Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

A savoury lentil, mushroom and pea filling under golden ridges of sweet potato mash.
Prep: 15 min · Cook: 60 min · 4 servings
Equipment: 25 × 20cm baking dish

• 250g dry red lentils, rinsed
• 700g peeled sweet potato, cut into chunks
• 150g onion, diced
• 150g carrot, finely diced
• 250g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 150g frozen peas
• 30g tomato purée
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 15g olive oil, divided
• 6g garlic, minced
• 2g smoked paprika (1 tsp)
• 1g dried oregano (1 tsp)
• 1g salt, or to taste

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan. Boil the sweet potato in a saucepan of water for 15–18 minutes until tender, then drain well.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat 10g oil in a wide pan. Cook the onion, carrot and mushrooms for 8 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the garlic, tomato purée, paprika and oregano; cook for 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add the rinsed lentils and stock. Simmer uncovered for 18–22 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and the filling is thick rather than soupy. Add a splash of water if it catches before the lentils soften.

4. 4

   Stir in the peas and cook for 2 minutes. Taste and add the salt as needed. Mash the drained sweet potato with the remaining 5g oil.

5. 5

   Spoon the filling into a 25 × 20cm baking dish. Spread the mash over it and mark ridges with a fork. Bake for 15–20 minutes until bubbling at the edges and lightly browned; rest for 5 minutes, then divide into four portions.

Storage & reheating

Divide into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 4°C or below. Keep for up to 3 days or freeze individual portions for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Microwave covered for about 3–5 minutes, rotating halfway, or bake covered at 180°C for about 20–25 minutes; check that the centre reaches 74°C.

Substitutions

Use ordinary potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. Use gluten-free vegetable stock if required; nutrition changes with substitutions.

Estimated nutrition per serving

498 kcal · 24g protein · 92.7g carbs · 5.4g fat · 17.0g fibre.

Calculated from measured ingredients using generic composition estimates. Brands and portion sizes change the result. Optional additions and substitutions are excluded.

Storage guidance: USDA leftover guidance