Plant-based· VG · DF

Shepherd's Lentil Mix

Name: Shepherd's Lentil Mix
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 180g dried green or brown lentils; 400g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped; 250g carrots, 5mm dice; 150g celery, finely diced; 250g onions, finely diced; 3 cloves (15g) garlic; 50g tomato purée; 2 cubes vegetable stock cubes; 600ml water; 15g yeast extract; 20ml soy sauce; 3g dried thyme; 2 bay leaves; 30ml rapeseed oil; 1g black pepper; 3g salt

Thick, savoury green lentil and mushroom filling with carrot, celery, thyme and a rich yeast and soy base.

makes 20 blocks, about 18p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/shepherds-lentil-mix/

Illustration of a bowl of Shepherd's Lentil Mix

Time: 1 hr 20 min15 min prep · 1 hr 5 min cook
Makes: 20 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 18p
Calories per blockCalories: 64 kcal
Spice: 1 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

180gdried green or brown lentils
400gchestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
250gcarrots, 5mm dice
150gcelery, finely diced
250gonions, finely diced
3 cloves (15g)garlic
50gtomato purée
2 cubesvegetable stock cubes
600mlwater
15gyeast extract
20mlsoy sauce
3gdried thyme
2bay leaves
30mlrapeseed oil
1gblack pepper
3gsalt

Allergens: Celery, Gluten, Soya. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Under mashed potato as a quick shepherd's pie · Over a baked potato with steamed greens · Stuffed into a roasted pepper or jacket sweet potato

Method

Step 1: Soften the onion, carrot and celery in the oil. (10 min)
Step 2: Add the mushrooms and cook until their water has evaporated and they brown. (12 min)
Step 3: Add the garlic and purée for 2 minutes, then the rinsed lentils, stock, yeast extract, soy, thyme and bay. (2 min)
Step 4: Simmer with the lid ajar until the lentils are soft. (30 min)
Step 5: Uncover and cook down, stirring, until very thick and holding its shape on a spoon. Remove the bay leaves and season boldly. (10 min)
Step 6: Cool completely and freeze in 70g blocks. No topping goes in the batch.

Hotter: add a few dashes of hot sauce or ½ tsp cayenne.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	64	3.6g	7.8g	1.8g	2.5g	0.83g
Per 3 blocks	192	10.8g	23.4g	5.4g	7.5g	2.49g

Cook’s notes

Mash a few spoonfuls of the lentils into the sauce to help it set firmly.
Topping at serving: defrost, put in a dish and top with mashed potato or sweet potato mash, then bake until golden. Or serve it as a thick ragù.
Add a splash of red wine or a few frozen peas when reheating if you like.

Serve it

Under mashed potato as a quick shepherd's pie · Over a baked potato with steamed greens · Stuffed into a roasted pepper or jacket sweet potato.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 192 kcal and 10.8g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Shepherd's Lentil Mix questions

Can I use tinned lentils?

Yes. Use cooked green lentils, drained and rinsed, cut the water right back and simmer just long enough for the flavours to come together before cooking it down. The texture will be a little softer.

Why cook the mushrooms until their water has gone?

Mushrooms release a lot of liquid. Cooking it off and letting them brown gives a meaty, savoury flavour and stops the filling turning watery.

Can I leave out the mushrooms?

You can, though they bring much of the savoury depth. Use extra diced carrot in their place and lean on the yeast extract and soy for flavour.