It's January, which means we are all craving food that is a little lighter, a little healthier, and a little more in line with the way we've resolved to eat this year. But at the same time, it's January and when we're wrapped up in sweaters and blankets, it's comfort foods we're dreaming about. That's where this recipe comes in. With its rich, mushroom-studded filling tucked under a layer of soft mashed sweet potato, it has all the hallmarks of a good shepherd's pie, but it's completely vegan — and includes a secret ingredient that adds body and creaminess to the filling, without any cream.

Authentic shepherd's pie is a comfort food classic, but there's no room in my diet or grocery budget for a heavy dish of ground lamb or beef and buttery potatoes, except as an occasional treat. Lentils and mushrooms are more my speed, and sweet potatoes, roasted until creamy-soft, need just a little salt and pepper to be a flavorful topping.

This recipe uses one unusual ingredient: steel cut oats! The dry oats, cooked and drained with the lentils, release just enough starch to bind the filling into a creamy, mushroomy mass rather than a loose scattering of lentils and vegetables. It also adds a texture somewhat like ground meat, but isn't noticeable unless you know to look for it, so your guests will have no idea their dinner includes a nutritious breakfast staple.
Speaking of guests, this recipe is an ideal dinner party dish for vegan or vegetarian eaters. It's hearty, full of umami flavor, and looks and feels like a proper main dish, rather than a vegetable side dish that received a promotion. But that doesn't mean it's only for those who can't eat the meat version — I've served it to omnivorous guests and my meat-loving husband with great success.

Lentil, Mushroom & Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Makes 6 servings5 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup brown or green lentils, washed and picked over
3/4 cup dry steel cut oats
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms, divided
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick each sweet potato several times with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until very soft to the touch. Set aside to cool.
In a medium pot, combine the lentils, oats, bay leaf and salt with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are soft but not mushy, stirring occasionally to keep the oats from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Discard bay leaf and drain mixture into a colander or sieve.
While the lentils and oats are cooking, finely chop half of the mushrooms and set aside. Cut the remaining mushrooms into quarters. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the quartered mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until browned and soft. Add the chopped mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent. Lower heat to medium and add the lentil and oat mixture, followed by the vegetable stock, wine, tomato paste, soy sauce, paprika, and parsley. Taste and add salt if needed. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add a few grinds of black pepper.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel sweet potatoes with your hands and place in a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash them into a smooth paste and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Evenly spread the lentil mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. (For thicker layers, use a 9x9-inch pan.) Spoon the sweet potato mixture on top and smooth with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling at the edges.
Additional Notes:
• Both the filling and the roasted sweet potatoes can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days before assembling and baking.
• This recipe freezes well; after assembling, cover and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake uncovered at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until filling is bubbling at the edges.
• Leftover mashed potatoes can be used in place of the sweet potatoes.
• Use tamari in place of soy sauce and double-check that you are using gluten-free oats if serving this to gluten-free guests.
Related: Fresh and Filling: 10 Vegan Dinner Ideas
(Images: Anjali Prasertong)
Soft Aerating Pourers

Comments (28)
This sounds exquisite!
Mmm. Shepherds pie for me is a dish of leftovers, but I will try out the oats-in-beans trick the next time I make a batch.
This sounds great--thanks!
Looks great! Do you think it can be frozen?
@templemorris: I think it could be and I actually have one in the freezer right now. I was planning on baking it and reporting back sometime next week. I'll update the recipe and comments when I do!
I was going to ask the same thing, so please do report back! I'm always on the lookout for good freezer meals.
I thought potatoes didn't freeze well?? I have frozen shredded baked potatoes with good success. I'll be curious to see how this turns out.
Using the oats is so clever! I like this twist on shepherd's pie.
Beautiful, delicious, & vegetarian! what more could I ask for?
This looks awesome, though I will leave out the mushrooms. Can't wait to try it out.
We don't drink alcohol so don't have red wine in the house. What would you substitute? More vegetable broth?
@ScuttledCuttle: You'll want to add something really flavorful in place of the mushrooms -- they play a big role in the filling.
@cindy1234: Extra veg stock with a bit of vinegar for acidity would probably work fine.
This looks great, though if I end up making it, it is definitely gettin' a dose of chicken. Mmmmm.
I was just going to sub a bit of beef broth for some of the veg stock to add some of the meaty flavor. Do you have any other suggestions? I can't stand the texture of mushrooms, no matter how well hidden in a dish.
That should work! You could also try finely chopping all the mushrooms, so they blend in with the lentils and oats.
Hmmm. Made this for dinner tonight. Something, something was missing. Maybe more of an acid note to brighten the filling and offset the sweet potatoes more.
Also only had instant steel cut oats on hand (they exist!) I put them in at the end of boiling the lentils, instead of right at the beginning. No prob. Nothing else changed.
Made this the other night and really enjoyed it. I added an extra T. of tamari and a little thyme but otherwise followed it verbatim. Thanks!
Perfect timing. I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand -- including some delicious leftover lentils - this recipe - (http://food52.com/recipes/20378_patricia_wells_green_lentil_salad), crimini mushrooms about to go bad, and some sweet potatoes in the pantry. I used a small handful of rolled oats when adding the wine and broth and they helped thicken the sauce. It was really delicious and I will make this again. Thanks so much!
I made this last night, and it was delicious! Thanks for the inspiration!
As I am constitutionally incapable of following a recipe exactly as written :-) here are my changes:
I used beluga lentils (little black BB-looking thingies) and toasted buckwheat (since I can't eat oats).
The sweet potato was still hard after an hour in the oven, so I cooked it with a little water for another 15-20 minutes at half power in the microwave. I was able to then split it open and simply scoop out the flesh. Next time I'll just use the microwave. I mixed it with a bit of olive oil and nutmeg. It made an awesomely sweet contrast to the earthiness of the body of the lentils base!
I don't have smoked paprika, so I threw a couple of smoky-flavored black cardamom pods in with the cooking lentils and buckwheat. Note to self: remember to remove them at the same time as the bay leaves, as they make for an unpleasant chewy surprise during dinner!
I used a bit of dark miso along with the tamari for more umami flavor.
I don't cook with red wine, and I did notice that a tart taste was missing. Next time I'll put in a splash of balsamic vinegar after the onion, carrot and mushrooms are sauteed.
Thanks, Anajli, for the recipe, and for your suggestions in the comments. I have frozen half of last night's dinner, and have high hopes that it will defrost in great condition for another meal in a week or two!
I made the filling this morning, and it was delicious. I added some dried thyme since I didn't have parsley. I also added a few cups of baby spinach since lentils and mushrooms both go well with greens. Tonight I'll top it with some mashed potatoes frozen since Christmas.
I used red wine vinegar instead of red wine and it turned out divine!!
For those who were wondering, this recipe freezes very well! I've updated the recipe with freezing and reheating instructions.
I made this a few days ago. Loved it! The only thing I changed was to sauté the mushrooms, onions and other veggies in vegetable broth in place of olive oil. I try to follow a low-fat vegan diet so making that one simple substitution for this recipe was easy. I will definitely make this again. Thanks so much for including delicious vegan recipes!
I made this tonight after staring at the recipe and the ingredients for 3 days. I agree with those who say it is missing *something* but I will be damned if I know what. I am inclined to agree with those who say add an acid like red wine vinegar. I would also up the smoked paprika.
Was excited to make this recipe, and while I adored the filling, I thought the sweet potatoes were a little bland. My solution was to add a little pool of ketchup to the plate to "wet my fork" before each bite. Since I love baked sweet potato fries with ketchup, I thought this might add the flavor boost I was looking for. It worked like a charm. Next time I might mix in some fresh chopped tomatoes under the potato layer. Overall, though, delicious and lovely dish! Thanks!
I loved this... I mean, I pretty much love anything with sweet potatoes in it. But the lentils, etc. balanced out the sweet carbs for me. And it was a big hit with my 1-year old (and the dogs, since some of this may have somehow ended up on the floor, the walls, etc...).
So thank you--I'm constantly on the lookout for meals that aren't too much trouble, but that are healthy and something that we'd both like (I have a hard time finding protein-rich meals that he'll eat). Moreover, it was just the right consistency for him to feed himself. And fling around the room.