Photos by Lindsey Johnson
I am a comfort food enthusiast and to me, nothing says comfort food like a hearty, homemade casserole. The best part about casseroles is that they're easy to make and filling. The worst part? The ones made without meat don't usually cover all your nutritional bases, unless the only bases you're looking to cover are carbs, cheese and condensed cream of mushroom soup. (PS - Please, tell me about this magical carb, cheese and condensed cream of mushroom soup diet you're on. I want to go there.)
I like making (and eating!) shepherd's pie because, although it definitely has the carbs covered with the mashed potato topping, the filling is easy to make into something a little bit more virtuous. So you have the comfort food goodness of mashed potatoes, but you can get some veggies, grains, and protein in the filling--best of both worlds, right?
I realize that this recipe sounds a little bit odd--the "lazy" in the title refers to the can of lentil soup in the recipe. You know how sometimes you need to make dinner and you have nothing planned, so you just assemble random ingredients and cross your fingers that it will work? And somehow it turns out delicious and becomes a favorite? That's the story behind my lentil shepherd's pie. I've made it with different kinds of lentil soup and different vegetables, so don't think you need to stick to the ingredients I have here. Go wild! Normally when I make shepherd's pie, it's a Sunday dinner because I have more time to cook then, but this version comes together quickly enough to make on a busy weeknight--you can even make the filling the night before and assemble the casserole right before cooking.
This December, we're republishing updated recipes from Oh My Veggies' first year. This post was originally published on September 6, 2011.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 14.5-ounce can lentil soup (like Amy's)
- 2 cups chopped kale
- ¾ cup bulgur
- 2 ½ cups prepared/leftover mashed potatoes, heated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and lightly coat a 2-3 quart casserole dish with an oil mister.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook 5-6 minutes more, or until soft. Add the soup, kale and bulgur, then fill the can with water and add that to the skillet too; reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until mixture has thickened and kale has wilted.
- Pour the veggie and soup mixture into the casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes (warming them first makes them easier to spread). Bake for 30 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes before serving, or until potatoes are golden brown and slightly crispy in places.
Grumpy Grateful Mom says
Looks tasty to me! We love Shepard's pie, though I've never tried it vegetarian before. This looks like a great way to use my zucchini.
The Type A Housewife says
Yup, that's why I used zucchini--I didn't get any from the garden, but it's so cheap at the farmers market right now!
Lesley says
This actually sounds great! I say that with surprise because I usually loathe all things vegetarian. Well, meals that are originally made with meat, anyways. You know what I mean!
The Type A Housewife says
Well, you know, you could throw some meat in there if you feel so inclined. 🙂
Matt @ FaveDiets says
This looks so good! Now I just have to find myself some Pacific Natural Foods soups.
The Type A Housewife says
I think they sell them at Whole Foods. You could really substitute any kind of lentil soup in here though--if it's less liquid, you might have to adjust cooking time slightly.
blueviolet says
I could happily enjoy that for dinner!
BusyWorkingMama says
I am always on the lookout for veggie recipes. And I've never made Shepard's pie. So glad I stopped over! I think our entire family would like this!
BKWilliams says
I love Shepherd's pie and this one sounds so good. I will enjoy it this fall.
ElfRenee says
Mm, that sounds really good!
Kelly says
Yum that sounds so good! Except for the eggplant. I'm surprised I didn't see any mushrooms in there - that'd be perfection!
The Type A Housewife says
Mushrooms would be good! The eggplant was totally random--I just had so many on hand. We finished the last of the little ones today, but I still have at least one Japanese eggplant growing in the garden. Eggplants are about my only success this summer. 😛
Jamie (Thrifty Veggie Mama) says
I love shepherd's pie. It is one of my favorite cold weather meals.
Venera from Veggykitchen.com says
Mmmm! Looks so yummy! It's getting cold here in Russia. I will cook my shepherds pie this weekend.
Kiersten says
It's not quite cold here yet, but it will be soon--perfect shepherd's pie weather!
Jennifer The Quirky Momma says
I really love Shepherd's Pie. I actually love my veggie version more than the meat version I used to make for my husband and family. I can't wait to try some of your other veggie alternatives.
Stephanie says
Made this last week for dinner and it was a HUGE hit. This is super easy and delicious. It will definitely be a regular meal in our house. Thanks for the great recipe.
Kiersten says
I'm glad you liked it! 🙂
Katharina says
Hey 🙂 I lived in the UK for a year and thats where i encounterd shepherds pie 🙂 glad to have found your veggie version.
does the bulgur work as a thickener? could i just use flour instead?
also, Austrian stoves dont usually come with a broiler. we only have the oven itself and the stovetop/ four cooking plates. i reckon i just leave it in the oven for a little bit longer in that case?
in addition, i loved your blog entry where you listed 50 casserolle recipes. casserolles are also something i didnt know before i was in the uk, where we had sausage casserolle with white beans, carrots, potatoes and any other vegetables that needed using up. it was more like a stew than the rather thicker, consistant dishes you posted. yum. i need to find veggie versions of these stew/casserolles 🙂
xx
Kiersten says
The bulgur thickens the sauce, but it also adds texture--a little bit like ground beef. If you don't broil it, that's fine--it's only to make the topping browned, so it tastes fine without that!
Rian says
This looks really good. Is there a replacement for the bulgur wheat in general? I'm gluten free so I need to find a replacement unfortunately.
Kiersten Frase says
The bulgur thickens the sauce a little bit. I'm not sure if you've ever worked with teff, but that might be a possible substitute; cooked quinoa could work well in this too.
Millie | Add A Little says
This looks tasty and so easy!
vegeTARAian says
You are one clever cookie, this sounds amazing and so easy too!
Samantha @FerraroKitchen says
I have never had shepherds pie before..ever! I guess they don't make 'em where I'm from (NY/Hawaii/Cali) haha but I would LOVE to try this..I bet it would rock with some mushrooms and maybe reconstituted mushroom broth? Mmm..
Jane says
Is the bulgur cooked prior to adding? In a comment it is mentioned that using cooked quinoa could be substitued.
Joanne says
I totally love that this is seriously just made from SOUP. And other stuff, but canned soup = a weeknight meal lifesaver.
Jen @ The Happy Healthy Balance says
I am so happy I found your blog. Your recipes are amazing!
Tammy says
Have you ever substituted anything else for the Bulgur?
Claire says
I just made this and it turned out great! I made the mashed potatoes specifically for the recipe, and instead of all white potatoes I did half carrots. Would be even better to do a white potato/sweet potato/carrot mix! The sweetness of the carrots is really nice for balancing out the earthy flavors of the lentil soup and bulgur.
To quickly make the mashed potatoes: cut up 4 medium potatoes (white and/or sweet) and 3-4 carrots into 1/4 inch slices, then rough chop them. Add to large sauce pan with 4 tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil and a half cup of boiling water. Cook on medium, covered, stirring every 5 minutes. Eventually, the water will have evaporated and the potatoes and carrots will be mashable. Season with salt and pepper.
Trisha says
Is the 3/4 c bulgur dry or cooked?
Kiersten Frase says
It's dry.