Craving a carb-heavy fall weather staple? Try this vegetarian version instead, that packs a ton of flavor into a healthier meal. This veggie shepherds pie featured on Diabetes.org’s website is a great alternative to traditional shepherd’s pie and just as easy to make.
Ingredients (using Imperial System):
- 16 oz/ 453 grams sliced mushrooms
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 peeled and diced carrots
- 1 pound/ .45 kg of brown lentils
- 32 oz/ 946 mL low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 diced celery stalks
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 16 oz/ 453 mL fresh green beans, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup/ 4 Tbsp of chopped parsley
- cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celsius, and coat a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse lentils, then combine with broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they’re cooked through. Add in carrots, green beans, celery, garlic, and onions and cook until done.
Add 1 cup of cooked lentils to the mixture and mix together. Mix in 1/2 of the cup of coconut milk, along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a 9×13 (3 quart) baking pan and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the remaining lentil mixture along with the remainder of the coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and parsley. Beat with a mixer until the mixture is fluffy and spread on top of the vegetable mixture in the baking dish.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Take off foil, and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and vegetable mixture is bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes, and then serve.
Nutritional Info:
- Serving size: 1 cup
- Serves: 8
- Calories: 285
- Carbs: 45 grams
- Protein: 18 grams
- Fat: 6 grams
- Sugar: 8 grams