Mushroom and Spinach Shepherd's Pie
Was craving something comforting and hearty but meatless, so thought a vegetarian shepherd’s pie should do the trick.
Serving: 8
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, minced or 1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
400-450 g fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 130g)
fresh herbs to taste (I used 1 sprig of rosemary, thyme, and a bay leaf)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon flour
100 ml red wine (optional)
250–500 ml veggie broth
1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
230g baby spinach or arugula leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste
108 g fresh bread crumbs
6-8 medium potatoes (about 900-1200g )
2 tbsp (30g) butter
120ml milk or nondairy milk
salt to taste
Instructions:
Make the mashed potatoes: Peel and dice the potatoes. Boil them until fork tender about 20 minutes. Drain, mash, and mix in butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400F/205C.
Make the veggies: In a large oven-safe pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add shallots or onions sauté until fragrant and translucent. Add garlic, mushrooms, carrots, and whole herbs. Sauté until carrots are softened.
Make the gravy: Add tomato paste and flour to the pot and stir. Pour in the red wine if using and scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook out for a minute or two. Slowly add the broth, stirring it in until a gravy starts to form. Season with salt. Simmer over low heat to get it thickened even further. Add the spinach, a little at a time, cooking just until it’s all wilted down. Remove from heat, taste to adjust seasonings to your liking.
Bake: Remove the herbs. Lightly oil a 2-quart (2 L) (preferably round) casserole dish, or two deep-dish pie plates. Scatter the breadcrumbs evenly over the bottom. Pour in the mixture, then spread the potatoes evenly over the top. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes begin to turn golden and slightly crusted. You can also set it to broil in the last few minutes to get the browning going.
