Are you craving some super hearty and cosy comfort food? Well, you are in the right place now. This vegan shepherd’s pie got you covered. This casserole comes out of the oven looking and smelling so fantastic you won’t be able to wait to dig in. With a light crust on the potato topping and a delicious filling underneath, this shepherd’s pie recipe unites many delicious textures and flavours. It’s no surprise it is an all-around loved dish. My family and I couldn’t get enough of it. Aside from being criminally tasty, this dish pie is loaded with vegetables and plant-based protein! Let’s make ourselves a delicious and healthy dinner.
Ingredients you need for this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie:
- Potato
- Lentils
- Carrots
- Frozen peas
- Button mushrooms
- Celery
- Onions
- Tomato puree
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Vegan butter substitute
- Red wine
- Oat milk
- Vegetable stock
- Starch
- Coriander seeds
- Rosemary
- Garlic Powder
- Thyme
- Paprika powder
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg
- Soy sauce/Tamari
For the shepherd’s pie filling, I like to use brown lentils. I went with canned lentils today, but you can also soak your lentils before making this recipe. For the potato puree, use some delicious starchy potatoes. Yukon gold works amazingly for mashed potatoes. To make this shepherd’s pie gluten-free, swap the starch for arrowroot or tapioca starch and the soy sauce for Tamari.
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Recipe:
Making this vegan shepherd’s pie consists of a few different steps: First, we will prepare our ingredients, and then cook the filling and mashed potatoes. Afterwards, we will assemble the beautiful pie and bake it until turning nice and delicious.
Preparing the Ingredients:
For a smooth cooking process, I like to prepare the ingredients beforehand. Chop the onion finely, and dice the carrot and celery into small pieces. Next, finely mince the garlic and the herbs if you use fresh ones. You can already peel your potatoes as well. Lastly, crumble the button mushrooms. They will give a delicious meat-like consistency to the filling. Don’t discard the cooking scraps just yet. We will use them to make delicious vegetable stock.
Making Vegetable Stock:
We will need some additional liquid for the shepherd’s pie filling, and nothing gives such good flavour as delicious homemade vegetable stock. For this stock, I used the peel of the carrots, the end pieces of the celery, the peel of the onions and garlic, and the stalks of the rosemary. Wash them thoroughly before simmering them into a delicious vegetable stock for 20 minutes. For more information on how to make delicious vegetable stock, check out this recipe.
Making the filling for the Vegan Shepherd’s Pie:
Firstly, pour vegetable oil into your pan and fry the herbs and crushed coriander seeds on medium heat. After two minutes, add the onion. Saute for a minute or two before adding the minced garlic.
Once the onion turns translucent, add the mushrooms. Turn the heat to high, and saute until the mushrooms develop some colour.
Deglaze the pan with the wine. Next, add the vegetable stock, and dissolve the tomato puree. Follow the liquids with the lentils, peas, carrots and celery. Season with paprika powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Cover the pan, set to medium heat, and let the filling simmer.
Top the potatoes with boiling water, and let simmer until soft. You can check the potatoes with a fork.
Preheat your oven to 180° Celsius (356° Fahrenheit)
Next, uncover the pan, and check the consistency of the carrots. Once they are soft, simmer the filling without a lid. Add your starch, and finish cooking until you reach a thick texture. Check for seasoning.
Now, we can finish the mashed potato. Add the plant-based milk, butter substitute and two tablespoons of olive oil. Season with some salt and nutmeg.
I like to make a soft mash without any pieces of potato left. Use a potato masher to work the potatoes into a uniform mash. Give the finished mash a check for seasoning. You should now have a deliciously fluffy potato mash.
Assembling the Vegan Shepherd’s Pie:
Finally, we can layer our delicious vegan shepherd’s pie. In a casserole or another deep, heat-resistant dish, spread the filling. Next, top everything with mashed potatoes. I like to make a little pattern into the mashed potato using a fork. This increases the surface area, making it easier for the heat to form a nice little crust. Adding a bit of vegetable oil will help as well.
Put the shepherd’s pie into the oven, and bake it for approximately 15 minutes. After that, you can use the broiler function for another three to five minutes until a nice golden brown crust forms.
I hope you enjoyed this vegan shepherd’s pie recipe! Let me know what you think in the comments!
Some other Recipes you might Enjoy:
I have some more delicious cosy recipes you could like here!
- Vegan lasagna
- Vegan moussaka recipe
- Easy protein-packed lentil stew
- Simple leek bake
- Vegan quiche recipe
- Easy vegan chilli recipe
- Gratin au potatoes
Amazing Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
With a light crust on the potato topping and a delicious meaty filling underneath, this vegan shepherd’s pie recipe unites many delicious textures and flavours. Aside from being a criminally tasty comfort food, this dish pie is loaded with vegetables and plant-based protein!
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 kg of starchy potatoes
3 carrots
2 stalks of celery
3 tbsp olive oil
50 vegan butter substitute
60ml red wine
400g brown (canned) lentils
400g frozen peas
500g button mushroom
100ml oat milk
400ml (homemade) vegetable stock
2 tbsp starch (Use tapioca or arrowroot to make GF)
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp paprika powder
3 tbsp tomato puree
2 onions
1 tsp nutmeg
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce (Use Tamari to make GF)
Instructions
Chop the onion finely, and dice the carrot and celery into small pieces. Next, finely mince the garlic and the herbs if you use fresh ones. You can already peel your potatoes as well. Lastly, crumble the button mushrooms into a rough ground.
Prepare your vegetable stock. You can either use store-bought stock, or use your cutting scraps from this recipe to make delicious homemade vegetable stock.
In a deep pan, a tablespoon of olive oil, and fry the herbs and crushed coriander seeds on medium heat. After two minutes, add the onion. Saute for a minute or two before adding the minced garlic. Once the onion turns translucent, add the mushrooms. Turn the heat high, and saute until the mushrooms develop some colour.
Deglaze the pan with the wine. Next, add the vegetable stock, and dissolve the tomato puree. Follow the liquids with the lentils, peas, carrots and celery. Season with paprika powder, salt and pepper, cover the pan, set to medium heat, and let the filling simmer.
Top the potatoes with boiling water, and let simmer until soft. You can check the potatoes with a fork.
Preheat your oven to 180° Celsius (356° Fahrenheit).
Take the lid off the pan, and check the consistency of the carrots. Once they are soft, simmer the filling without a lid. Add your starch, and finish cooking until you reach a thick texture. Check for seasoning.
Add the plant-based milk, butter substitute and two tablespoons of olive oil to the potato. Use a masher to work them into a uniform potato mash. Season with some salt and nutmeg.
Add the filling to a casserole, and top it with a thick layer of mashed potatoes.
Put the shepherd’s pie into the oven, and bake it for approximately 15 minutes. After that, use the broiler function for another three to five minutes until a nice golden brown crust forms.
Notes
You can prepare the shepherd’s pie ahead and bake it before serving it.
I like to make a pattern with a fork into the potato mash. This gives it more surface, and a better crust after baking!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main, Dinner
- Cuisine: British, Irish
- Diet: Vegan