Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Green or brown lentils are the right choice. They hold their shape when cooked and create a dense, sliceable filling with individual pieces rather than a purée. Puy lentils (French black lentils) are even better — they stay almost entirely intact, have a slightly firmer texture, and carry a faint earthy flavour that works well in a savoury pie. Red lentils are the wrong choice: they break down completely during cooking and produce a smooth, paste-like consistency rather than a textured filling. Whatever lentil you use, cook them to al dente before assembling — they will continue to cook in the oven and can become mushy if they're already fully soft when the pie goes in.

The mash sinks when it's applied to a filling that's still hot and liquid. The solution is to let the filling cool slightly (15 to 20 minutes at room temperature) before adding the mash — a cooled, thickened filling provides a solid enough surface to hold the topping up. The mash itself also needs to be thick: too much plant milk makes it loose and it will dissolve into the filling below. Apply the mash in spoonfuls spread across the surface rather than pouring it all in the centre. Dragging a fork across the top to create ridges helps the surface brown faster and look more appealing.

Yes, and it's one of the best dishes to make ahead. Assemble the pie completely (filling plus mash topping) up to 2 days before baking, cover tightly, and refrigerate. When ready to cook, take it out 20 to 30 minutes before it goes in the oven and add 10 to 15 extra minutes to the baking time since it's starting cold. The baked pie keeps for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. To reheat portions: microwave with a splash of water, covered. To freeze: freeze before baking, in portions or whole; thaw overnight in the fridge then bake as normal. The flavour genuinely improves after a day in the fridge as the filling settles.

Mushrooms provide umami — the savoury depth that makes the filling taste substantial rather than vegetable-light. Chestnut or cremini mushrooms work best; their flavour concentrates as they cook down and their liquid adds to the gravy. Without mushrooms, the filling loses complexity and can taste flat. Substitutes that provide similar depth: 1 to 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, a teaspoon of dark miso paste stirred into the gravy, or a teaspoon of smoked paprika added with the tomato paste. None of these replicate mushrooms exactly, but they add comparable savoury layering. The pie works without mushrooms, just with a milder filling.

Yes, this is one of the more protein-dense vegan comfort foods. Green lentils contain around 18 g of protein per 100 g dry weight. One serving of the pie (approximately 300 g) provides roughly 20 to 24 g of protein, comparable to a serving of chicken. Adding peas (about 5 g per 100 g) and mushrooms (further protein contribution) makes the dish nutritionally complete for a main course. For more protein: add 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the mashed potato topping, which adds around 4 g per serving and a light cheesy flavour. Using chickpeas or a mix of lentils and chickpeas can also increase the protein content.