Who doesn’t love a healthier alternative to their favourite homemade comfort food? Try this Vegan Shepard’s Pie.

We absolutely love this Vegan Shepard’s Pie from the Squirrel Sisters, it’s packed full of yummy goodness and won’t leave you feeling sluggish after eating it. They have switched up some key ingredients for healthier options, for example they have ditched white potatoes and replaced them with sweet potatoes which are a great source of fibre and instead of using mince lamb they have opted for organic lentils which are packed full of fibre, protein, minerals and vitamins. They are also have virtually no fat, making them a great option when trying to shed some extra weight. If you’re a big fan of eating meat we would urge you to give this dish a go, it may not taste like your traditional Shepherds Pie but it’s so yummy and will still give you that lovely feeling you get after eating comfort food. 

The Lentil Sauce:

  • 2 x Cans of lentils (drained and washed)
  • 690g x Passata
  • 2 x Red onions (finely chopped)
  • 2 x Carrots (chopped into small chunks)
  • 2 x Celery stalks (chopped into small chunks)
  • 5 x garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 1/2 x Tbsp fresh thyme (finely sliced)
  • 1/2 x Tbsp fresh rosemary (finely sliced. Save a few stalks for garnishing at the end)
  • 2 x Tbsp bouillon powder
  • 2 x Bay leaves
  • 1/2 Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 x Cup of water
  • 1 x Tbsp olive oil (for frying)
  • Generous pinch of black pepper and Himalayan salt
  • 1 x Tsp Cayenne pepper(optional I always add it because Charlie loves spice)

The Sweet Potato Mash:

  • 3 x Large sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped into medium chunks)
  • 2 x Tbsp almond milk (optional, but I find it helps with the creamy texture)
  • Himalayan salt

1) Heat the oil in a large pan or casserole dish and add the carrot, onion and celery. Fry until soft

2) Add the herbs and garlic then cook for a further 1 minute before adding the lentils, passata, bay leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 15 minutes then turn off the heat and leave to one side to cool.

3) While the lentils are simmering start getting the potatoes ready.

4) Add them to a pan of boiling water and boil until soft

5) Once the potatoes are ready drain them then pour them back into the waterless pan and add a generous amount of salt and almond milk and mash until smooth.

6) Remove the bay leaves form the lentils then pour the mix into an oven-proof serving dish

7) Delicately spoon on the sweet potato and evenly spread it over the lentil mix using a fork

8) Garnish with a few sprigs of rosemary and leave to one side until you are ready to cook it9) Once you are ready to cook it, pre heat the oven to 180 fan and cook for about 30-45 minutes until it’s hot through and the top is slightly golden.

For more nutritional recipes get the Surf Girl Guide to Surf Fitness