When Nina and I travelled to England for the Brighton Vegfest we spend some days in London as well. Our first couchsurfing host was Helen. I can not imagine a better person for our very first couchsurfing experience! 🙂 Helen is such a nice person and she even showed us some beautiful places in London where you should go to if you’re a vegan.

At our second evening together we cooked a very delicios vegan shepherd´s pie. English & vegan – I love it!!

Helen´s Vegan Shepherd´s Pie

• 2 big onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 – 2 carrots
• 200g mushrooms
• 1 zucchini/courgette
• 4 -5 (medium) potatoes & 3 -4 sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter or margerine
• vegan milk of your choice (soy/almond/oat etc.)
• one big handful green lentils
• one big handful black lentils
• one big handful yellow split peas
• 3 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon miso paste
• thyme & rosemary
• nutritional yeast flakes
• salt & pepper
• olive oil

Boil one liter water. Add the lentils and the peas.

Return to a steady boil, tightly cover and simmer over a low heat for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

In the meantime chop the onions and the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then fry onions and garlic until golden.

Add chopped carrots, zucchini, mushrooms and a sprinkling of thyme and rosemary.

Fry until carrots are soft. Add the drained lentils & peas and some water if needed.

Season with miso paste, salt and pepper.

Chop the potatoes and sweet potatoes into medium sized pieces and boil them with some salt until ready.

Drain them and put them back in the pot. Add vegan butter, tomato puree, nutritional yeast flakes and some vegan milk.

Mash potatoes with a potato masher, fork, or beat with electric hand mixer. Season to taste.

Pile the lentil mixture into a pie dish, spoon the mash on top, then sprinkle over some nutritional yeast flakes, thyme and rosemary.

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cook for 20 mins – 30 mins until the potatoes are a bit crispy on top.

As side dish we added fried kale (fry kale together with garlic and season with salt & pepper). YUMMY I swear!

Enjoy!! 🙂