Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie

📝 Ingredients

• 300 g dried green lentils
• 900 g floury potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 250 g button mushrooms
• 1 brown onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp dried thyme and 1 bay leaf
• 1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 900 ml hot water
• 200 ml unsweetened oat drink
• 3 tbsp olive oil (1 for the filling, 2 for the mash)
• Salt, pepper, 1 pinch of nutmeg

🍴 Utensils

• Flameproof casserole dish
• Large saucepan
• Colander
• Potato masher
• Baking dish (20 × 30 cm)
• Cutting board and knife

📖 Steps

1. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Peel the carrots and cut them into small 5 mm dice. Wipe the mushrooms with damp kitchen paper, trim off the earthy end of the stalks and cut them into small dice. Rinse the lentils in the colander.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the casserole over a medium heat. Fry the onion and carrots for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, until their liquid has evaporated and they start to brown.
3. Add the garlic and tomato purée and stir for 1 minute to caramelise it slightly. Add the lentils, thyme, bay leaf and stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes over a low heat.
4. Stir from time to time: the lentils are ready when they are tender and almost no liquid is left. If there's too much left, remove the lid for the last 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, then season with salt and pepper.
5. While the lentils cook, peel the potatoes, cut them into evenly sized pieces and put them in the large saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes, until the tip of a knife slides in without resistance.
6. Preheat the oven to 200 °C and warm the oat drink. Drain the potatoes, mash them with a potato masher, then gradually beat in the warm oat drink and 2 tbsp oil. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Don't use a blender: the mash would turn gluey.
7. Spread the lentils in an even layer in the baking dish, then cover with the mash, starting at the edges to seal it well. Smooth the top, then score ridges in it with a fork: they will brown beautifully.
8. Bake for 20 minutes at 200 °C, until the top is golden in places; if needed, put it under the grill for 3 minutes, keeping an eye on it. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving so the portions hold their shape.