Warm, cozy, and comforting are the words that come to mind when I think of this vegan shepherd’s pie. This dish is made with lentils, mushrooms, and a creamy mashed potato topping. It’ll make you feel warm and cozy from the inside out, so it’s perfect for chilly days. Even if you’re not vegan, I promise this pie will be sure to win you over.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This vegan shepherd’s pie is just as flavorful as the classic dish. It adds a flavorful, hearty touch to any meal, and can be eaten on its own or alongside a delicious salad. Make sure to include this dish on your next holiday. No one will even miss the meat!
- It’s perfect for cold days. As the weather gets cooler, this warm and hearty shepherd’s pie is sure to hit the spot. Not only is it the perfect comfort food, it’s also a great vegan main course for any holiday dinner.
- Ready in an hour with limited active cook time. Most of the cook time is from the filling simmering, or the shepherd’s pie baking in the oven. So it’s a great main course to prepare without chaining yourself to the stove!
Ingredients and Notes
To make the filling, you’ll need olive oil, onion, celery, carrot, cumin, Italian seasoning, vegan brandy, tomato puree, vegan Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, white mushrooms, red lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and salt.
For assembling the pie you’ll either need prepared mashed potatoes and butter, or you can make mashed potatoes from scratch using Russet potatoes, almond milk (or soy milk), vegan butter, and salt.
Notes and Variations
I get a lot of questions on swaps and variations of ingredients used in this recipe, so I wanted to write a comprehensive section to help answer a bunch of those!
- Mashed potatoes. This recipe includes instructions for making simple mashed potatoes. But you can substitute this with premade mashed potatoes or Instant mashed potatoes. You can also make these cheesy parmesan mashed potatoes or super easy Instant Pot garlic mashed potatoes instead.
- Use of alcohol: Fun fact, most brandy is vegan (I use Hennessy brand). You can also use any red cooking wine instead. If using red wine, any full bodied varietal works well (I typically use a Syrah). Make sure to get a vegan varietal if that matters to you. The alcohol is completely cooked out, so you don’t have to worry about it, or you can just leave this out.
- Condiments: I’ve seen vegan Worcestershire in most grocery stores. If you’re in the UK, you can substitute with 1 tablespoon of vegan brown sauce. In a pinch, you can use dark or regular soy sauce or tamari (if you’re gluten-free).
- Seasoning: I use Italian seasoning, which is available easily here. But you can also substitute this with Fines de Herbs, any Italian dried herbs, or just a mix of dried basil, oregano and thyme!
- Red vs. green lentils: French green lentils (Puy lentils) tend to hold their shape a lot better, but I usually have a lot more red lentils on hand, so I’ve used the latter. You can totally swap the red lentils with green lentils or use a lentil mixture, just make sure it’s cooked!
- Tomato puree vs. tomato paste. I use tomato puree since that’s more traditional, but you can substitute with tomato paste if that’s easier to get. You can also check out one of these tomato paste substitutes!. Just note that tomato paste is more concentrated.
- Cheese toppings. If you prefer a vegetarian shepherd’s pie, you can add use regular butter in the mash, and top with some sharp cheddar cheese (or vegan cheese!) before baking the pie.
- Add more vegetables. You can also add more hearty vegetables to this vegan shepherd’s pie. Fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini are good additions. You can also use frozen peas, frozen vegetables all work great.
- Lower-carb topping. Try mashed cauliflower or a combination of cauliflower and mashed potatoes, or even mashed sweet potatoes if you wish
Make easy vegan Shepherd’s pie
If you’re making mashed potatoes from scratch, peel and boil the potatoes until fork tender. Then, add almond milk, vegan butter and salt and mash the potatoes to a silky-smooth consistency. Allow the mashed potatoes to cool for a few minutes!
Heat a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, followed by chopped onions, celery, carrot, cumin, and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently for about 10 mins, until vegetables are softened.
