My experience with vegetarian dishes that supposedly mimic the real thing (vegetarian chilli, vegetarian pot pie etc..) have always resulted in lacklustre results. They just taste like a vegetable stew. They’re lacking the hearty, savoury substance of the original. The ingredient list in most vegetarian recipes is LONG! So, if you’re going to ask me to chop a boatload of vegetables, I demand more than mediocre.
It’s the beef or lamb, in traditional Shepherd’s pie, that provides the depth of flavour. That hearty, savouriness is know as umami. Umami, translated from Japanese meaning “delicious yumminess”, is recognized as the fifth taste, after salt, sweet, sour and bitter. Interestingly, raw meat, does not have a high umami level. Only by cooking it are the amino acids, which are high in those flavour-bomb glutamates, released.
Luckily for vegetarians, there are some plant-based umami bombs that can replicate this hearty savouriness. On the ingredients list for this recipe you will find dried mushrooms, walnuts, tomato paste, and soy sauce. Are all high in glutamates and provide umami in spades!
Umami ingredients have a multiplier effect. Ingredients high in umami enhance one another so that the whole dish packs more flavour than the sum of its parts. It’s why a burger topped with mushrooms, cheese and bacon (all high in glutamates and thus umami), tastes so good.
Lentils and bulgar (cracked wheat) add the textural element and bulk to the filling.
The best part about Shepherd’s pie is the mashed potato topping. I snuck in a few parsnips for an earthy nutty sweetness and some cheddar cheese to make it extra delicious.
You will be shocked at how delicious and satisfying this dish is. You won’t miss the meat at all, and I promise that all the chopping and prep required for this dish is worth it.
