Treat your family to this delicious, homemade Vegan Shepherd's Pie, the ultimate vegan comfort food. This will be the dish your family will ask you to make over and over again.
What is Shepherds Pie?
The traditional version of this savory pie includes a base of minced meat, either lamb or beef in gravy topped with mashed potatoes. In most original cookbooks it was a way of using up leftover meat. Sometimes it is called cottage pie.
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd's pie might seem like the last thing you want to make vegan, but you will be pleased to know that it works! Our vegan and vegetarian shepherd's pie is as tasty and comforting as the original.
Most vegan shepherd's pie recipes include lentils, which we love, and can be easily added to this recipe along with the mushrooms we included in the filling. This recipe is a great Thanksgiving main and a great Passover recipe as well.
How to Make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Our easy shepherd's pie recipe can be made in about an hour including time in the oven. You begin by peeling and boiling the potatoes to make mashed potatoes. Then the vegetable-filled sauce for our veggie shepherd pie is made in a skillet. Once all the ingredients have been worked into the sauce, it is topped with the mashed potatoes and baked in the oven for twenty minutes.
Ingredients in Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients for the Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Yukon Gold Potatoes. Any potatoes you would use for mashed can be substituted if necessary but we find the Yukon Gold potatoes to be the tastiest for this recipe.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Used to add a little fat to the recipe. You can also use vegan butter if desired.
- Vegetable Broth or Unsweetened Almond Milk. Make sure you don't get vanilla almond milk or sweetened almond milk.
Ingredients for the Shepherd's Pie Vegetarian Filling
- Tomato Paste.
- Dry Red Wine. Adds so much richness and depth to the sauce. If you prefer not to use wine, use veggie or mushroom broth.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil. For sauteeing. You could substitute a different oil if needed.
- Onion and Parsnip. You'll need a little over one cup, so the number of parsnips you need may vary depending on the size.
- Baby Bella or Cremini Mushrooms. These mildly flavored mushrooms will take on so much flavor from the sauce and they add great texture.
- Roasted and Peeled Chestnuts. A wonderful addition to the recipe!
- Thyme and Rosemary.
Optional Add-Ins & Recipe Variations
- Add one or two cups of cooked lentils for protein.
- You can substitute the potatoes and mushrooms of your choice in this recipe. Shitake mushrooms would be especially nice!
- You can use individual baking dishes instead of one large baking dish.
- You can prepare all the dish components, a couple of days ahead, and assemble and bake before serving.
- If you want to make it Paleo make a cauliflower mash or celery root purée instead of mashed potatoes.
Cooking Tips and FAQ:
What to Serve with Vegan Shepherd’s Pie?
This one-dish stand-alone meal doesn't need to be served with anything to be amazing. It even has plenty of veggies built in! However, you might enjoy the contrast of a nice crunchy salad or the addition of classic French bread.
How to store leftovers?
Leftover shepherd's pie should be kept in the refrigerator in a sealed airtight container and will keep for a few days.
Can this recipe be frozen?
Our easy shepherd's pie recipe can be frozen for up to three months. I like to freeze it in individual portions for a quick grab-and-go lunch that can be thawed in a microwave at the workplace.
Can you freeze uncooked shepherd's pie?
Yes. Vegan shepherd's pie can be frozen before being baked. You may freeze the filling, but we recommend making the mashed potatoes only 2 days ahead.
More Vegetarian Comfort Food Recipes
- The Most Comforting Vegetable Soup
- Comforting Red Lentil Soup Recipe with Fresh Fennel and Turmeric
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Thai Soup
- The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Vegan Shepherd's Pie
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Shepherd's Pie, is the ultimate vegan comfort food. Warm, delicious, comforting.
Ingredients
- For the mashed potatoes
- 10-12 medium size Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 lbs)
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅓ - ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup vegetable broth or unsweetened almond milk
- For the sheperd's pie filling
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup dry red wine
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 large parsnip, diced small (about 1 ¼ cups)
- 2-8oz packs babybella or crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 (150g) pack roasted and peeled chestnuts, quartered
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Peel and dice the potatoes. Boil in plenty of salted water until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and mash them using a potato masher or a fork. Add salt, pepper and olive oil and mix well. Slowly, pour vegetable broth or almond milk and mix until well incorporated. Set aside
- In a medium size sauce pan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil, add tomato paste and cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add red wine and continue cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes, until it reduces. Set aside
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil add onion and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Add parsnip and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, chestnuts, salt, thyme and rosemary. Cook for 10 minutes, or until pasrnips are soft. You may need to add some water to prevent vegetables from burning. Stir in the red wine sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Spoon mixture into an oven proof baking dish or an oven proof skillet. ( See Note 2)
- Top vegetables with mashed potatoes and bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Do you want to freeze or make this dish a few days ahead? See note 1
Notes
- You can prepare all the components of the dish ahead of time, and assemble and bake before serving. You may also freeze the filling, but we recommend making the mashed potatoes only 2 days ahead.
- You can also individual baking dishes instead of a large one
- Want to make it Paleo, make a cauliflower mash or instead of mashed potatoes.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Entree
- Method: stovetop and oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 570
- Sugar: 11.8 g
- Sodium: 913.7 mg
- Fat: 25.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 80.5 g
- Fiber: 12.7 g
- Protein: 10.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic
Congrats on the half! Now you've been bitten by the racing bug 🙂 Shepherd's pie looks delicious, btw!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens
First of all, a HUGE high-five on your first half marathon! Having never done more than just a 5k, I'm so impressed with the determination and sheer willpower that it would take to push toward accomplishing a half! That's so awesome! And while we're talking about awesomeness ... let's include this shepherd's pie, too! Just gorgeous, and I love, love the very updated, healthy flavors ... chestnuts, parsnips, creminis ... so scrumptious!
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs
Congrats girl, that's amazing!!! Well done!!
This shepherds pie looks way better than the real deal ;--) x
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you very much Consuelo. I know you can relate, you are a runner too!
Ronnie Fein
Mazal tov to you on your outstanding achievement. The pie looks wonderful too. I make veggie shepherd's pie, but havent done a vegan one. This is as interesting as all your recipes are!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Ronnie, I appreciate your kind words.
stephanie
congrats, next up, full marathon? this is a great recipe, not just for pesach!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Stephanie.
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen
Congratulations on your Half Marathon! That is awesome. Having supportive friends and family makes all the difference in the world. Just a little while ago, I was trying to convince myself to work a run into my schedule tomorrow. You've motivated me to make myself do it!
Love this shepherd's pie recipe. It's one of my favorite comfort foods!
Vicky & Ruth
I am so touched that I inspired you to run. Maybe a Half Marathon will be next. Thank you Christin.
Aimee / WallflowerGirl.co.uk
Great job on the half marathon and great job on this recipe! I love the idea of making up a batch of these and freezing them to have on hand. I must do that soon!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you, I felt really good about it. It's the little accomplishments in life that make a difference...
Meryl
Made this tonight and OH MY! It was so so good. The only change I made was carrots instead of parsnips because I already had a bunch in the fridge. My husband and son are big meat eaters, so for theirs I mixed in some left over brisket from the sedar. For me and my other son, I made it meatless. Congrats on a wonderful recipe.
Oh, and speaking of sedars, I made your zucchini spaghetti with pine nuts and it received rave reviews. So glad I found your blog!
Vicky & Ruth
We are also glad you found our blog! We love to hear from our readers and how they adapt our recipes. Thank you so much for taking the time to write.
Sarah Klinkowitz
I love shepards pie, but never tried a vegan one. I have to try this!
Vicky & Ruth
Thanks!! Great way to get your daily dose of veggies 🙂
Martha Crothers
If making this for someone who has Celiac Disease (gluten allergy), be sure to use a vegetable broth that is gluten free (Kitchen Basics is an example). Many brands of Broth are NOT gluten free.
Vicky & Ruth
Good tip, thank you Martha.
Stacey
Not a vegan or vegetarian - - but stumbled on this site - - GREAT recipes - - tried this one with roasted diced eggplant and used a sweet potato top - - OMG - - Then I suggested your site to my friends on FB- - - who knew vegan can taste this good and filling!!!
Vicky & Ruth
Stacey,we really made our day! Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to leave us a comment!
Rachel
My son cannot eat any mushrooms or beans. Any substitute?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Rachel, you can add any vegetables you like to this Shepherd's pie. We would recommend carrots, zucchini and eggplant. Please let us know if you have any more questions.
Michelle Turner
Made this for Pesach, and it was a big hit. It's so hard to find a vegetarian main dish that feels special as well as filling, but this was perfect. I will make this year round-- if I can figure out where to reliably source chestnuts! Love the unusual tomato sauce. The vegetable mix was a bit too much for my standard cast-iron skillet, so I had to wait for some of the mushrooms to shrink before I put in the rest which extended cooking time a bit. But the skillet was perfect for the oven step.