Vegan Mushroom and Pumpkin Shepherd's Pie

This vegan shepherd's pie is a modern, plant based version of the classic with a rich mushroom and lentil base, topped with creamy mashed potato and pumpkin. It's total cold weather comfort food.

Ingredients

Pumpkin and Potato Topping

▢ ½ large (2 cups) hokkaido pumpkin or another pumpkin variety
▢ 500 grams (2 heaping cups) potatoes
▢ 1 cup cooking water you'll probably need less, but best to reserve extra
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt
▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper

Metric - Cups

Instructions

Mushroom and Lentil Filling

In a large, heavy bottomed pan, oven safe if possible, heat the oil over medium. Add the mushrooms and sear for about 8 minutes. Stir infrequently, only enough to prevent sticking.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 250 grams (2 cups) button mushrooms
Add the onions and cook for another 6 minutes, or until softened and fragrant, reducing the heat if necessary. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper, and cook for an additional minute.
1 medium yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 small sprig of rosemary leaves, 2 sage leaves, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Add the red wine and stir to release any spices stuck to the bottom of the pan.
60 ml (¼ cup) dry red wine**
Add the vegetable broth and increase the heat to high to bring to a rolling boil. Add the lentils and reduce the heat to medium-low, then simmer for 20-25 minutes, covered, or until the lentils are cooked. Make the topping in the meantime.
625 ml (2 ½ cups) vegetable broth, 150 grams (1 cup) brown lentils
Taste and season if needed. Whisk the arrowroot powder into the 2 tablespoons of water and then stir it in to the filling. It should thicken immediately. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2 teaspoons arrowroot*** powder + 2 tablespoons water

Pumpkin and Potato Topping

Peel the pumpkin if necessary and cut it into small chunks, about 4 cm (1.5 inches). Wash and chop the potatoes to the same size.
½ large (2 cups) hokkaido pumpkin, 500 grams (2 heaping cups) potatoes
Place both into a medium pot, cover with water, and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer, covered, until the vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
Drain the water, reserving a cupful, and let the potatoes and pumpkin dry in the pot for a few minutes before mashing.
Use a potato masher to mash the vegetables before adding half of the reserved water, oil, salt, and pepper. Add more water as needed to get a smooth, spreadable consistency. If it's too thick it'll be difficult to spread over the mushroom filling.
1 cup cooking water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper

To Bake the Pie

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). If you used an oven safe dish, simply spread the topping in an even layer over the mushroom base. If not, spoon the filling into a baking dish and top with the potato pumpkin mixture.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and the sauce has started to bubble up around the edges. Serve hot.
Leftovers can be frozen and keep well for 3-4 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven if possible to keep the layers distinct.

Notes

Storage: if you want to make this ahead of time, make both the filling and topping, then refrigerate for up to a couple of days before baking. Cooked leftovers can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about three days.

Freezing: place cooled leftovers in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator.

* You can substitute two teaspoons of herbs de Provence for the fresh herbs, or a teaspoon each of dried oregano and rosemary.

** If you prefer not to use wine, you can use a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar instead and make up the difference with vegetable broth. If you ever have leftover red wine, freeze it in an ice cube tray and then store in a sealed container and add a cube to mushroom and tomato based dishes.

*** I've tested with tapioca here and it needs 3 tablespoons in that case. You may need a bit less if using cornstarch compared to arrowroot but I haven't tried.

Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.