Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is the ultimate comfort food and this lightened up Vegan version does not disappoint! Delicious lentils are mixed with veggies and savory gravy, and then topped with the fluffiest mashed potatoes. This is the perfect all-in-one comfort food that the entire family will love!

Meatless dinners are one of my family’s favorite ways to mix up dinner time. We started with having vegan tacos, and it’s quickly become a weekly staple to include a meatless dish in our meal plan. My kids are huge fans of Shepherd’s Pie so one day I decided to try turning this dish into a meatless entree and we loved it!

What is Shepherd’s Pie?

There are a lot of variations, but typically Shepherd’s Pie is made of a ground lamb cooked in a gravy with vegetables, and then topped with mashed potatoes. Shepherd’s Pie is a sister recipe to Cottage Pie, in which Cottage Pie uses any red meat in place of the lamb.

Shepherd’s Pie can be made into a vegan version by swapping out the meat for the protein rich legume, lentils as well as swapping out milk and butter for plant based alternatives.

My family isn’t vegan, but sometimes we like to swap out our usual Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness for a plant based option when we do a meatless Monday. This vegan version of Shepherd’s pie is exactly what we’ll make!

Ingredients You’ll Need

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

MASHED POTATO TOPPING

• 2 1/2 lbs potatoes (russet is my favorite to use), peeled and cut into small cubes
• 4 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

SHEPHERD’S PIE FILLING

• 2 tbsp olive oil (or vegan butter)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 3 cups cooked green lentils
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 cup corn (frozen or canned, if using canned make sure to drain and rinse first)
• 1 cup peas (frozen or canned, if using canned make sure to drain and rinse first)
• 1 cup vegetable broth

How to Make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

1. In a large pot, add the diced potatoes and fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes completely and cover. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Once done, drain the water from the pot and then add in the butter or olive oil and mash together. Mix in the milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until well combined. Adjust seasoning to your preference. Set mashed potatoes aside. (Crunched for time? You can make the mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot at a fraction of the time! This is my favorite way to make them)
2. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large skillet, add the olive oil (or vegan butter) and melt on medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, celery and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Add in the dried thyme and stir to combine. Mix in the cooked lentils, tomato paste, dijon mustard, corn, peas and vegetable broth and let simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Pour the lentil mixture into the greased 9×13 casserole dish and evenly spread the mixture. Evenly top the mix with the mashed potatoes. Bake in the oven uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes are browned. Allow the shepherd’s pie to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

How to Store Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.

What to serve with Shepherd’s Pie

This is a super filling dish so I like to pair it with a light salad or a slice of bread.

Recipe Tips and Variations

• Swap out the mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower to make this dish low carb (I like this recipe)
• Customize the veggies based on your favorites – when I’m low on time and can’t prep vegetables I’ll use a bag of frozen veggies like carrots, peas, corn, and green beans and mix it in.
• If you don’t have russet potatoes on hand, you can swap the mashed potatoes for a sweet potatoes. This is my favorite recipe to use for mashed sweet potatoes.

How to Meal Prep This Recipe

If you’re planning to make this during the week, I recommend:

• Cook Lentils: save time on cooking day by having your lentils prepared ahead of time. I like to make a batch during my Sunday meal prep so I just have to mix them in when I’m ready to use.
• Peel and Dice Veggies: Prep the veggies ahead of time and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator
• Prepare Mashed Potatoes: I like to cook the mashed potatoes ahead of time so they’re ready to use (I also make some extra so that I have an easy healthy side dish for our other dinners during the week)

More Vegan Healthy Dinner Recipes

Vegan Lasagna Rolls

Instant Pot Cauliflower Tikka Masala

The Best Ever Pasta Salad

Rice and Bean Burritos

Instant Pot Tacos

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

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Vegan Shepherd's Pie is a protein rich comfort dish that everyone will love! Delicious lentils are mixed in a delicious gravy with mixed vegetables, and then topped with fluffy mashed potatoes to create an amazing all in one dish that's perfect for dinner!

Ali

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Skillet Pan
• Pyrex Grab Glass Bakeware and Food Storage Set

Ingredients

Mashed Potato Topping

• 2 1/2 lbs potatoes russet is my favorite, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 4 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Shepherd’s Pie Filling

• 2 tbsp olive oil or vegan butter
• 1 small onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup celery diced
• 1 cup carrots peeled and diced
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 3 cups cooked green lentils
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 cup corn frozen or canned, if using canned make sure to drain and rinse first
• 1 cup peas frozen or canned, if using canned make sure to drain and rinse first
• 1 cup vegetable broth

Instructions

• In a large pot, add the diced potatoes and fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes completely and cover. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Once done, drain the water from the pot and then add in the butter or olive oil and mash together. Mix in the milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until well combined. Adjust seasoning to your preference. Set mashed potatoes aside.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray..
• In a large skillet, add the olive oil (or vegan butter) and melt on medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, celery and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Add in the dried thyme and stir to combine. Add in the cooked lentils, tomato paste, dijon mustard, corn, peas and vegetable broth and let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Pour the lentil mixture into the greased 9×13 casserole dish and evenly spread the mixture. Evenly top the mix with the mashed potatoes. Bake in the oven uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes are browned. Allow the shepherd’s pie to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

• If the casserole dish is very full after you add in the lentil mix, put a baking sheet underneath to catch any drippings
• To make this recipe lower carb, swap out the mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower
• To make the mashed potatoes super fluffy I recommend using a KitchenAid stand mixer to mix together the milk and seasonings in the potatoes

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