Happy Pi/Pie Day! I know that most people are probably celebrating with desserts, but what about a savory pie? Or rather a savory dish with pie in the name that isn’t actually a pie? Whatever, don’t judge me. It’s time for another vegetarian lunch with Melissa from Smells Like Brownies. Be sure to check out her delicious Pi Day Coconut Cream Pie, it is sooooooo good!
This vegetarian version shepard’s pie is packed with veggies, topped with creamy goat cheese, and perfect for St Paddy’s Day (which is never St Patty’s by the way). I mean, just look at that gorgeous green topping.
The base is made with roasted beets, eggplant, sundried tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes simmered in vegetable stock with thyme, caraway seeds, and fennel seeds. I was a little scared that the fennel and caraway would be really strong and take over, but they added just the right amount of depth and a real Irish flavor.
Just in case you thought the base wouldn’t be filling enough even with all those veggies, we go ahead and add some cooked lentils. You can cook the base on the stove, then transfer to a baking dish. We did the whole thing, stovetop to oven, in a deep cast iron skillet.
Then we add that gorgeous green topping made from cooked cauliflower, raw kale, parsley, and lemon – yum. The recipe called for 1/2 a head of cauliflower, but mine must have been pretty small because we really didn’t have enough topping. Cauliflower can come in all different sizes, so I will change the recipe to include a specific measurement. Just for you, cuz I love you. You’re welcome.
After you spreaaaaaaad that stuff around, dot it with goat cheese. Because cheese is superior to no cheese, duh. Unless you’re vegan, then just leave the cheese off.
You can serve this up with a hunk of soda bread, if you want, but it really is super filling all on its own. And flavorful enough that even meat eaters with love it, I think.
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Adapted from Finger, Fork & Knife
Serves 4-6
For the base:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tbsp caraway seeds
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small eggplant, cubed
4 oz cherry tomatoes
2 oz sundried tomatoes, chopped
8 oz cooked baby beets, quartered
1 cup vegetable stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups cooked lentils
For the topping:
3 cups chopped cauliflower
1 1/2 cups kale, torn from stems
small handful of flat leaf parsley
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 oz goat cheese
Preheat oven to 400 deg F and bring a pot of water to boil.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add fennel and caraway seeds and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add garlic and eggplant and cook for 1-2 minutes until eggplant is slightly softened. Add cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, beets, thyme, and vegetable stock.
Simmer gently for 15 minutes until eggplant is tender and the tomatoes are soft enough to squash with the back of a spoon. Squash them all to release the juices. Stir in lentils and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer lentil mixture to a baking dish.
Meanwhile, cook the cauliflower in boiling water until tender. Drain cauliflower and add to the bowl of a food processor along with kale, parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and pulse until combined.
Spread the cauliflower mixture over the lentil mixture. Dot with goat cheese and bake for 15 minutes, or until slightly golden and bubbling.
Pie Recipes:
Savory:
Moroccan Meat Pies
Slow Cooker Cream Chicken Pot Pie
Asparagus Custard Tart
Tomato and Corn Pie
Kale, Corn, Shrimp, and Feta Galette
Summer Squash Galette
Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette; Mushroom and Gorgonzola Galette
Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Galette with Raisins
Zucchini, Pea, Mint, and Feta Tart
Ratatouille Galette
Spring Onion, Spinach, Bacon Quiche
Bacon, Zucchini, Leek Quiche
Spring Quiche
Zucchini Pie
Sweet:
Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies
Apple Cheddar Hand Pies
Strawberry Sour Cream Pie
Peaches and Cream Pie; White Peach and Lemon Thyme Galette
Strawberry Rhubarb Lattice Pie
Sour Cherry Lattice Pie; Strawberry Icebox Pie
Strawberry Banana Cream Pie
Spiced Pear Flat Pie
Blueberry Cheesecake Galette
Plum Galette; Peach Almond Crumb Tart
Peach Melba Mini Tarts
Strawberry Rhubarb Mini Galettes
Fig, Mascarpone, and Goat Cheese Galette with Coconut
Classic New York Cheesecake
St Patrick’s Day Recipes:
Corned Beef, Colcannon, Irish brown bread, and Baby Guinness Shots
Turkey and Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Vegan Stout Brownies