I’ve made shepherd’s pie here before but I wanted to switch it up and make it a bit healthier for veganuary!

Using sweet potatoes and lentils as replacements really beef up the nutrition value, pun not intended but interesting choice of word

There are a lot of moving parts to this recipe so you’re going to want to watch my video and read through the recipe first, and prepare all of your ingredients before you start cooking so it’s a fun stress free process and won’t have you running around your kitchen like a crazy person, which still may happen if you’re like me

This makes a ton though, that’s why I chose it, it’s kind of like our meal prep because the leftovers will be lunches for us all week, so it’s totally worth the extra time

Ingredients:

• 2 cups green lentils
• 1 carton vegetable stock (4 cups)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• White onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4-5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried Italian herb blend

Directions:

1. Rinse lentils and put in a pot with 2 cups vegetable stock, 2 cups water, 2 bay leaves and a little salt and bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer until lentils are cooked
2. Put cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot and add 1 cup vegetable stock and then fill up with water until the potatoes are a little more than covered and add a sprinkle of salt, then boil until soft
3. In a large pan, sauté the onion, carrot and celery with a little oil
4. When the sweet potatoes are ready, drain and mash with vegan butter and nondairy milk, then add 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley, then set aside
5. Now the vegetables should be ready to add the minced garlic
6. Then add 3 tsp Italian herb blend, 1 tsp black pepper and 1/4 cup corn starch and stir
7. Add the soy sauce, crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock and stir
8. Now the lentils should be ready to drain and pull out the two bay leaves, then you can pour them into the mix and bring to a boil then turn off
9. If your pan is oven safe, add the mashed sweet potatoes on top, or you can transfer to an oven safe dish and add the sweet potatoes on top
10. Bake for 35-40 mins in a 400°F oven
11. Enjoy!