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A shepherd's pie has to have lamb? Baaaa, humbug

Joe Yonan

By Joe Yonan The Washington Post

Published Nov. 29, 2017

A shepherd's pie has to have lamb? Baaaa, humbug
 
  
  Dixie D. Vereen for The Washington Post

My favorite thing about making a vegetarian shepherd's pie has been thinking about that name. Purists know that a traditional shepherd's pie needs to contain not the usual ground beef, but lamb - because, of course, that's where the shepherd comes in. Technically, they'll tell you, if it features beef, it's a cottage pie.


That would be why I've seen a lot of vegetarian versions named "shepherdless pie." And I started to go that way, too.


But then I realized: Why couldn't this mythical shepherd - whose job is to tend the flock, protect it and help it graze, but not eat it - be vegetarian? Or at least appreciate a vegetarian meal?


The point is, any hardworking shepherd (or farmer or banker or journalist, for that matter) can appreciate the heartiness of this dish. I got my lentil-focused version from "The Plantiful Table," a new book by Andrea Duclos, the South Florida writer behind the blog ohdeardrea. The brilliance of Duclos's recipe is in the good dose of red wine she uses to braise the lentils (along with mushrooms, zucchini and more) before layering the mixture with the requisite corn and potatoes in a casserole dish and baking it.


For the top layer, I cobbled together a quick mash from a few large potatoes that I boiled and combined with yogurt, cream and salt. But this is a perfect use for leftovers, and not just potatoes. You could switch to sweet potatoes in a heartbeat, but this would also work nicely topped with cauliflower, carrot or parsnip puree.


Just ask yourself: What vegetables would a shepherd crave at the end of a long day in the pastures?


LENTIL SHEPHERD'S PIE

MAKES: 6-8 servings

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Ingredients

Ingridients

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 celery rib, diced

1/2 cup stemmed and diced shiitake mushrooms (may substitute button or other mushrooms of your choice)

1/2 cup diced zucchini

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more as needed

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Leaves from a few sprigs fresh thyme

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, or more as needed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 cup red wine

1 cup dried green lentils

2 1/2 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth or more as needed

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups fresh, frozen or canned (and drained) corn kernels

3 cups mashed potatoes

Steps

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the onion, carrot and celery; cook until the vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and zucchini; cook until the mushrooms wilt and soften and the onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Stir in the garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano and red wine; cook for 1 minute, then add the lentils and broth. Cook, uncovered, until the lentils are al dente (firm and just tender), adding more broth as needed, 25 to 35 minutes. Finish with the red wine vinegar, pepper and another pinch of rosemary, if desired. Taste, and add more salt as needed.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the lentil mixture across the bottom of an oven-safe casserole dish. If the mixture seems too dry, add a splash of broth to moisten it. Sprinkle an even layer of corn over the lentil mixture. Carefully smooth the mashed potatoes across the top.

Cover loosely with aluminum foil; bake for 30 minutes or until heated through; you should be able to see a bit of the liquid gently bubbling from underneath. Serve warm.

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 8): 240 calories, 9 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 7 g dietary fiber, 7 g sugar

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