Vegan Winter Lentil Quinoa and Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Put this hearty dinner into your comfort food lineup.
By / Photography By | August 04, 2015

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
  • 2 zucchini, cubed and sautéed with olive oil
  • 2 yellow squash, cubed and sautéed
  • 1cup purple eggplant, cubed and sautéed
  • 3 carrots, peeled, cubed and sautéed
  • 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced, sautéed
  • 1 cup purple or white pearl onions, peeled, braised*
  • ½ cup peas, fresh blanched or frozen thawed
  • 1 cup Beluga or green lentils
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 6 medium sweet potatoes or yams: 2 peeled, diced and sautéed, 4 baked, no skin and mashed set aside for topping
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
  • ½ cup red wine (optional)
  • 2 cups vegetable or mushroom stock
  • 3 tablespoons buckwheat flour (can use all-purpose flour)
  • 3 tablespoons vegan “butter” unsalted or coconut oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

Serves 4

Editor’s Note: The eggplant can be omitted; increase mushrooms to 1½ cups.

Prepare vegetables separately, as directed above. Set aside. Prepare lentils and quinoa according to package directions and set aside. (Strain lentils if needed.) Combine all cooked vegetables, quinoa and lentils in a large Pyrex dish, mix to incorporate, set aside. Prepare mashed sweet potatoes and set aside.

Heat wine in a pot over medium heat. Once wine reduces by half, add stock and bring to a boil. In a small bowl mix together flour and “butter” (buerre manie) to form a paste. Whisk buerre manie into the simmering wine and stock mixture. Whisk until mixture thickens approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. In Pyrex baking dish with the veggie and lentil mixture, add hot, thickened stock liquid and mix until filling has a stew-like consistency. Top mixture with mashed sweet potato mixture; spread evenly.

Bake in a preheated 375° oven until top of sweet potatoes turns light brown, approximately 15 minutes.  

*To braise the pearl onions, cook them in water over a low heat for approximately 40 minutes until fork tender.

Note: You can broil the mixture for 5 minutes to achieve the same brown color if using a broiler- safe dish. Do not do this with a glass baking dish. Watch carefully!

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Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
  • 2 zucchini, cubed and sautéed with olive oil
  • 2 yellow squash, cubed and sautéed
  • 1cup purple eggplant, cubed and sautéed
  • 3 carrots, peeled, cubed and sautéed
  • 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced, sautéed
  • 1 cup purple or white pearl onions, peeled, braised*
  • ½ cup peas, fresh blanched or frozen thawed
  • 1 cup Beluga or green lentils
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 6 medium sweet potatoes or yams: 2 peeled, diced and sautéed, 4 baked, no skin and mashed set aside for topping
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
  • ½ cup red wine (optional)
  • 2 cups vegetable or mushroom stock
  • 3 tablespoons buckwheat flour (can use all-purpose flour)
  • 3 tablespoons vegan “butter” unsalted or coconut oil
  • Salt and pepper