Whether you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or just need a very filling, delicious dinner idea, then this vegan shepherd’s pie is going to be your new favorite recipe!
A comfort food classic, this delicious vegan shepherd’s pie recipe will become a family favorite. Many times families will enjoy this dairy free shepherd’s pie around St. Patrick’s Day as it’s a classic Irish dish, however, there’s no reason that you couldn’t make this any day of the week year round. Especially on nights that it’s colder and you really want a filling and warm dinner idea, this hearty and savory dish is everything you’ve been wanting. Sometimes this recipe is also called a vegan cottage pie depending on where you are from.
This happens to be a completely vegan, thus also a vegetarian shepherd’s pie recipe, but beyond that this shepherd’s pie recipe is also dairy and egg free, as well as gluten free.
Why is it called shepherd’s pie?
Shepherd’s pie was a spin off of the 18th century cottage pie. Cottage pie received it name from people who lived in cottages and made a meat filling with mashed potatoes. During this time any kind of meat could be used, but traditionally now, there’s a distinction between cottage pie being made with beef and shepherd’s pie being made with lamb. The distinction came from shepherd’s looking after sheep that was used. Even though that’s what experts would tell you, many people still use any type of meat and have a tendency to call it shepherd’s pie.
In this vegan shepherd’s pie recipe, we use lentils and chickpeas to make up the mock-meat filling so it’s still hearty, savory and filling without using any animal products at all.
What ingredients do you need to make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie?
- olive oil (or oil of choice)
- chickpeas
- spaghetti sauce
- tomato paste
- lentils
- garlic
- onions
- celery
- carrots
- corn
- peas
- Russet Potatoes
- nutritional yeast
- vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
- vegan butter
- unsweetened almond milk (*See notes about allergies below)
How do you make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie?
For some people, I know the thought of making mashed potatoes and a meat sauce, then putting them together and baking is intimidating. But I do promise that this is a fun family friendly meal that will feed the biggest of teenager’s appetites or just your small family with leftovers.
In order to make this vegan shepherd’s pie recipe, the first this that you are going to do is start preparing your dairy free mashed potatoes. You should peel your potatoes and cube them. Then, throw in your vegetable stock to start cooking. While you are waiting for that you can begin prepping your vegan meat sauce.
In order to make the vegan meat sauce, you are going to start by chopping up all your vegetables. That includes your garlic, onions, celery, and carrots. To make this process easier, you can do all of this in your food processor. This will also help ensure that there’s no big chunks which means if you are feeding children, they are more likely to want to try it because they can’t see it!
Next, heat a large skillet on medium heat and add your oil. We prefer to use a large cast iron skillet so it can go right into the oven once we put the potatoes on top. Once your oil is heated, add that chopped vegetable mixture and stir around, cooking for about 3-4 minutes.
Drop your heat to medium low. Then, add in your lentils, tomato paste, spaghetti or marinara sauce (we prefer a garlic and basil flavored sauce), Italian seasoning, vegetable stock, and salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes.
Around this time you will want to check on your potatoes and remove from heat if they are fork tender. Proceed with the dairy free mashed potatoes recipe as directed. You can save the stock that it was cooking in to make a vegan gravy recipe. Set your mashed potatoes aside while you wait for your vegan meat mixture to finish.
After the 15 minutes are up, add in your chickpeas, nutritional yeast, corn and peas. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. If you need to you can add a splash more vegetable stock. Cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat.
If you are using a cast iron skillet, at this point spread your mashed potatoes on top. If you are not, spread the vegan meat mixture on the bottom of an oven safe dish. Then add the dairy free mashed potatoes to the top. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until the top has started to become golden brown in places. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Serve.
What other ways could I use the “vegan meat sauce”?
You could totally just make the vegan meat sauce part of this vegan shepherd’s pie recipe and use it in a number of ways. Feel free to get creative and let us know how you prefer to make it. Some of the other ways we have used just the vegetarian meat sauce part of this recipe are:
- As a spaghetti meat sauce – we recommend adding another ½-1 full cup of spaghetti or marinara sauce to the recipe and then mixing in or serving on top of your favorite pasta
- To make quesadillas – this recipe was delicious inside of a tortilla with a little bit of Daiya cutting board blend mozzarella dairy free cheese and then charred to perfection to make a quesadilla.
- On top of pizza with your favorite vegetables on top
- Add to make your favorite stuffed shells recipes
- Pour over some roasted smashed potatoes
We know that there are literally dozens of ways to use this vegan meat sauce and hope that these ideas give you a few more delicious dinner ideas.
Is this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie recipe Top 8 Allergy friendly?
This dairy free shepherd’s pie recipe is vegan allergy friendly. As written, the only thing that would be a Top 8 Allergy would be the unsweetened almond milk that we use to make the mashed potatoes. However, that can easily be swapped out for any other safe unsweetened dairy free milk option that your family prefers. If you make that one simple swap, this vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie recipe is Top 8 Allergy friendly.
Pin this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie recipe for later!
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
For the Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
- 2.5 lbs Russet Potatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup vegan butter (soy free if allergies)
- ¼ cup unsweetened dairy free milk
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
For the Vegan Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or oil of choice)
- 7 cloves garlic
- 1 sweet onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 large carrot
- 1 cup lentils, cooked
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 jar spaghetti or marinara sauce (we prefer a garlic/basil flavored sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- ½ cup corn
- ½ cup peas
Instructions
For the mashed potatoes
- Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Try to cut evenly.
- Add vegetable stock and potatoes to pot. Turn on medium heat and bring to a boil. Continue to cook for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes to a large bowl, reserving the cooking liquid to make gravy.
- To the bowl, add in the butter, milk, salt and pepper. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes. *Taste the potatoes and add more salt and pepper as needed. If needed more creamy, add a tablespoon of milk at a time up to ¼ cup more. Set aside.
For the Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
- While you are waiting for potatoes to be fork tender, begin prepping vegan meat sauce. Add the garlic, onions, celery and carrots to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. You can also do this by hand if needed.
- Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. (*See directions in post about using cast iron for this to make easier)
- Add chopped vegetable mixture and stir around, cooking for about 3-4 minutes.
- Drop your heat to medium low.
- Add in lentils, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, vegetable stock, and salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add in chickpeas, nutritional yeast, corn and peas. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- If you need to you can add a splash more vegetable stock.Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat after 5 minutes.
- If you are using a cast iron skillet, at this point spread your mashed potatoes on top. If you are not, spread the vegan meat mixture on the bottom of an oven safe casserole dish. Then add the dairy free mashed potatoes to the top.
- Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until the top has started to become golden brown in places.
- Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Serve.
For Vegan Gravy, Optional
- Move the cooking liquid from mashed potatoes to a large measuring glass or a bowl. You should have two cups liquid remaining. If not fill with more vegetable stock to get 2 cups.
- In the same pot, add the butter over medium heat and let melt. Add in the flour. Whisk constantly until a paste forms. Add stock back in very slowly. Continuously whisking until well combined. Then, add salt and pepper.
- Taste your gravy and add more salt and pepper if needed. Let cook, stirring often, until gravy begins to thicken. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 3/15/2019 and updated on 3/9/2022.
Kim
best holiday recipe 😋 I was out of town heck in a different state and made this for my Thanksgiving dinner so so good all the meat eaters tried it and loved it, the gravy went fast over the turkey gravy. so thank you thank you thank you so much from saving me from a frozen vegan dinner. Nothing but love for you guys 🥰😍
LarishaBernard
Yay! So happy that it was a hit and you had a wonderful meal too!
Pallas
Yummy!
Love you guys too.. great rich recipes.. thanks!!
LarishaBernard
So happy you love them!
Jon Van Vliet
It states one can tomato paste in the recipe. How many oz would that be? They come is various sizes at my grocery store. Thanks.
LarishaBernard
sorry about that, 6oz
Portia
This recipe was a huge hit a my house! The prep was significant but definitely worth the outcome. This meal will be one that I make on a regular basis. Even my
Husband enjoyed 😁 it and he’s not vegan.
Your site was recommended by a friend and I look forward to making other delicious recipes. Thank you for all you do!!
LarishaBernard
So glad your friend recommended us! We are so happy to hear that everyone loved the recipe and can’t wait for you to try more!
Heather
Hi I am a huge fan of your site and your work I want to make this recipe but it doesn’t say if the lentils should be cooked first. Can you tell me please?
Thanks!
LarishaBernard
Uncooked 🙂
Chanelle
Best vegan shepards recipe that I have tried!!
LarishaBernard
No way! We’re so happy to hear that! Thank you for leaving a review!
NaNá V. Stoelzle
May I suggest changing 1 cup lentils to 1 cup cooked lentils? I added 1 cup of dry lentils–still waiting to see if I can soften them by cooking the whole shebang for a lot longer, adding extra broth every few minutes. Am I the only one who uses dry beans 24/7?
Otherwise, I’m a huge fan of you guys & love your recipes so much!
LarishaBernard
Thanks for the feedback and sorry for the confusion