I made sure my pillowy mashed potato topped shepherd’s pie had all the oven browned goodness of the classic. The filling is savory vegetables and lentils in a rustic homestyle mushroom gravy. I make this whenever I crave the comfort food I grew up eating.
Shepherd’s pie used to be one of my favorite smells to come home to as a kid after figure skating practice. Pillowy, buttery mashed potatoes hiding a savory vegetable, meat and gravy loaded interior. It’s a comfort food hug. When I backed off on eating meat, shepherd’s pie was one of my first attempts at making a plant based recipe indistinguishable from the original. But the main difference between something like a vegan gyudon and this shepherd’s pie is that I didn’t use a meat substitute at all. I used dried lentils and mushrooms for earthy umami and a hearty, meaty texture that mimics simmered ground beef.
Shepherd’s pie or cottage pie? While both terms are used interchangeably – shepherd’s pie refers to a lamb mince pie. And a cottage pie would usually include ground beef. However, since I’m using a combination of lentils and mushrooms for this vegan shepherd’s pie, all naming conventions are out the window!
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: I really love the natural sweetness. Once I boil and mash these with vegan butter, olive oil and salt and pepper, they make the best mashed potatoes of all time.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use a good first press olive oil for both the potatoes and the filling.
- Garlic and Onions: These are my aromatics for the filling.
- Mushrooms: Chopped and sizzled in the pan, these deliver meaty umami.
- Dried Lentils: I use brown or green lentils interchangeably (always rinsed).
- Mushroom Stock
- Flour: I use this to create a rue of sorts. It thickens the mushroom broth into a smooth gravy consistency.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables: A bag of classic peas, corn, carrots and green beans does the trick and saves time.
- Dried Thyme and Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley: The thyme goes into the filling. I use the flat leaf parsley as a fresh garnish.
Variations
From a texture perspective, cooked lentils produce a consistency that – when combined in this casserole with the other veggies, gravy and mashed potatoes – really stands in for the mouthfeel you’d get from ground meat.
Use a meat substitute. Beyond Beef vegan ground works great. So does TVP (textured vegetable protein). Use instead of the lentils and mushrooms.
Swap the broth. Vegetable broth is a solid substitute, and can be easier to find at the store than mushroom stock.
Use fresh veggies. Frozen is easy – but this works with fresh vegetables too. Just make sure the veggies are cut small enough to cook quickly and evenly.
How To Make It
There are two main elements to preparing this easy shepherd’s pie: the potatoes and the filling.
Prep The Potatoes
- Peel, cut and boil about two-and-a-half pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes into manageable chunks. Then boil the potatoes until tender. See the recipe card below for timing. Drain and place them in a mixing bowl.
- Mash them with a fork or potato masher until smooth.
- Season and mash again. Add the vegan butter, olive oil and a little salt & pepper. Mix again until velvety smooth – and evenly seasoned. Place a kitchen towel over the mixing bowl, and set aside.
Make The Filling
- Aromatics, mushrooms and vegetables. Cook the garlic and onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes – until any water the mushrooms release has evaporated. Then add the flour, and stir.
- Add stock and lentils along with the dried thyme. The stock will interact with the flour and thicken into a gravy.
- Season and simmer. Hit it all with a little salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add the vegetables. I use a full 10-ounce bag of mixed frozen veggies. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Assembling the shepherd’s pie is simple: 8×8 inch baking dish. Add the filling first. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake then broil until browned on top. Check the recipe card below for timing specifics.
Expert Tips
Texturize the potatoes with the tines of a fork. After assembling the shepherd’s pie – but before baking – run the tines of a fork along the top of the pie to create long, horizontal lines. While this is mainly a vanity project that makes the shepherd’s pie look nicer, it also has a practical use. Those raised ridges are usually the bits of the potato topping that brown and crisp up under the high heat of the broiler.
Keep an eye on it under the broiler. The broil setting is the highest heat our ovens put off. That’s great for creating a browned top on the potatoes. But things can burn quickly. I find that around 5 minutes is the sweet spot. YMMV. Pull from the oven once browned.
Flavor and texture. There’s a savory flavor of mushrooms and a meaty nuttiness from the lentils that just play so nicely off the little pops of freshness from the frozen peas and corn kernels. It’s enveloped in a luxurious and thick mushroom gravy. The potatoes are equal parts velvety smooth – and perfectly browned and slightly crispy on top. Comfort food: level 10.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Leftovers taste great hot or cold.
Reheat in the microwave until heated through. For a crispy top, I like to finish heating in a toaster oven.
Or freeze, covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to reheating and serving.
