Vegan Shepherds Pie with Potato Biscuit Topping

I have a slight confession to make. I don't like mushrooms. And as a vegan, I feel like I'm committing some sort of crime. Mushrooms are everywhere in vegan cuisine because they add an umami flavor to dishes that mimics that savoriness that comes from meat. As a kid, I hated mushrooms and spent many nights picking them, and the olives, off the Cowboy pizza my family always got from Papa Murpheys. As an adult, I have chosen not to revisit mushrooms, a decision I know I will eventually have to change. But for now, I will continue to explore all the delicious ways I can cook vegan food without ever having to taste a mushroom.

One of my boyfriends and mines favorite meals, pre-vegan, was shepherds pie. Back then I used to expiriment with ground turkey instead of the traditional beef and added cheddar cheese. Although, interestingly enough, a shepherds pie made with ground beef is actually called a cottage pie. It has to be made with lamb to be a shepherds pie. But whether I was making it with beef, turkey, cheddar, or purple potatoes, I never imagined I would have to find a substitute for mushrooms. Because, you see, most vegan meat pies are made with mushrooms. 

There are plenty of faux meat products out there, but when trying to make a more whole foods focused meal, they don't qualify. This version of shepherds pie really developed out of what I had in the fridge, and the pantry, and the freezer, and by then, I thought "Why not just throw in the kitchen sink?" But to be honest, that's how great recipes are made: out of creativity, boredom, and the kitchen sink. Most of my great ideas come at the end of the week, because that's when you've run out of time to make all those fancy meals you planned, or you have ingredients left over, and the reality is that you just need to use the stuff before it goes bad. So you throw it all together (preferably in a one-pot dish), cross your fingers, send a little "Wish me luck" up to your favorite vegan chef/cook, and sit back and watch magic happen. Or you smell the horror of your creation, dump it in the trash, and go out for some delicious vegan Indian food. 

Thank goodness this recipe ended with the first outcome: heavenly, umami-filled, shepherds pie that always has me going back for seconds. 

Vegan Shepherds Pie with Potato Biscuit Topping 

This recipe is split into two recipe cards:

Print Recipe for Shepherds Pie Filling!

Print Recipe for Potato Biscuit Topping!

Ingredients 

For filling:

1 can of Lentils, slightly drained 

2 Leeks, chopped and rinsed 

2 leaves of Kale, chopped (or a handful or baby spinach)

1 Carrot, diced (or 6-8 baby carrots diced)
2 Celery stalks, diced

1 handful of frozen Peas

1 clove of Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of dried Rosemary

2 teaspoons of dried Thyme 

1 tablespoon of reduced sodium Soy Sauce 

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil 

Salt and pepper 

For topping: 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon of dried Rosemary

1 large clove of Garlic, minced 

1 cup Mashed Potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup cold water

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Sauté leeks and garlic in Olive oil on medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until leeks start to turn translucent. Add rosemary and thyme. 

3. Add carrots and kale and continue to cook for another three minutes, or until kale begins to wilt. 

4. Add the lentils and some of the lentil cooking liquid as well as the soy sauce. Turn to low heat and let simmer while making the biscuit dough. 

5. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add the olive oil, water, and garlic to mashed potatoes and whisk with a fork. 

6. Create an indent in the flour and add mashed potatoes. Mix together with a fork until it reaches a doughy consistency. (May need to add a little more water if too dry) 

7. Roll dough into a ball and knead a few times. Then roll out into a circle for your pie dish. If you are using individual ramekins, simply cut the dough into a square that will fit each one. 

8. Add the frozen peas to the pan and stir to combine. Spoon your filling into your pie pan or ramekins accordingly. Add the biscuit dough on top. And bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Biscuits should be browning on top.

9. Let your pie cool if you can. If you just can't wait, beware and as always, enjoy! 

I know that I can't avoid mushrooms forever. Eventually I'm going to have to give them another chance. Hopefully when I do, I find them delicious, just like when I recently gave dates a second chance.