Add brandy or red wine, and reduce for about 1 minute until the alcohol is cooked off. Then, add tomato puree, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Cook for another minute, then add chopped mushrooms, red lentils, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot loosely and simmer for 20 minutes or more to cook the lentils and the sauce has thickened to your liking. Add a splash of water or stock if the sauce dries out too much.
Preheat the oven to 320ºF. Transfer the filling to an 8×8 baking dish and top with dollop spoonfuls of mashed potato, spread with a silicone spatula. Use a fork to create a wavy pattern.
Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and browned. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with peas, if desired.
Top Tips for Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Use these tips to make sure your vegan shepherd’s pie turns out perfect every time.
- Make sure to cool the mashed potatoes. Making sure that the mashed potatoes have cooled down will ensure that they don’t sink to the bottom of the filling.
- Bake until the top is golden brown. Be sure to keep an eye on it while it bakes so that it doesn’t get too dark or burn.
- Experiment with seasoning. This recipe calls for Italian seasoning and cumin to keep it simple, but you can try adding garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, or sage for an added kick of flavor in your filling. You can also sprinkle sea salt on mashed potatoes before baking them in the oven for an extra tasty topping!
- Get creative with garnishes. A sprinkle of chopped chives gives it an unexpected pop of color; fresh parsley adds something special, and a drizzle of olive oil takes its presentation over the top.
Serving and storage suggestions
You can store this vegan shepherd’s pie in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to two months. When freezing, make sure that the pie has been cooled completely. Then, portion it before storing in a freezer-safe container. When reheating it, throw it in the oven at 350ºF / 180ºC for about 5 minutes.
You can also check out other vegan main courses below:
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Equipment
- large skillet
- 8×8 Baking dish
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup brandy, or dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1¼ cups dried red lentils
- 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, fire roasted
- 1½ cups vegetable broth, low-sodium preferred
- ¾ cup frozen peas
For the topping
- 1¾ pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the topping
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until fork tender, about 20 minutes, then drain.
- Mash with the milk, butter, and salt until smooth and spreadable. Set aside.
For the filling
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and it evaporates, 6 to 8 minutes. The pan should look dry and the mushrooms browned before you go on.
- Stir in the cumin and Italian seasoning and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the brandy and cook until the alcohol cooks off, about 1 minute, scraping up anything stuck to the pan.
- Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover loosely, and simmer until the lentils are soft and the sauce has thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. Add more broth a splash at a time if it tightens up before the lentils are done.
- Stir in the peas and cook 2 minutes more. Taste and adjust the salt.
To assemble
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Transfer the filling to an 8×8 baking dish. Drop the mashed potato over the top in spoonfuls, then spread to the edges with a spatula and drag a fork across in waves.
- Bake until the filling bubbles at the edges, about 20 minutes.
- Move to the top rack and broil 2 to 3 minutes until the ridges brown. Watch it, it turns fast.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Brown the mushrooms until the pan looks dry before adding liquid. Wet mushrooms give you a watery filling.
- Red lentils are meant to break down here. That soft, mince-like texture is the point.
- To make it vegan, swap the butter for vegan butter and the milk for any unsweetened plant milk.
- To make it without lentils, use two cans of drained brown lentils or 3 cups of cooked green lentils, and cut the broth to 1 cup.
- Check your Worcestershire bottle if you need this gluten free. Some formulations use malt vinegar.
- Assemble up to two days ahead and refrigerate unbaked, or freeze up to three months. Bake from chilled, adding 10 to 15 minutes.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat at 350F until hot through, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What a delicious version of Shepherd’s Pie. We love lentils and use them in so many other dishes. We’re over the moon for them in Shepherd’s Pie! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I am not vegan, but I prefer the lentil version to minced beef. This is a great recipe full of flavors.
This was so comforting and packed with flavor. We used a combo of Russet and Yukon Gold and it was divine. 🙂
This was the perfect comfort food dinner for my family! So hearty, savory and flavorful!