Here is the best vegan shepherd’s pie! The hearty vegetable and lentil garnish contrasts with the fluffy potatoes in this superb plant-based dinner recipe.
Wow is all we can say about this one. This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is the dinner recipe version of wearing a fluffy sweater and sipping hot glow apple. It’s comfort food to the max! Imagine: a creamy sauce topped with tender vegetables, lentils and flavored with fennel and sage. Then a fluffy layer of Yukon Gold potatoes garnished with fresh rosemary. It is layered in a casserole dish and then baked until golden brown. This is a whole food-based WFPB wonder: perfect for impressing guests…or just yourself.
Why is it the better vegan shepherd’s pie
One thing you have to know: Shepherd’s Pie is vegan not fast and easy! We have hundreds of quick and easy dinner recipes. But this one is home cooking and slow cooker. This recipe will take you 1 hour. And we think you’ll agree: it’s a lesson well spent. Pull out this one if you want to impress…it’s perfect for a Sunday lunch or a warming winter meal. But if you’re organized, you can serve it on a weekday too! That’s why we think this recipe is outstanding:
- The filling is thick, meaty and flavorful. It’s hard to make vegan recipes as satisfying as meat dishes. Here, fennel seeds trick your brain into thinking there’s meat (it’s used in sausages). The sauce is super thick and the delicately sliced French onions are vaguely reminiscent of a meaty texture.
- It’s full of plant proteins. This shepherd’s pie is packed with plant-based proteins: lentils and peas give it stickiness.
- It can be done in about 1 hour. Most recipes don’t boast of it. But Shepherd’s Pie can take several hours to prepare. But we’ve tweaked this one to be as genre-simple as possible (even faster than our Veggie Shepherd’s Pie).
Be sure to use Yukon Golden Potatoes!
Don’t even think about using red potatoes here! Some people claim that the best shepherd’s pie is made with red potatoes. But we disagree! Maybe if you load them up with dairy, you can make it. But for a vegan shepherd’s pie: use Golden Potatoes from the Yukon. They have a naturally buttery flavor and a creamy texture that stands up to the lack of dairy. And isn’t that bright yellow color beautiful?
Save Time: Canned Lentils vs. Cooked Lentils
Here’s a little time saver: you can use canned lentils instead of cooking them for this vegan shepherd’s pie recipe! This speeds up the recipe so you don’t have to pull out another pan. Here are some notes:
- Look for canned lentils near canned beans at the grocery store. Use any type of canned lens you can find. Be sure to drain them before adding them to the filling.
- Or cook your own lentils! If you can’t find canned lentils, cook your own lentils and add 1 ½ cups of cooked lentils to the filling. Use our brown/green lentil or black lentil recipes. You can boil them in water and omit the spices indicated in the recipe. Cook with kosher salt, but do not add additional salt after cooking as it will flavor the filling. If you can, do this step ahead of time and refrigerate until the filling is ready.
Some Meal Prep Tips: Make It Even Faster!
Canned lentils are a little trick to speed up the preparation of this vegan shepherd’s pie. Here are a few other things you can do to make your life easier on Bake Day:
- Prepare the mashed potatoes in advance. This will actually work to your advantage as it also helps texture play. Place the vegan mashed potatoes in the fridge until ready to serve, then reheat to make it easier to spread over the filling.
- Do the filling in advance (if you’re really motivated!). If you’re really into meal prep, you can make the topping ahead of time too! Then refrigerate until ready to serve. You can reheat it before cooking to maintain the cooking time (20 minutes) specified in the recipe. You can also prepare it cold, in which case you will need a few minutes extra cooking time. Let us know if you try this!
Boost the vegan shepherd’s pie: add truffle oil!
Serving that Vegan Shepherd’s Pie at a dinner party? If you want to impress, here’s a trick: mix some truffle oil into the potato layer! Truffles are a luxurious mushroom flavor used in Italian cuisine. The exotic flavor is often associated with potatoes, as with these truffle fries! Stirring in some truffle oil to taste would add a magical layer to this dish. Learn more about truffle oil: how to use it and where to buy it.
More vegan comfort food recipes
Want to keep impressing with plant-based dinners? These vegan comfort food recipes are fan favorites and will blow your mind (I promise):
- Best Vegan Pie This vegan pie is the next level: hearty veggies, gooey sauce, and a flaky sage crust. Best of all, it’s easy enough to make on a weekday!
- Favorite Vegan Lasagna This vegan lasagne is sure to become your new favorite. Full of flavor, purely plant-based (dairy-free) and a winner for everyone!
- Best Vegan Pizza This best vegan pizza recipe is an absolute crowd favorite! Vegetarian pizza toppings are so packed with flavor that no one realizes they’re without cheese.
This vegan shepherd’s pie recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free (with cornstarch).
The description
Here is the best vegan shepherd’s pie! The hearty vegetable and lentil garnish contrasts with the fluffy potatoes in this superb plant-based dinner recipe.
- 1 Vegan mashed potatoes recipe
- ¼ cup olive oil, shared
- 8 ounces Portabella Mushrooms (2 large mushroom caps)
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 big carrots
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, shared
- 3 tablespoons All-purpose flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tbsp dried sage
- 2 cups vegetable soup
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 15 ounces canned lentils, drained 1 ½ cups cooked lentils; see footnote*)
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce (or Liquid Amino Acids)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Start the mashed potatoes: Start the recipe for vegan mashed potatoes**. (You can also make them ahead of time; just reheat before spreading on the baking filling.)
- Prepare the vegetables: Meanwhile, cut the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Peel the carrots and cut into thin semicircles. Thinly slice the onion lengthwise (also called a French cut; see instructions at 1:40 of the linked video).
- make filling: In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes until golden and tender. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the chopped onion and carrots. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and cook until onions are soft and just golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the flour (or cornstarch), fennel seeds, smoked paprika powder, garlic powder, and dried sage and cook for 1 minute. Add vegetable broth, peas, lentils (drained if canned), soy sauce, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until the broth is very thick and the vegetables are hot, about 5 minutes.
- Finish the mashed potatoes: When the potatoes are cooked, mash them according to the instructions in this recipe.
- Bake: Pour the filling into a small 2 liter casserole dish. Spread the mashed potatoes on top in one layer. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are lightly browned. If desired, grill for 1 to 2 minutes to brown the top. Garnish with chopped rosemary and serve hot.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: vegan
Keywords: Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
