Vegan Lentil Sweet Potato Pie (Printable)
Savory lentils and veggies topped with creamy sweet potato mash for a cozy, plant-based meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Sweet Potato Mash
01 - 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
03 - 0.25 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
04 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
05 - 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Lentil Filling
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
08 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
09 - 2 medium carrots, diced
10 - 2 celery stalks, diced
11 - 1 cup mushrooms, diced
12 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
13 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
14 - 1.5 cups cooked brown or green lentils, drained and rinsed if canned
15 - 1 cup vegetable broth
16 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
17 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
18 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
19 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
20 - 1 cup frozen peas
21 - Salt and pepper to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Place the peeled and chopped sweet potatoes into a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain and return to the pot.
03 - Add olive oil or vegan butter, plant-based milk, salt, and black pepper to the sweet potatoes. Mash until smooth and set aside.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion and minced garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
05 - Add diced carrots, celery, mushrooms, and red bell pepper to the skillet. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened.
06 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add cooked lentils, vegetable broth, soy sauce or tamari, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and smoked paprika. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture thickens. Stir in frozen peas and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
07 - Spread the lentil filling evenly in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the sweet potato mash, smoothing it over the filling.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until the top is slightly golden. Optionally, broil for 2 to 3 minutes for extra color.
09 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It tastes like home without any of the guilt—savory, creamy, and honestly better than the version your family's been making for generations.
- The sweet potato mash becomes this unexpected secret weapon that makes everyone forget they're eating vegetables.
- You can prep it ahead and bake it when you need comfort most, making weeknight dinners feel effortless and intentional.
02 -
- The sweet potato mash will thicken as it cools, so if it looks slightly loose when you're mashing, that's actually perfect—it'll set beautifully in the oven.
- Don't skip the soy sauce or tamari; a tiny amount transforms the entire dish from tasting like vegetables to tasting like something deliberately savory and deep.
- Undercooking the lentil filling slightly is better than overcooking it; you want it to maintain some texture, not become a paste.
03 -
- If your kitchen runs cool, bring your vegetables to room temperature before assembling; cold filling will make your mash slide around instead of sitting neatly on top.
- The broiler is your friend for getting a golden top, but only use it in the final minutes—shepherd's pie doesn't need a dark crust, just a gentle color that shows it's been kissed by heat.