. After 15 minutes add the coriander. Taste to test for seasoning.
Sweet Potato Topping
Skin the sweet potato, then cut into pieces and place in a steamer for about 10 minutes. Once cooked, add salt and pepper and mash well. Set aside. Place the lentil mixture in a baking dish, than cover with the mashed potato, using a fork to layer it nicely. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes.
Serve with a green salad tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette.
P.S. This dish also works very well with butternut squash instead of sweet potato.
• Recipe courtesy of Moni’s Healthy Choice.