What I Serve With Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
This makes a lot of appearances at my place during the fall and winter. Here are a few hearty holiday-ready vegetarian comfort food sides I rely on:
- Green Beans Almondine
- Easy Vegan Stuffing
- Spaghetti Squash With Mushrooms and Parmesan
- Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
- Colcannon
And check out these other hearty sides: vegan mushroom gravy, light cranberry relish, sauteed Brussels sprouts with breadcrumbs and almonds, air fryer sweet potatoes, Dutch apple pie, sweet potato croquettes, stuffing flavored spaghetti squash (gluten free), air fryer green beans
Frequently Asked Questions
If it’s too thick or too thin, the broth to flour ratio is probably out of whack. 3 cups of soup stock to 3 tablespoons of flour produces a consistency very close to thick gravy once simmered. And I always cook the flour with the mushrooms, onions and garlic mixture for at least a minute before stirring in the stock.
I like the way you think! Yes is the answer here. Try my vegan mushroom gravy recipe.
That final 5 or so minutes in the oven when it’s set to broil is crucial. Keep an eye on the shepherd’s pie. There’s a fine line between browned and carbon. And depending on the distance between the top of the oven and the casserole, it might be too far away to brown at all. I use the top rack – and I watch it the entire time. As soon as it starts to brown on top, I pull it out and serve it up.
No. Since the sauce is thickened with wheat flour it is not gluten free.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 85 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Frying, Roasting
- Cuisine: British
- Diet: Vegan
Description
I made my vegan shepherd’s pie to mimic the rustic, savory perfection of the original. Rich, oven baked comfort food.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup uncooked brown or green lentils,rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups mushroom stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 10–ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans and corn)
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish – or other comparable sized baking dish.
- Prep the potatoes. Peel and cut the potatoes and transfer them to a large pot filled with water. Bring the water to a boil – and boil the potatoes for 10-12 minutes, or until tender. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Mash the potatoes. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the cooked potatoes until they are smooth and add vegan butter and extra virgin olive oil. Mix well – and season to taste with a little salt and pepper. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside.
- Prepare the filling. Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Then add mushrooms and saute for 3-5 minutes, until the water released by the mushrooms has evaporated.
- Add flour, stock lentils and seasoning. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then slowly add mushroom stock while stirring. Then add lentils and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil. Then lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Cook veggies. Add frozen veggies, cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Assemble the shepherd’s pie. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet (this is to catch any overflow of gravy once it goes in the oven). Pour the lentil mixture into the baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes, one large spoonful at a time. Spread the mashed potatoes using a fork or spatula – and smooth it until you get an even layer.
- Texturize the potato topping. This step is optional: run the tines of a fork over the mashed potatoes to create elevated lines (my mother used to do this – and I think it makes the finished pie look prettier).
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes (with the baking dish underneath).
- Crisp the top. After baking, turn oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes to get a crispy, golden brown top (optional).
- Garnish and serve. Top with chopped flat leaf parsley and serve.
Notes
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days – or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 servings
- Calories: 597
- Sugar: 4.6g
- Sodium: 841.9mg
- Fat: 19.8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 90.4g
- Fiber: 13.1g
- Protein: 18.5g
- Cholesterol: 0g
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! New to the vegan world my 8 kids and I have been searching for easy and yummy! This did not disappoint. In fact, my 8 tell me I cannot make again unless I double and make 2 pans of it! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE!
Thank you so much Kelli!! 🙂
Absolutely scrumptious! I had to leave out the mushrooms because 2/4 of us don’t like them. I love them so that’s unfortunate for me, but it came out amazing anyway! SO satisfying! Thank you so much for this one
Thank you so much! 🙂
Amazing! Didn’t change a thing and we devoured it.
I’ve never tried Shepard’s pie, so I’ve definitely never made it. This turned out amazing!!!!! I did almost exactly everything the same. 4 servings turned into 2 for me. It is the best comfort food! I love how meaty the mushrooms and lentils make it taste. The best recipe. Thank you.
Thank you so much Hayley! 🙂
Do you think it would set okay in the fridge if I put everything together and baked it six or seven hours later? Or do you think the mixture would come through the potatoes?
Hi Colleen, I wouldn’t recommend doing that as that potatoes would most likely soak up the gravy. However you can save the mashed potatoes separately from the veggies and combine them right before baking 🙂
Looks amazing. The calorie listed in nutrition info is for all 4 servings correct vs per serving?
Hi Colleen! It is really yummy, I make it all the time 🙂 The calories are per servings, which equals to about 4 servings for this recipe.
I liked it but it needed something a little extra. When serving i sprinkled with a little vegan parmesan cheese, this made it super tasty. If you dont have vegan cheese near you could perhaps use some nutrional yeast.
This recipe sounds yummy! Can you freeze this?
Yes you can Mary Ann! The same way you would for a regular shepherd’s pie 🙂
Amazing!! I’m a picky eater and needed something for dinner, and this recipe did the trick. Easy to make and full of flavour. I served this alongside a salad My husband had two servings and said I could make this again. I wouldn’t change anything to the recipe unless I was out an ingredient.
Thank you Heather! 🙂
This looks amazing! I have a can of lentils i want to use, how do I adjust the liquid, cooking time etc?
Hi Katharine! In the recipe card you can change the serving size to get the right measurements. I’m not sure about cooking time – were you thinking of making it without an oven?
I made the filling minus the potato and had it with salmon as a side.
Very tasty smoky taste.
Thank you.