Vegan Shepherd’s Pie – Perfect Irish meals for St. Patrick’s Day
Growing up on the east coast of the United States, St. Patrick’s Day was always one of my favorite holidays.
As a kid, I looked forward to dressing up in green, talking in a fake Irish accent, and eating lots of green food and candy at the parties.
In school, our teachers would fill big bowls with green M&M’s and ask us to guess how many were in the bowl. I never guessed right, but I still loved eating them afterward!
Now, as an adult, I no longer eat entire bowls of M&M’s, but I still love St. Patrick’s Day.
Every March I look forward to whipping out my green sweaters, cheesy four leaf clover shaped hats and hitting the streets to party it up and celebrate with my friends.
And of course, eating all the delicious Irish meals.But as I get older, and get more interested in health and wellness, I’ve discovered the blessing of a vegan diet.
Unfortunately for me, not many traditional St. Patty’s day foods fall into the vegan category.
Sure, you can eat the french fries, or separate out the roasted vegetables. But that isn’t a very delicious or celebratory way to enjoy St. Patricks Day.
What I was missing was a dish that was quintessentially Irish, while still being vegan. It seemed like a tall order, though I was determined to make it work.
My journey to discover the perfect vegan St. Patrick’s Day was a long and delicious one.
I spent plenty of time making a mess in the kitchen, throwing together different ingredients and weird substitutions.
I consumed hours trying out different flavor combinations and meat replacements in the search for that perfect St. Patricks Day vegan dish.
Believe me, it took some time to find the right combination, but eventually, I did it. I found the absolute best dish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your vegan loves: Vegan Shepherd’s Pie.
This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie will hit all the marks for your holiday celebration. It’s hearty, delicious, and has that authentic Irish aroma.
It is bursting with traditional flavors from earthy herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and vegetables like carrots and mushrooms.
And obviously, no Irish meal is complete without the potatoes.
But this Shepherd’s pie takes it one step further and mixes more traditional russet potatoes with the decadently sweet potatoes.
Blending the two potatoes together was my genius decision to get more nutrition while keeping the indulgent quality of the potato topping.
The creaminess of the potatoes combines with the earthiness of the herbs and vegetables to turn into an Irish party of flavor in your mouth.
Throw your imagination to dingy pubs filled with rough Irishmen indulging in a hearty, filling piece of Shepherd’s Pie.
Get that same authentic Irish taste with this delicious, 100% vegan Shepherd’s Pie recipe. On top of that, unlike a traditional Shepherd’s pie that is full of unhealthy animal products.
This version of the dish is chocked full of nutrients and vitamins to give you a healthy glow even as you indulge.
Plenty of fiber from the sweet potatoes will keep your digestion healthy and flow well; the carrots provide beta-carotene for your sight and antioxidant needs and plenty of herbs to help reduce inflammation.
If you’re ready to create the healthiest, tastiest, most jaw-dropping vegan St. Patrick’s Day meal of all time, warm up your oven and get those ingredients ready.
Here is my recipe for a vegan Shepherd’s Pie.
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb Sweet Potatoes
- 1/4 lb Russet Potatoes
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or dairy free margarine
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups sliced brown mushrooms
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
- 5 springs of fresh parsley
- 2 springs of fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon red wineJuice of
- 1 lemon
- 2 cups of lentils cooked (1 cup dry)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- While the oven is heating, peel, and chops all the potatoes into small squares. In a large cooking pot, put the potatoes in cold, salty water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft, and you can easily squish a fork through them.
- Drain the potatoes and set aside, until dry and slightly cooled.
- Once the potatoes are dry, heat up a large pan, and melt the coconut oil or vegan margarine. Add a dash of salt and black pepper. Cooked for 3 minutes.
- Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, or into a food processor. Mash the potatoes by hand, or blend them into a chunky mush. Set aside.
- Finely chop the onion, slice the carrots, and mash the garlic.
- Pick the leaves off of the stems of the thyme and rosemary. Roughly chop the parsley.
- Chop up the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes
- Heat a pan over medium heat, add a healthy splash of olive oil. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion begins to turn translucent.
- Add the onions, thyme, and rosemary to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until the mushrooms become slightly soft and browned.
- Add the vinegar and wine, cook for 2 more minutes, until slightly reduced, then add the vegetable stock, and lentils. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes somewhat thick.
- Add the parsley to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer this into a baking pan. Spread the mashed potato mixture across the top.
- Place the pan into the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and very hot.
- Let cool for at least ten minutes, then serve!
I guarantee this recipe will delight everyone at your next St. Patty’s Day party, vegans and meat eaters alike. Just whip it up beforehand and store in the refrigerator.
It keeps surprisingly well for a few days, afterward, so you can munch on delicious vegan shepherd’s pie for lunch or dinner for several days.
This coming St. Patrick’s Day, bake a delicious vegan pie, and all your guests will be asking for the recipe!