This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is a hearty, comforting plant-based dinner that’s perfect for chilly nights. Made with lentils for protein, sauteed vegetables, and topped off with creamy mashed potatoes, this is vegan comfort food at its finest.

This Vegan Shepherd's Pie is a hearty, comforting dinner that's perfect for chilly nights. Made with lentils for protein, sauteed vegetables, and topped off with creamy mashed potatoes, this is vegan comfort food at it's finest.

This recipe has lived in my brain for a while, getting made occasionally when chilly weather hits and getting adjusted each time. A few weeks ago, I solicited recipe requests on my Instagram Stories, and a vegan shepherd’s pie came up as a request.

Time for the recipe to stop living in my head, and start living here, so YOU can make it too. I think you’re going to love it as much as I do!

This Vegan Shepherd's Pie is a hearty, comforting dinner that's perfect for chilly nights. Made with lentils for protein, sauteed vegetables, and topped off with creamy mashed potatoes, this is vegan comfort food at it's finest.

What is Shepherd’s Pie?

A classic Shepherd’s Pie is a traditional English dish. Typically, it’s made with ground meat and vegetables, cooked in gravy, and topped with mashed potatoes. It all gets baked in the oven until bubbling and the mashed potatoes are a little bit browned and crisp. 

Of course, to keep this recipe vegan, we switch things up a bit from tradition. Since we’re ditching the ground meat (traditionally lamb or ground beef), we have to replace it with something equally hearty and filling. I tested an all-vegetable version, but it just wasn’t filling enough for us. So – lentils to the rescue! The lentils make this dish as hearty and filling as the meat-filled version. They add protein and fiber for extra nutrients.

This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is all the things you want in cozy comfort food: rich, filling, WARM, hearty, and absolutely delicious. It takes a little bit to make, but not too long. Most of the time is spent prepping veggies for the filling, so I recommend blasting some music or listening to a podcast and get to prepping. 

This Vegan Shepherd's Pie is a hearty, comforting dinner that's perfect for chilly nights. Made with lentils for protein, sauteed vegetables, and topped off with creamy mashed potatoes, this is vegan comfort food at it's finest.

How do you make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie?

  • Prepare the vegetable lentil filling: to make the filling, you’ll saute all of the vegetables until they’re soft and tender. Then you’ll add in the lentils, some aromatics, arrowroot starch to thicken, vegetable broth, and my secret weapon: miso paste! The miso adds a depth of flavor and umami to the dish. You could leave it out, but it makes a big difference in the final dish so I’d recommend using it.
  • Prepare the mashed potatoes: On top of the vegetable lentil filing, you’ll pile on some mashed potatoes! I provide a simple mashed potato recipe, but if you have leftover mashed potatoes, use them here! This recipe is perfect for using up leftover mashed potatoes.
  • Bake the vegan shepherd’s pie until golden and bubbling: this doesn’t take too long since each element is individually cooked. After about 20 to 30 minutes in the oven, the filling will be bubbling, the top will get nice and browned, and then it’s ready to eat!
This Vegan Shepherd's Pie is a hearty, comforting dinner that's perfect for chilly nights. Made with lentils for protein, sauteed vegetables, and topped off with creamy mashed potatoes, this is vegan comfort food at it's finest.

This recipe is great for prepping ahead of time!

You can prepare the whole thing up until right before baking and then store it covered in the refrigerator. Bake when you’re ready to eat, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.

You can also freeze this dish up to 2 months ahead of time. To do that, you’ll want to prepare the dish all the way through the baking. Then, wrap it up tightly and store in the freezer. When ready to eat, you’ll bake the dish again at 350°F for an hour to defrost and heat it up. 

The leftovers also keep well in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days (if they last that long, that is). 

This Vegan Shepherd's Pie is a hearty, comforting dinner that's perfect for chilly nights. Made with lentils for protein, sauteed vegetables, and topped off with creamy mashed potatoes, this is vegan comfort food at it's finest.

I hope you love this hearty vegan shepherd’s pie as much as we did! Bake it up on a chilly day and enjoy on its own, or paired with a simple salad.

If you make it, be sure to tag me on Instagram at @bakeritablog, #bakerita, and leave a comment below to let me know what you thought – enjoy!!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
This Vegan Shepherd's Pie is a hearty, comforting dinner that's perfect for chilly nights. Made with lentils for protein, sauteed vegetables, and topped off with creamy mashed potatoes, this is vegan comfort food at it's finest.

Vegan Shephard’s Pie

  • Author: Rachel Conners
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4 large servings 1x

Description

This Vegan Shephard’s Pie is a hearty, comforting dinner that’s perfect for chilly nights. Made with lentils for protein, sauteed vegetables, and topped off with creamy mashed potatoes, this is vegan comfort food at it’s finest.


Ingredients

Scale

For the mashed potatoes

  • 2 lb. (about 4 large) Yukon Gold potatoes or white sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 6 tablespoons ghee or vegan butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the filling

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 to 3 carrots, diced (1 cup diced)
  • ½ lb. fresh mushrooms, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  •  cups cooked lentils
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (use ¼ teaspoon if you only have dried)
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, or tapioca starch
  • 2 teaspoons white miso paste, I use this chickpea miso
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1½ cups vegetable broth, I like using mushroom broth

Instructions

For the mashed potatoes

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes (exact time will depend on how small you cut the cubes). Drain and mash well, reserving some of the cooking water.
  2. Mix in vegan butter and garlic and mash to combine. If you want to thin out the potatoes, add in some of the cooking water to reach your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

For the lentil filling

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
  2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add onion and diced carrots and cook until onions are clear, about 5 minutes. Add the diced mushrooms and cook until well browned and any liquid has evaporated. Stir in the garlic, peas, cooked lentils, thyme, and arrowroot powder and cook for 1 minute. 
  3. Whisk the miso paste with a small amount of broth, and then add the miso mixture, tomato paste, and broth to the sautéing vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Spread the filling in an even layer on the bottom of an 8×8” pan or similarly sized casserole dish. Top with the mashed potato mixture.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Serve immediately.

Freezer Instructions

  1. After baking, let the pan cool to room temperature, then cover and wrap tightly and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, reheat the shepherd’s pie for 1 hour in a 350ºF oven. If you thaw it in the fridge the night before, you can reheat in the oven for 30 minutes.

Keywords: shepherd’s pie, vegan dinner, lentils, mashed potatoes

Share This: