Name: Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 20 g butter (for the filling); 1 onion, chopped; 2 carrots, diced; 3 stalks celery, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 80 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp dried thyme; 200 g green or Puy lentils, dry; 40 ml red wine (optional); 700 ml vegetable stock; 1 tbsp tomato purée (at the end); salt and pepper (only towards the end of cooking); 800 g floury potatoes, peeled; 35 g butter; 80 ml milk; salt and pepper; 30 g cheddar, grated (for the topping)

Preparation

Melt the butter for the filling in a large pot. Sweat the onion, carrots, celery and garlic over gentle heat for about 15 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
Turn up the heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme and lentils, pour in the red wine and stock and do not add salt yet.
Simmer the lentils for 40 to 50 minutes until very soft. Then season, take off the heat, stir in the tomato purée and remove the bay leaf; if a lot of liquid is left, reduce the filling briefly uncovered.
Meanwhile boil the potatoes in salted water for about 15 minutes until soft, drain and mash with the butter and milk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 190 °C conventional (top and bottom heat) or 170 °C fan. Put the lentil filling in a baking dish and spread the mash evenly on top.
Sprinkle with the cheddar and bake the pie for about 30 minutes until the surface is golden brown.

Drink with it

Dark beer · excellent match
Porter or stout, not too cold
The roasted malt and light sweetness of the porter mirror the roasted notes of the mushrooms and the baked mash, and carry the umami of the lentils.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecue
Red wine · excellent match
Medium-bodied red wine, e.g. Côtes du Rhône or Pinot Noir
The filling contains red wine itself; soft tannins and berry fruit complement the mushrooms and thyme without overwhelming the mash.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
IPA · good match
British pale ale or moderate IPA
Hop bitterness and carbonation cut through the butter in the mash and the melted cheddar, while caramel malt picks up the lentils.
What Is an IPA? Hop Aroma with Many Faces

Preparation

Melt the butter for the filling in a large pot. Sweat the onion, carrots, celery and garlic over gentle heat for about 15 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
Turn up the heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme and lentils, pour in the red wine and stock and do not add salt yet.
Simmer the lentils for 40 to 50 minutes until very soft. Then season, take off the heat, stir in the tomato purée and remove the bay leaf; if a lot of liquid is left, reduce the filling briefly uncovered.
Meanwhile boil the potatoes in salted water for about 15 minutes until soft, drain and mash with the butter and milk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 190 °C conventional (top and bottom heat) or 170 °C fan. Put the lentil filling in a baking dish and spread the mash evenly on top.
Sprinkle with the cheddar and bake the pie for about 30 minutes until the surface is golden brown.

Drink with it

Dark beer · excellent match
Porter or stout, not too cold
The roasted malt and light sweetness of the porter mirror the roasted notes of the mushrooms and the baked mash, and carry the umami of the lentils.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecue
Red wine · excellent match
Medium-bodied red wine, e.g. Côtes du Rhône or Pinot Noir
The filling contains red wine itself; soft tannins and berry fruit complement the mushrooms and thyme without overwhelming the mash.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
IPA · good match
British pale ale or moderate IPA
Hop bitterness and carbonation cut through the butter in the mash and the melted cheddar, while caramel malt picks up the lentils.
What Is an IPA? Hop Aroma with Many Faces

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Preparation

Drink with it

Porter or stout, not too cold

Medium-bodied red wine, e.g. Côtes du Rhône or Pinot Noir

British pale ale or moderate IPA

This pairs well too.

Black Bean Burger

Vegetarian Bean Chilli

Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy

Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Preparation

Drink with it

Porter or stout, not too cold

Medium-bodied red wine, e.g. Côtes du Rhône or Pinot Noir

British pale ale or moderate IPA

This pairs well too.

Black Bean Burger

Vegetarian Bean Chilli

Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy

Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce