Shepherds Pie Vegan

By mariannefeldman

from MoFo Thanksgiving Vegan-
Vegan Planet:
I’ve also been known to transform the components of this recipe into a Shepherd’s Pie, omitting the top pastry crust layer, so the mashed potatoes become the top layer. Since the gravy tends to get absorbed into the seitan and stuffing, I also have an extra bowl of hot gravy ready to add more at the table.

In the original recipe (below) I use a sheet of puff pastry for the top layer. For the pie versions I used a regular pie dough for the crust. Both work great. If you’re not a fan of seitan, you could just go with a layer of sauteed and pressed extra-firm tofu (instead of simmering the tofu in broth). Other options (instead of or in addition to tofu or seitan) are adding crumbled vegan sausage or extra chestnuts, pecans, or walnuts to the stuffing portion.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sliced white mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried savory
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups fresh bread cubes
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans, or chestnuts
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 6 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces seitan, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups brown gravy (plus more to serve)
• 2 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Details

Adapted from veganplanet.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 10-inch square baking dish. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, thyme, savory, sage, nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes with enough broth to moisten (about 1 1/2 cups). Add the cooked vegetable mixture, walnuts, and cranberries. Stir to mix well and set aside.In the same skillet, bring the remaining 1 cup broth to a boil, reduce heat to medium, add the tofu and simmer, uncovered, until broth is absorbed. Set aside. (Alternately, the tofu can be seasoned with soy sauce and sauteed in a little olive oil uintil crisp.)
Spread half of the prepared stuffing in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, followed by half of the seitan, half of the tofu, and half of the brown sauce. Repeat layering with the remaining stuffing, seitan, tofu, and sauce. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over top. Roll out the pastry and place on top of the potatoes. Pinch down the edges of the pastry to seal in the filling. Use a sharp knife to make a few slits in the top. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Serve hot.