Vegan Shepherd's Pie Recipe With Eggplant

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 eggplant, chopped
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 recipe Vegan Mashed Potatoes

Instructions

1. In a colander, sprinkle the eggplant with one tablespoon of the sea salt. Allow it to drain for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. This removes the bitter juices from the eggplant.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. In a large skillet or pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high until it shimmers.
4. Add the eggplant, onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown, about five minutes.
5. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for one minute.
7. Add the white wine. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with the side of a spoon. Cook, stirring, until it thickens, one or two minutes.
8. Add the broth, thyme, pepper, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, and the peas. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
9. Spoon into a casserole. Top with the mashed potatoes.
10. Bake in the preheated oven until the potatoes start to brown, about 25 minutes.

Variations

You can change this in many ways.

• Replace the thyme with one tablespoon of chopped, fresh rosemary or tarragon
• Replace the eggplant with one cup of chopped tofu or seitan.
• Replace the vegan mashed potatoes with mashed sweet potatoes.