Gardener’s Pie with Root Vegetable Mash Recipe
Gardener’s Pie with Root Vegetable Mash is a hearty, wholesome vegetarian dish featuring a savory filling of sautéed vegetables, mushrooms, lentils, and fresh herbs, all topped with a creamy blend of mashed potatoes and rutabaga. This comforting pie is perfect for a nutritious family meal that combines robust flavors and textures, baked to a golden finish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Root Vegetable Mash
- 1 ½ lb (680 g) potatoes
- ¾ lb (340 g) rutabaga (or substitute with celeriac or turnip)
- 4 tbsp (56 g) butter, softened
- 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus extra to taste
- 2 – 4 tbsp (30 to 60 ml) heavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pie Filling
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- ½ lb (227 g) mushrooms, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus extra to taste
- ½ tsp (3 g) pepper
- 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 can (540 ml) canned lentils, drained
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Root Vegetables: Peel and cube the potatoes and rutabaga. Place each in separate saucepans, cover with water, season with kosher salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender; rutabaga will take about 5–10 minutes longer than potatoes. Drain and keep warm.
- Mash Root Vegetables: Roughly mash the rutabaga and potatoes separately using a potato masher until almost smooth. Combine rutabaga with potatoes, add softened butter, kosher salt, and pepper, then mash until smooth. Stir in 2 tbsp of heavy cream and mash together. Add remaining cream if needed for a creamy consistency. Keep warm.
- Sauté Aromatics: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Heat olive oil in a wide skillet or shallow braiser over medium heat. Add diced onions, season lightly with kosher salt, and sauté 2–3 minutes until softened.
- Cook Vegetables: Add diced carrots and celery, reduce heat to low, and sauté for 5–7 minutes, stirring regularly until softened.
- Add Mushrooms and Flavorings: Add sliced mushrooms and cook another 4–5 minutes until tender. Stir in minced garlic and chopped thyme, sauté for 1 more minute until fragrant. Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and pepper; cook briefly to combine flavors.
- Thicken Filling: Sprinkle all-purpose flour over the vegetable mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Slowly add vegetable broth while stirring. Bring to a boil and cook until mixture thickens slightly.
- Combine Lentils and Herbs: Stir in the drained lentils and cook 2–3 minutes more to meld the flavors. Mix in chopped fresh parsley.
- Assemble and Bake: Transfer the filling to a shallow casserole dish or keep in the braiser. Spread the mashed root vegetable topping evenly over the filling. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until the filling bubbles and the topping is lightly browned.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle extra chopped fresh parsley on top for garnish and serve warm.
Notes
- Rutabaga can be substituted with celeriac or turnip depending on availability or preference.
- Adjust heavy cream quantity to achieve preferred mash consistency.
- Vegetable broth can be homemade or store-bought for convenience.
- For a vegan version, substitute butter with plant-based margarine and use a vegan Worcestershire sauce alternative.
- Make sure to drain lentils well to avoid excess moisture in the pie filling.
- This dish can be reheated and tastes even better the next day as flavors meld together.
Keywords: gardener’s pie, root vegetable mash, vegetarian shepherd’s pie, lentil pie, comfort food, mashed rutabaga, mushroom pie filling
