Vegan Lentil Sweet Potato Pie (Printable)
A wholesome dish featuring lentils and creamy mashed sweet potatoes, full of savory plant-based flavors.
# What You'll Need:
→ Filling
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 2 cups cooked green or brown lentils
08 - 1 cup frozen peas
09 - 1 cup vegetable broth
10 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
11 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
12 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
14 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Sweet Potato Mash
16 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
18 - 1/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
19 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes into a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until fork-tender. Drain thoroughly.
03 - While the sweet potatoes cook, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent.
04 - Add diced carrots, celery, and red bell pepper to the skillet. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
05 - Incorporate cooked lentils, frozen peas, vegetable broth, tomato paste, soy sauce or tamari, dried thyme, dried rosemary, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
06 - Mash the drained sweet potatoes with olive oil or vegan butter and unsweetened plant-based milk. Season with salt and black pepper, mashing until smooth and creamy.
07 - Transfer the lentil filling into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the mashed sweet potatoes evenly over the top.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the topping is lightly golden. Optionally, broil for 2 to 3 minutes to enhance color, monitoring closely to avoid burning.
09 - Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It tastes indulgent and hearty enough that no one will notice it's entirely plant-based.
- Your kitchen fills with the smell of thyme and rosemary simmering into something unforgettable.
- You can make it ahead and bake it off later, which means less stress when friends arrive.
- The sweet potato top gets slightly caramelized in the oven, creating this unexpected textural contrast with the savory filling.
02 -
- If your sweet potato mash is too thick, you'll fight to spread it over the filling, so don't be stingy with the plant-based milk—add it a little at a time and taste the texture, not just the flavor.
- The filling will thicken as it cooks, and then it will continue to thicken in the oven, so it should look slightly loose when you spoon it into the dish, or it'll set up too stiff.
- Don't skip the broil step if you want that golden top—the 20–25 minutes of baking won't brown it enough to look finished, and those 2–3 minutes under the broiler make all the difference to how inviting it looks when you bring it to the table.
03 -
- Chop your vegetables slightly larger than you think necessary because they'll soften as they cook, and you want them to hold some shape and texture in the finished filling.
- Taste the filling before you assemble the dish—this is your only chance to adjust the seasoning, and it's much easier than trying to fix it after baking.