Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Batata bil siniyeh is the Lebanese cousin of shepherd’s pie: mashed potato in layers around a spiced filling, baked until the top turns golden. Yal asks why that filling has to be beef, when what makes the dish is the potato, the allspice and cinnamon, the nuts and the pomegranate molasses.

Here the beef is replaced with soy chunks and mushrooms. The tray is just as filling, and it tastes the way you remember. Leaving out the beef also leaves out most of the dish’s footprint: per kilo, beef takes more land and produces more emissions than almost any other food¹. And no animal dies for it.

The Recipe

Ingredients

For the mashed potatoes

• 2 kg potatoes (about 8)- washed, peeled, and cut into quarters
• ½ tsp salt- plus more for seasoning
• ¼ cup Vegan Butter
• ½ cup Almond milk

For the topping

½ cup breadcrumbs

For the filling

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup soy chunks (soaked first)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 250 g mushrooms
• 1 to 2 carrots, cooked and chopped into small pieces
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp allspice
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Coriander, to taste
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup almonds, slightly toasted
• 2 tsp pomegranate molasses

Instructions

Make the filling:

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the chopped onions and cook until wilted, stirring often (about 10 minutes).
2. Add the soaked soy chunks and the mushrooms
3. After a while, add the carrots
4. Once they are cooked, add the salt and the spices, including the coriander, and mix
5. Cook until the soy chunks are browned, then lower the heat to medium-low and let it cook for another 10 mins.
6. Fold in the walnuts, the toasted almonds and the pomegranate molasses and mix well. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and set the filling aside.

Make the Mashed Potato:

1. Add the quartered potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a good pinch of salt.
2. Bring water to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until fork-tender.
3. Then drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the pot. Cover the potatoes, then let them steam over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Give the pan a good shake.
4. Add the almond milk and vegan butter, and mash the potatoes with a potato masher until smooth, adding a little extra milk if needed. The consistency should be creamy, rather than watery.
5. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Assemble and bake the casserole:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F) and lightly spray a rectangular baking tray.
2. Divide the mashed potato into two even halves. Each half will make a layer.
3. Spread the first layer of mashed potatoes by flattening it across the tray to form a smooth layer.
4. Add a layer of the filling, spread it across the mashed potato layer and press it down with a spoon.
5. Add the last and top layer of the other half of mashed potatoes, also by flattening it until forming a smooth layer.
6. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs and bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Full Tray

Calories: ~5,150 kcal
Protein: ~165 g
Fat: ~245 g
Carbohydrates: ~610 g
Fiber: ~115 g
Calcium: ~1,750 mg
Iron: ~42 mg
Vitamin E: ~38 mg
Magnesium: ~1,150 mg

Per Serving (1 of 8)

Calories: ~645 kcal
Protein: ~20.6 g
Fat: ~30.6 g
Carbohydrates: ~76 g
Fiber: ~14.4 g
Calcium: ~220 mg
Iron: ~5.3 mg
Vitamin E: ~4.7 mg
Magnesium: ~145 mg