Traditional shepherd’s pie may be delicious, but it’s not exactly macro-friendly. This lightened-up version changes that by swapping in sweet potatoes and plenty of veggies. It also exchanges meat for lentils and mixed veggies, making it vegan-friendly, so pretty much everyone can enjoy it.
Ingredients
2 cups lentils
2 bay leaves
Salt
2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup finely diced white onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups minced carrots
2 cups diced parsnips
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 cups organic vegetable broth
Low-sodium tamari (soy sauce)
Pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Boil lentils, along with bay leaves and 1 tsp salt, until al dente.
In a separate pot, boil sweet potatoes with 1 tsp salt, covered, about 20 minutes or until mashable. Mash, then set aside.
Preheat a large sauté pan on medium-low heat for1 minute. minute. Add olive oil. Sauté onions for 2 minutes, stirring often, so they start to soften without browning.
Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Once onions become soft and translucent, add carrots and parsnips to mixture and sauté for about 9 minutes or until the veggies become tender. Then add thyme and stir mixture for about 1 minute.
Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl and add in the cooked lentils, peas, broth, and tamari. Mix everything together to combine the flavors.
Fill casserole dish with the lentil filling. Smear top with potatoes. Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.
