My sister showed up that December with a casserole dish wrapped in a tea towel. The kind of arrival that makes everyone pause their conversation and peer over. She’d been vegan for six months by then, and we’d all learned to brace ourselves for her contributions to family dinners.

She set it down without ceremony. “Lentil thing,” she said, and went to hang up her coat.

The smell hit the kitchen first. Not the virtuous, apologetic smell of vegetables trying to be something else. Something deeper.

This shepherd’s pie starts with that same smell. Cumin seeds and smoked paprika hitting hot oil in a wide pan. The spices bloom and darken, filling the kitchen with something that belongs in a campfire story. You add the onions, carrots, celery. The usual suspects.

The lentils cook down with tomato paste and a splash of red wine if you have it. Stock if you don’t. The thing that makes people ask what’s in this is a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses stirred in near the end. Dark, mineral sweetness that tastes like time.

Walnuts go in last, chopped rough. They add weight and texture, something to bite against. Not trying to be meat, just being themselves.

The potatoes on top are straightforward. Yukon golds, because they mash creamy without fuss. Garlic because garlic belongs with potatoes. A splash of unsweetened oat milk to loosen them. Salt until they taste like themselves.

You can make the filling a day ahead. It tastes different that way. The flavors settle, the smoke quiets.

Smoky Lentil & Walnut Shepherd’s Pie

Makes 8 servings
Time: 30 minutes active, 1 hour total

Ingredients

Filling
2 cups green or brown lentils, rinsed
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup red wine or vegetable stock
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Potato topping
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chunked
4 cloves garlic
½ cup unsweetened oat milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°F.

Put potatoes and 4 garlic cloves in a large pot, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add smoked paprika and stir for 30 seconds.

Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Add wine or ½ cup stock, scraping up any browned bits.

Add lentils, 3 cups stock, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes.

Stir in molasses, soy sauce, and walnuts. Simmer a few minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. The mixture should be thick but not dry.

Drain potatoes and garlic. Mash with oat milk and olive oil until smooth. Season with salt.

Spread lentil mixture in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes, spreading to cover. Use a fork to create ridges.

Bake 25 minutes, until the top is golden in spots and the filling bubbles at the edges.

The dish emerges from the oven with a golden top and the smell of something that’s been cooking all day.

My sister’s casserole dish went home empty that night. The next year, my mother asked her to bring two.